Bodwi Farm Facts

Bodwi Demonstration Site is a lowland beef and sheep holding which has been run by the Griffith family for four generations.

Edward and Jackie Griffith farm with Edward’s parents, William and Helen. They have now been joined in the business by their son, Ellis.

The total area farmed is 247 hectares (ha) which includes 113ha of rented land on a holding 18 miles from Bodwi.

Soils at Bodwi are fertile medium loam. The farm is all down to grassland apart from 6.9ha of oats grown as part of a Glastir Advanced agreement.

The farm is stocked with a Stabiliser herd of 160 suckler cows and 1150 Suffolk-cross ewes.                                                                                                                                       

The herd calves in a nine-week block from April 7th with 80% calved in the first three weeks.

The beef unit has been run as a closed herd for 20 years. Embryo transfer is used to maximise genetic improvement.

Males calves are reared as bull beef, some at Bodwi and others on a finishing unit in Selby. The target age for finishing is 12-14 months with animals sold direct to slaughter.

Some of the male animals are sold as breeding bulls at 12-14 months.

Heifers are reared on grass and silage after weaning. A proportion are retained as replacements and others are sold as bulling heifers. Any animals that don’t make the grade for breeding are fattened on the farm.

All cattle are performance recorded.

The ewes are tupped to Abermax or Texel rams, achieving a scanning average of 180%.

The flock lambs indoors in February. Lambs are creep fed at grass in April and May to get everything sold by mid-August.

All lambs are sold deadweight.

The family also runs a flock of 280 replacement ewe lambs, mostly purchased from Scotland.

Diversifications

Energy is produced from a 10kW wind turbine

Additional income is generated by a small caravan site and four holiday cottages.