Is finishing some stock off grass an option if fodder is scarce?

Tommy Cox, Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Advisor, offers key advice on identifying the most suitable animals to feed at grass, thus achieving an earlier finish, to free up fodder supplies for the winter ahead.

Following a wet spring and a prolonged winter housing period, silage and fodder reserves on many farms were completely exhausted at turnout. Reduced growth rates over the summer have further added to the challenge of replenishing silage stocks on many farms, to ensure adequate fodder is available for the next winter housing period and for any unplanned times of wet weather or drought conditions.

Completing a fodder budget is a worthwhile task and all farmers should complete one to access their own current situation. Completing a fodder budget is a two-part process; it involves working out how much feed you have on you farm and working out how much feed you need.

Also read: Interactive grass silage stock checker available

Varying weather patterns over the last number of years make it very difficult to predict how many months fodder are now required. Therefore, no matter what region of the country your farm is located in, it is best to target fodder availability/reserve for at least 6 to 7 months.

As we head into August, it could prove difficult for some farmers to take up extra silage ground as they look to build grass for the autumn. For farmers who have potential deficits in there silage stocks for the winter ahead, the option to reduce demand by finishing stock earlier is available.

Notwithstanding the difficulties and safety of feeding finishing cattle at grass, with the right infrastructure, it is an option to finish some animals from grass with/without concentrates this autumn. This will reduce the grazing demand in the back end of the year and, more importantly, reduce the winter fodder requirement.

Although carcass weights and value will be lower by finishing cattle off grass, the costs associated will be far lower. Feeding cattle good quality grass along with meal costs approximately €1-2/day, whereas feeding cattle in a shed on silage and concentrates will cost a farmer at least double that.

Identifying animals to finish and supplementation

Now is the time to start identifying cattle for finishing. A finish date needs to be picked and work back from there. When selecting animals, ideally cattle would want to be 60-70 days off finish. Friesian steers need to be close to the 470-480kg mark and be a softer, fleshier type in order to have them finished before the winter. For early-maturing breeds, similar weights are desirable.

Grass quality begins to deteriorate in August and, as a result, performance will dip. Where cattle could be achieving daily live weight gains of 1.0-1.2kg/day in summer, that figure could drop to 0.75kg/day from the end of August onwards. However, where concentrates are supplemented along with good quality grass similar weight gain to summer months can be maintained.

In terms of meal feeding levels, 500g of concentrate per 100kg of live weight is recommended if grass quality is good. In situations where grass quality is poor, this should be increased to 1kg/100kg of live weight. For example, a 500kg steer needs 3kg/head/day to finish on quality grass and 5kg/head/day on lesser quality grass. A simple ration/nut with 11-12% protein should be sufficient, as there’s not a huge demand for protein when finishing cattle, it is energy the heifer or steer needs. Although finishing at grass is an option, if difficult weather conditions occur, a short housing period mat need to be considered.

Drafting animals

When selecting animals for slaughter, farmers need to ensure that cattle have an adequate cover of carcass fat. This will ensure animal value is maximised at slaughter time. Market specifications require animals between 2+ and 4= for carcass fat score. Drafting animals too early which do not have an adequate cover of fat, or likewise drafting animals too late when animals are too fat, can result in price reductions as animals will not meet market specifications and penalties will be applied on the quality pricing system grid, as well as additional breed and quality assurance bonuses on certain breeds.

Fat cover in early-maturing breeds and heifers can change dramatically over a short period, therefore it is advised to draft animals every 10-12 days to ensure animals don’t go overfat

Also read: Act now to assess winter feed demand and plan ahead for the winter ahead