Beef and Sheep Notes September 2010

Compound feed prices are set to rise significantly in the coming months driven by the surge in grain prices. Consequently beef finishers need to exploit the remainder of the grazing season to its full potential and delay the expensive housing period.

Grass growth can be good in September but towards the end of the month growth will inevitably slow down. With rising feed costs applying a light dressing of up to 30KG per hectare (24 units per acre) within the first half of September to fields with young swards with a high percentage of ryegrasses and fields that have been cut and did not recently get nitrogen makes sense. Nitrogen cannot be applied after 14^th September, but by that stage the response is uneconomic.

Good autumn grass on its own will only give 0.6-0.8KG per day weight gain which results in delayed finishing or even worse failure to finish before the grass runs out. On a suckler to beef farm, the finishing cattle should get the best grass available. Research trials indicate that even with a good supply of autumn grass there is a response to feeding meal to finishing cattle. The level of meal will depend on the type of animal and grass supply.

The general rule of thumb for continental steers is that for every 50KG above 500KG, 1KG of meal is required to sustain maximum growth in early autumn, that is, 650KG steer needs 3KG of meal. This changes in late autumn to 1.5KG meal required for every 50KG over 500KG, that is, a 650KG steer requires 4.5KG meal in October- November at grass.  Native breeds and Holstein-type animals should be receiving 1.25KG for every 50KG above 450KG, for example, a 550KG animal should be receiving 2.5KG in early autumn up to a maximum of 4KG per head in late autumn.

A simple energy ration containing cereals like barley and citrus or beet pulp is adequate as there is sufficient protein in autumn grass. The economics depend on the cost of meal and the price of beef. For feeding up to 3KG meal per day, you can expect a conversion rate of 12:1, that is, every 12KG meal will give 1KG carcass. At current prices, there is a positive margin of 40-50p per KG carcass gain to feeding at this level.

Adjust autumn meal feeding to cattle according to their size and grass supply.

Weaning  suckled calves can be very stressful for both cow and calf. If badly managed it can have a detrimental effect on the performance and health of the calf. Stressed calves lack thrive and are more prone to disease such as pneumonia.

Introduce creep feed to calves about four to six weeks before weaning. A palatable coarse mix should be used (avoid dusty straights), for example, based on cereal/citrus pulp with a 16 percent protein content. Feed up to 1 -2KG per head per day depending on weight of calf and grass supply.

Forward grazing and creep feeding can be used to simplify and take much of the stress out of weaning. Raising the electric wire or using a special weaning gate helps to break the cow – calf bond. After one to two weeks, the gate can be closed or the wire lowered to break the contact between the cow and her calf. After one or two days the bond is completely broken and cows can be moved away.

With lamb prices remaining buoyant over the season, many sheep farmers have taken a renewed interest in developing the enterprise and adopting good management practices to further improve returns.

DARD sheep benchmarking figures indicate strongly that the most important factor influencing profitability is the number of lambs reared per ewe put to the ram. The top 25 percent producers are achieving at least 1.6. If you are not approaching this figure then you are not at the game.

The output and quality of next year’s lamb crop rests on how you manage your flock in the weeks prior to mating and through pregnancy. It’s all about planning ahead – checking for parasites, lameness and any other conditions that will prevent the ewe from feeding efficiently and reaching the optimum body score (3 for lowland ewes, 2-2.5 for hill ewes) at this vital stage in the production cycle.

It is essential any bought in breeding stock are wormed with a quarantine dose to protect the rest of the flock from resistant worms. The new class of anthelmentic, Zolvix, could be used for this purpose. Check and dose ewes for fluke if appropriate.