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Beef and sheep notes February 2010

BEEF

Assessing forage supplies

If silage is in short supply you may be able to:
  • Purchase additional silage.
  • Stretch existing stocks by introducing other feeds.
  • Sell stock.
When purchasing silage bear the following points in mind:
  • It is important to get good value for money.
  • Costs need to include collection/delivery to the farm.
  • The relative feeding value of the silage.

Getting good value for money

Using current rolled barley (£123 per tonne) and rapeseed (£176 per tonne) prices for comparison, all other feeds can be assessed in terms of value as a feed for cattle.
  Dry matter percent ME Value (£)
Grass silage
- good quality
25
11.5
30
- poor quality
22
9.5
20
Maize silage
28
11
30
Whole crop
28
9.5
24
The value of a feed relative to standard feeds, for example, barley and rapeseed meal takes into account the nutritional content (energy and protein) and dry matter. Mature, stemmy grass will generally have a lower relative feeding value, whereas well wilted grass will have a higher relative feeding value.

Purchasing round bales of silage

The feeding value of bales depends on dry matter, leafiness and density. Assuming average quality and 25 percent dry matter the following prices are reasonable:
  • Unchopped bale  (450 – 500kg)   £12 to £14 per bale,
  • Chopped bale (600 – 700kg)  £16  to  £19 per bale

Stretching existing stocks by introducing other feeds

Where silage is going to be rationed so that the stocks on the farm will last until turnout other feeds must be introduced to meet the nutritional needs of livestock.
In general terms:
  • Concentrates will be better value for money than alternative feeds and forages.
  • Concentrates tend to be more consistent in terms of quality
Take for example a dry spring calving cow in good condition (600 kg and losing 0.25 kg per day). If silage is plentiful this cow’s energy and protein needs could be met by feeding approximately 30 kg of average silage.  Wet silages should be supplemented with straw (0.5 kg per day) and concentrates (0.5 kg per day). Where silage supplies are tight this cow’s requirement could be met by feeding 20 kg silage and also feeding 2 kg of soya hulls per day. Feed 4.5 kg concentrates and 1.5 to 2.0 kg straw per day. Remember when restricting forage or feeding meals ensure there is enough feed space so all animals in a group can feed at the same time.

SHEEP

Maintaining ewe condition in late pregnancy

Aim to have ewes lambing at condition score 2.5-3.0. Thin or over fat ewes should be separated out so that they can be fed accordingly. A number of farmers are now getting ewes pregnancy scanned as an aid to management pre-lambing. The advantages of scanning are the identification of barren ewes that can be culled immediately, and those carrying singles, twins and triplets. The ewes can then be batched according to litter size and fed in an appropriate manner so that feed is used more efficiently.  Condition score is still important with scanning so that for instance thin twin-bearing ewes can be batched with those bearing triplets to get extra feeding.  

Silage

Keep the best quality silage on the farm for ewes pre-lambing.  Excellent quality silage with ME 11.5 and CP 14.5 percent can more than halve the amount of concentrates needed compared to poor quality silage (ME 9.6 and CP 10.5 percent).  

Concentrate feed level required for twin bearing ewes

  Excellent quality silage Poor quality silage
4-6
0
0.4
2-4
0.35
0.7
0-2
0.50
1.0
Total concentrate (kg)
12
29

Ration quality

Aim to feed a good quality ration with an ME content of at least 12.5 MJ per kg dry matter and a protein content of 16-18 percent fresh weight. The protein source in the ration needs to be of high quality to boost colostrum quality, improve udder development and sustain lamb growth. Soya bean meal is widely recognised as the best protein source for ewes pre-lambing.  

Minerals and vitamins

Discuss mineral and vitamin requirements with your vet. Selenium and vitamin E are important for sheep and lamb health and remember  Propionic acid treated cereals can be very low in vitamin E. Target to feed 100mg vitamin E per day pre-lambing.

Preparing for lambing

Preparations for lambing should begin now, well in advance of the lambing season. Lambing pens are necessary to allow bonding of the ewe and lamb. Allow one pen per 10 ewes and provide feed racks, water and meal containers. Pens should be 1.5m² (5ft X 5ft). Group pens where small batches of ewes and lambs can be kept before moving out to pasture are important for allowing ewes and lambs to bond and reduce the risk of mis-mothering.
Plan to have your medicine cupboard restocked now before the main lambing period begins. Items required include:
  • Lubricant
  • Glucose
  • Lamb stomach tube and syringe
  • Tincture of Iodine
  • Frozen colostrum
  • Calcium/magnesium solution
  • Disinfectant
  • Antibiotic injections
  • Rubber rings
  • Lambing snare