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The Native Breed of Wales

The name “RHUDDEL” comes from a stream which flows from the Black Mountain down the western boundary of the farm.  Nant Moch (wild water stream) Farm nestles at the foot of the Black mountain in Carmarthenshire.  An idyllic setting where red kites soar overhead, brown hares can be seen in the rough margins and barn owls swoop silently over the meadows at dusk, but as winter approaches it becomes a very different story.  Polled Welsh Black Cattle were the obvious choice for such a harsh environment, easy calving, excellent maternal traits, calm temperament and efficient converters of forage.  Almost 10 years later and the decision was definitely the right one, “Polled Welsh Blacks”.

Our main aim is to produce cows that calve easily and produce calves that are easy fleshing and consistently slaughter at E and U grade with high killing out percentages typically in the region of 60%, whilst retaining the flavour and tenderness associated with Welsh Black Beef.

Recently we have embraced technology.  Firstly performance recording with Signet, this gives a view of how our cattle perform not just within our herd but across other Welsh Black herds. The eye muscle and back fat scanning by ultrasound is a valuable part of this service.  Secondly, Gene Star DNA technology, scoring cattle for marbling, tenderness and feed efficiency.  The results obtained from these technologies form part of the selection process in our quest to produce an elite herd of Polled Welsh Blacks.

Why polled?

Why put yourself and your stock through the stress of dehorning when there is an alternative.  The decision to keep a herd of Polled Welsh Blacks was an easy one.