The February Stirling Bull Sales will mark an important milestone for Hamish and Margaret Sclater’s well-known Deveron Herd, as they take the largest group of bulls they have ever presented at a February sale.
With six bulls forward, this consignment represents the beginning of a significant year for the Sclaters, ahead of the planned dispersal of their herd in October 2026.
The six bulls are bred from a selection of established and highly regarded cow families that run throughout the Deveron Herd, including Lady, Elize and Estorella. This depth of breeding highlights the consistency and strength of the herd, developed carefully over the past 30 years through focused selection and attention to detail.
With the dispersal now on the horizon, Hamish and Margaret are hopeful that the February sale will provide a strong start to their final year, showcasing the progress and quality achieved through decades of dedicated breeding.
Norvite is proud to have been a supplier to the Sclaters for almost 30 years. It has been both a pleasure and an honour to watch the Deveron Herd grow and develop with such success. That success includes numerous championships, notably winning the North East Aberdeen Angus Club Large Herd Competition Overall Herd of the Year in 2023, 2024 and 2025, alongside an outstanding 22 championships at the Black Beauty Bonanza calf show and multiple championships at bull sales, to name just a few.
Hamish observed that Norvite has remained a trusted supplier over all these years, not only because of the quality of the products, but because of the people behind them.
“The staff have always been incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and adaptable, and that has made a real difference for us. They understand our system and are always willing to work with us to meet the changing feeding needs of our livestock.”
When asked what he would most attribute their success to, Hamish said:
“During my time breeding pigs, I learned the importance of a progressive replacement policy. When genetic progress is achieved, the daughter is a better-quality animal than her mother. We have retained the quality young stock within the herd and have been prepared to sell the older generation to move us forward.”
All six bulls forward for the February sale are sired by either the homebred Deveron Fernando X781 or Rawburn Elixir W120, two bulls that have bred extremely well for the Sclaters and have left a lasting influence on the herd.
Margaret added:
“One of the biggest things we have valued about having Norvite as a supplier is the advice and support that has been given over the years, particularly with diet formulation and ration advice.”
The bulls are grown on a simple and sustainable feeding system, consisting of 50% homegrown ALpHA treated barley and 50% ALpHA Balancer, alongside homegrown forage. Hamish commented that ALpHA has been a real game changer for the system, allowing higher levels of barley to be fed safely while maintaining performance and animal health. This approach has proven highly effective, clearly reflected in the bulls’ growth, structural correctness and overall performance. Across their lifetime, the bulls have achieved an impressive average daily liveweight gain of 1.65kg, a notable figure maintained over a long growing period.
Hamish and Margaret welcome visitors to the farm in the run-up to the dispersal for anyone interested in viewing the stock. Open days will be held on 15th August, following the celebration of 150 years of the Aberdeen Angus Herd Book, and again on 3rd and 4th October.
We wish Hamish and Margaret every success at the February Stirling Bull Sale and look forward to following the Deveron Herd’s achievements throughout this landmark year.
