Gavieside Farm in West Calder is owned and managed by the Graham family. Each year, up to 2,000 head of cattle are finished on the farm’s 1,500 acres. As well as grazing land, around 700 acres provides feed crops of wheat and barley, and oilseed rape which is sold for the manufacture of vegetable oil. 

 

There are no breeding cattle on Gavieside Farm, so all the stock is bought in, typically aged around 12 to 14 months old. The cattle are finished on the farm, a process which takes between 8 and 12 months, before being sold for meat. 

 

 

Alan Graham of Gavieside Farm has been buying his cattle through Alan Gray of Scottish Procurement Services for the past 4 years. The relationship originally started with Alan Graham’s father in 2004. Today, a substantial number of the Gavieside’s cattle are bought in this way. 

 

Alan Gray’s background as an auctioneer with additional responsibility for fat, store, and breeding cattle, means he has a deep understanding of the market and the individual needs of his customers.   Alan Gray knows Gavieside’s market and the type and quality of stock they are looking for.

 

Many of the cattle sourced by Scottish Procurement Services for Gavieside Farm are Charolais and Aberdeen Angus. The Aberdeen Angus, in particular, are a popular breed because the quality of the meat attracts premium prices.   

 

 

The purchase of stock at Gavieside Farm is carefully planned, normally at least 2 months in advance. Cattle are bought and sold by the farm throughout the year. When new stock is needed, normally in herds of between 50 and 60, Alan Gray is contacted with details of the requirements and the timescale.

 

Once the cattle are sourced, Alan Gray arranges the haulage and notifies the farm of the delivery date. This means the Grahams can set aside that day to process the cattle. As well as fitting in with the farm’s busy schedule, buying the cattle through Alan Gray means the farm pays competitive prices. Alan Graham of Gavieside Farm said the cattle sourced by Scottish Procurement Services tended to be higher quality than those bought through the cattle auctions. 

 

Gavieside Farm does buy cattle through the local livestock auctions and from other local farmers. However, this means the farm has to arrange the haulage, something which, according to Alan Graham, “is time-consuming and a hassle”. 

 

As well as the variable quality of the stock, buying at auction often means only small numbers of cattle are available. Because they have been separated from the rest of the herd and undergo more time in transit, the cattle can become stressed. This is detrimental to their health and means they take longer to acclimatise to life in their new surroundings.

 

 

When any new cattle arrive at Gavieside, they are penned and processed. This includes inoculation and worm treatments which help prevent cross-infection and reduces the risk of disease. With Alan Gray’s procurement service, larger numbers of cattle can be bought, meaning the farm’s time can be managed much more efficiently. The preparation needed to process even 2 or 3 animals can take as long as handling a reasonable size herd. 

 

 

Because Alan Gray of Scottish Procurement Services knows what cattle meet Gavieside’s needs, he will contact the farm when he knows of any suitable animals coming onto the market. This helps the farm’s forward planning and allows them to take advantage of any good stock when it is available.

 

Alan Graham said of Scottish Procurement Services, “Because Alan Gray knows his cattle, the ones he sources are better – he works at the top end of the market. It is a good, well-organised service and always delivers the type of cattle we want to work with.” 

 

Alan Graham

Gavieside Farm

West Calder

West Lothian