Proinnsias Creedon July/August Update 2024
Health challenges at grass
- Lighter calves are having health issues
- Coughing & scour outbreaks – some re-housed for treatment
- Heavier calves are performing well
Weights & sales data
- 5 heifers finished in May
- Weights for 2023 calves
- 2022 finishing heifer weights
Fertiliser allowances
- Calculating fertiliser bought so far this year
- Working out how much more can be bought
- Reminder not to exceed limits (NB)
Dairy Beef
Calf performance has been very mixed over the last month. While their weaning and transition to grass was relatively smooth, the last month has seen huge variation in their weights. There are 2 groups of calves on the farm – a smaller/lighter group and a heavier group of calves. It is mainly the lighter group that are affected by an outbreak of coughing and/or scouring.
They have been treated for the following since turnout;
- Coccidiosis – 9th Some had coccidiosis at this stage. Cocci has a 6 week cycle.
- Lung worms – Ivermectin injection (Animec) on 13th June due to coughing & oral dose on 8th July with Fenbendazole product (Curazole)
Some scouring calves had to be re-housed on 19th July and were treated with an anti-inflammatory injection, kaolan powder and microbes based on veterinary advice. They are improving since treatment. A FEC sample taken from the worst affected calves have not showed any presence of stomach or lung worms. In consultation with his vet, Proinnsias suspects that the calves had an extreme burden of lungworms that have caused coughing for almost 3 weeks after treatment. And similarly the scouring calves may have had a heavier burden of cocci that has affected their guts.
The lighter calves have been reduced from 1.5kg to 1kg of ration/head/day at grass to help reduce any risk of acidosis, and are being fed in 2 splits per day. They have ad lib access to straw and good quality grass. The heavier calves are eating 0.9 kg of a 17% crude protein ration/head/day.
The lighter calves (29) only gained 0.14kg/day from 27th May to 9th June and they averaged 98kg. Some calves lost a significant amount of weight per day, one which was -0.85 kg/day.
Meanwhile the heavier calves (29) gained 0.47 kg/day from 27th May to 14th June and averaged 120kg. Their latest weight on 20th July shows that they averaged 148kg and gained 0.69 kg/day since 14th June.
Figure 1: Heavier dairy beef calves
Performance
Five heifers were finished on 8th May at 25.8 months of age. They averaged 275kg carcass weight, graded O-3+ and made €1473/head.
The 2023 born heifers (54) were weighed on 13th June. They averaged 308 kg and gained 0.5 kg/day on average since 26th May.
Figure 2: 2023 born heifers at grass
The 2022 finishing heifers (13) were weighed on 5th July and averaged 484 kg, after gaining 0.69 kg/day at grass. They are being fed 5kg ration/head/day at grass.
Figure 3: Heifer #1313 was 502kg on 5th July and gained 2kg/head/day since 13th June. DOB 12th Feb 2022.
Soil Fertility
Proinnsias has been calculating his fertiliser limits for 2024. According to his 2024 nutrient management plan which contain the latest soil sample results, he is permitted to spread 6,161 kg N and 279 kg P.
To date he has purchased the following fertiliser:
- 3t of 38% protected urea + S
- 1.875t of 30% protected urea + 6% K
- 1.5t of 29% protected urea + 14% K + S
- 0.375t of 46% protected urea
To calculate how many kg of P and K he has bought so far, he must do the following for each compound:
- Multiply the units per tonne by 20 (e.g. 38% pro urea x 20 = 760 units N per tonne fertiliser)
- Divide it by 2 to convert to kg (e.g. 760 units / 2 = 380 kg N per tonne)
- Multiply by the total tonnage (e.g. 3t x 380 kg N = 1,140 kg N)
In total he has purchased 2,310 kg of nitrogen and 0 kg phosphorus this year. When this is subtracted from the total allowances, it means that he can still buy 2,533 kg N and 279 kg P. To work this back into fertiliser terms, it can be calculated as follows;
- P allowance of 279kg divided by 60 kg N/t = 4.65t of 18-6-12
- An extra 4.65t of 18-6-12 also contains 837 kg nitrogen (calculated the same as above)
- This leaves a nitrogen allowance of 1,696 kg N when subtracted from 2,533 kg N
- N allowance of 1,696 divided by 290 kg N/t = 5.8t of 29% protected urea +14% K + S
Proinnsias will not need to spread that quantity of fertiliser, and still has some fertiliser that was bought earlier in the year, but it is important to track his fertiliser usage and limits as it could lead to penalties if he exceed the allowances.