Duration: 9 months

Placement Host: Owen McDevitt

Location: Limavady, County Derry

Landholding: 900 acres

Main grazing: coastal, hill, moorland and some improved grassland.

 

Livestock: 400 Romney, romney X's, 200 angus x continental cattle

 

The Project: Owen McDevott is an independent farmer. He farms 600 acres of hill and moorland. 200 acres of sand dune systems part of the Magilligan Peninsula at the entrance to Lough Foyle is grazed under license for the Defence Estates. A further 100 acres is grazed again under license for the National Trust at the Downhill estate. 

 

The Work: The successfull candidate will gain thorough livestock skills and general farm and estate work. Experience of habitat monitoring and surveying will be gained with through time spent with Northern Ireland Environment Agency and Ulster Wildlife Trust during the months of May, June and July. It is proposed at this stage that the trainees project will be based on the analysis of the performance of the Irish Moiled cow in conservation grazing.