Cattle Farm Management Notes: 01/06/2010
Improving Performance on Suckler Farms
All the data shows that making a margin out of suckler beef production is challenging. The Teagasc eProfit monitor data for last year shows that for suckler-to-weanling/stores, the average gross margin per livestock unit was €148. The best in the class, the top one-third of farmers using the eProfit monitor, achieved an average gross margin of €273 per livestock unit, but the bottom one-third were in the red. Now price did have an impact on the 2009 results compared to the previous year but that is only part of the story. So how can this be improved?
Improving the fertility performance of the herd is one step and getting more out of grazed grass is the second. The breeding season is well underway on suckler units at the moment, but just because the sun has been shining, the grass is growing and the stock is out, doesn’t mean that all is going well. Letting the bull in and closing the gate is not sufficient. The figures above clearly show that all is not well on the breeding front on most suckler farms. The targets of a 365-day or less calving interval, a 12-week calving spread and sixty per cent of cows calving in the first month are not being met on most farms.
We are right in the middle of the breeding season at present so monitoring closely what is happening is critical. On many farms last year, the empty rate was not known until it was too late to do anything about it and culling rates were higher as a result. Those using AI are ahead of the curve and will know the submission rates, the numbers repeating and will be using better genetics. Those using a stock bull should try to gather this information as well by observing activity more frequently. Even herding twice a day to observe cows will help. Are cows coming on heat and being served? Have all cows shown? How many are repeating? It is only when this information is picked up and recorded that you are in a position to take corrective action if it is necessary.
Improving animal performance at grass is the other area that should be targeted. It is the cheapest way to put weight on animals and improve performance. Maintaining grass quality by having a planned grazing strategy will deliver results.
Several initiatives are being taken at the moment, with all aiming to help more farmers improve their profitability from sucklers. Teagasc is working closely through discussion groups and with individual farmers to achieve this. These producers are making progress but the challenge is to reach more farmers and assist them to take a few small steps to improve their business.
Another initiative has been taken at the Teagasc centre at Grange with a challenging target set of €1,000 per hectare gross margin. All cattle farmers should make a point of getting to the beef open day planned for the Grange centre, in county Meath on Tuesday, 15 June. A new suckler herd was set up there last year and this will be the first opportunity to go and see it. The herd is spring-calving and the first set of calves are on the ground now and are there for people to go and see. Calving commenced on 12 February this year with a mean calving date of 12 March and a calving spread of just 11 weeks. The cows in this ‘Derrypatrick’ herd reflect the majority of the suckler cows to be found on farms around the country. There are four distinct breed types in the herd, namely Limousin x Holstein-Friesian, Limousin x Simmental, Charolais x Limousin and Charolais x Simmental. The breeding season is in full swing having commenced on 26 April. All cows were tail painted and had tails trimmed prior to breeding start date. Vasectomised, teaser bulls were used for heat detection. These had chin balls (paint) attached as a heat detection aid in conjunction with using tail paint on the cows. AI will be used up to around 10 June 2010, after which it is planned to introduce Belgian Blue stock bulls to mop-up. The breeding season is planned to end by early July with the bulls removed at that stage. We will have more details of what is planned at the open day itself in the coming weeks, but put the date in your diary now.
