Gareth Peoples - March 2025

Out with the old, in with the new

Currently, on the farm, we have finished 55 steers since last October, with another 23 still remaining. The plan is to send them to the factory in the coming weeks. Of the 55 steers slaughtered since autumn, the average carcass weight was 333kg at 24.4 months. The average grade was just over 0=, with a fat cover of 3=.

Once animals reach close to 500kg, they go on a 90–100 day intensive feeding period before slaughter at over 620kg live weight. Their diet consists of 6kg of ration which includes my own barley and10kg of fodder beet grown on the farm, and high-quality silage. This diet works well, with daily gains of over 1.2kg being consistently achieved. I believe that home-grown feed is a major factor in keeping costs down while maintaining performance. It also ensures better quality control, as I know exactly what goes into their diet.

During the finishing phase, I regularly monitor the animals. Once they reach the desired fat score of 3, they are drafted, as this is when their carcass weight potential is maximized. Allowing them to go beyond this fat level reduces efficiency in terms of daily gain and also increases their environmental footprint. Overall, I’m happy with the weights and grades I’m achieving because, at the end of the day, I’m paid for the kilos of beef I produce. Doing this as efficiently as possible helps maintain my sustainability and ensures a steady income.

To keep the system running, the cycle starts again. In the coming weeks, I plan to take in my batch of spring-born calves for rearing. This year, I plan to rear over 40 calves, following on from the 60 I reared in the autumn. I’ll continue the trend from last season, buying a mix of both Friesian and early-maturing male calves depending on what local farmers I deal with have available and where I can find value at the time. I try to work closely with trusted farmers, as knowing the background of the calves gives me confidence in their health and performance potential.

When purchasing, I aim for calves that are at least three weeks old, as I believe they are less prone to scours and disease and require less veterinary intervention. A vaccination program has been in place in recent years to cover RSV, Pi3, and Pasteurella, but we still have the occasional issue with pneumonia. I put this down to the current calf housing, which is prone to drafts depending on wind direction. To counteract this, I will use a shelter barrier this spring. The longer-term plan is to modify an existing sheep shed on the farm to rear all my calves in, providing a more controlled environment that should reduce health issues and improve overall growth rates.

Calves are fed on an automatic milk feeder until they reach their target weaning weight of 85–90kg, usually at 55–60 days. From arrival, they are introduced to a highly palatable ration to start rumen development and reduce reliance on milk. By weaning, calves should be consuming over 2kg of concentrates per day to prevent any growth setbacks as they transition to solid feed. Providing clean water and fresh bedding is also key to keeping calves healthy and thriving. Getting calf management right during the rearing phase I believe is crucial to setting them up for high performance later on, which is essential for making my calf-to-beef system work.