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Traditional Hereford Cattle
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 Producers
and Farmers:
Suppying TBMM Accredited Butchers
© Traditional Breeds Meat Marketing Company Ltd
Our job, juggling supply and demand, is one of the
hardest there is. Keeping everyone happy – butchers and producers
alike – is sometimes a nightmare but the overall satisfaction of
creating and maintaining a market for the most endangered breeds in
the country makes it all worthwhile.
The breeds covered are basically those on the Rare
Breeds Survival Trust’s Watchlist. However, we also include breeds
that have recently left that list to ensure that their recovery is
not set back by a sudden withdrawal of support. Thus we include
Longhorn,
Beef
Shorthorn, Belted Galloway, Kerry and Dexter cattle; Shetland,
Southdown, Galway, Wiltshire Horn,
Kerry Hill, Black Welsh Mountain and Jacob sheep. The full list is
as follows:
Breeds Accepted Through This Scheme -
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Beef Cattle |
Sheep |
Pigs (p Pork; b Bacon) |
Beef Shorthorn
Belted Galloway
British White
Dexter
Galloway
Gloucester
Irish Moiled
Kerry
Longhorn
Red Poll
Shetland
Traditional Aberdeen Angus*
Traditional Hereford*
Traditional Lincoln Red*
Whitebred Shorthorn
White Park |
Balwen
Boreray
Castlemilk Moorit
Cotswold
Devon & Cornwall L’wool
Dorset Down
Dorset Horn
Galway
Greyface Dartmoor
Hebridean
Hill Radnor
Jacob
Kerry Hill
Leicester Longwool
Lincoln Longwool
Llanwenog
Manx Loghtan
Norfolk Horn
North Ronaldsay
Oxford Down
Portland
Ryeland
Shetland
Shropshire
Soay
Southdown
Teeswater
Welsh Black Mountain
Wensleydale
White Face Dartmoor
Whitefaced Woodland
Wiltshire Horn |
Berkshire (p)
British Lop (p/b)
British Saddleback (p/b)
Gloucestershire Old Spots (p/b)
Large Black (p/b)
Middle White (p)
Tamworth (p/b)
Welsh (p/b) |
*Being those animals identified in the herd book as being of pure
British descent
 So, you as a producer want to know how you can offer
stock into our network. Well, there are two ways.
Species Finishing Units
Firstly, twelve years of experience has taught us that we cannot
rely on individual producers to be able to keep many of our butchers
going week in week out. Given that everyone wants an easy life, it
just doesn’t work out.
So we have established Approved Finishing Units in
various locations around the country to finish much of the stock
that many of our butchers need.
Click here for our list of approved
Finishing Units
Opportunity number 1:
Weaned/Store Stock
These Finishing Units look to buy in weaned and store stock to
fatten for the butchers. Some breed some or most of their stock,
some buy in all of their stock. So here are the criteria.
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Whatever the species, the animals must be
pure bred from registered parents and birth notified if
possible. We do not accept crossbreds, even from between two
rare breeds.
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Entire males cause problems for the
finisher and the butcher. Bulls will not be accepted and entire
boars may also be rejected. Wether lambs will be preferred to
rams especially of slower growing and primitive breeds.
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Stock must be healthy and well-grown for
its age and without physical defects (i.e. ruptures, hernias,
wounds etc.). Mis-marked animals are acceptable.
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Weaned and store stock should be wormed before
delivery. Otherwise the Finishing Unit will worm them on arrival
and deduct the cost from the price paid.
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Prices are as agreed between the producer and
the Finishing Unit. We issue guidelines to the finishers and
they should pay competitive prices but at the end of the day,
they must judge the stock on how it looks on the day and make an
offer on that basis.
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Once agreement has been reached, a form giving
details of breeding, age, the breeders’ details etc. must be
completed and a copy sent to the TBMM Co office. This can either
be obtained from the Finishing Unit or requested from the
office.
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Before you can supply the finisher, you need to
apply for and complete a form confirming that to meet the
requirements of our Welfare Standards. These are not designed to
trip producers up but are common sense and intended to prevent
intensive practices which are at odds with the production of
rare and traditional breeds.
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There is no charge for being able to supply
stock to Finishing Units.
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If the finisher offers you advice on husbandry
matters based on his or her assessment of the stock, do take
note of it. He or she is not being critical for the sake of it
but is trying to help you to get the best from your stock. All
farm animals, including rare breeds, need a balanced ration to
suit their conformations.
Opportunity number 2:
Finished Stock
We always give preference to the Finishing Units supplying the
Accredited Butchers but opportunities do arise in most parts of the
country to take stock in direct from producers. However, we can
never guarantee to take your stock in a given area just when it is
ready. We will do everything we can to place it but at we have to
work within the limitations of supply and demand and we cannot
simply turn on a tap to accommodate your particular needs. Please
give us as much notice (at least 2-3 weeks) as possible before the
stock reaches its prime condition.
For direct supplies there are terms and conditions that apply.
Please contact us using the link at the top of the page for details.
Prices paid on a deadweight basis are always higher than commercial
prices, usually by a significant margin. However, in order to
maintain demand, they are not at the level of Organic produce but
then neither are the costs involved. If you believe that you can
meet our requirements and are interested in finding out more about
our price structures, please contact the office. We do not publish
this data on the website as it is commercially sensitive.
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