Newford Farm and its drafting of the Beef Bullocks for 2022
Michael Fagan Teagasc & Stephen Frend Newford Farm Manager give a brief update on their drafting of the 2022 Newford beef bullocks and on how they performed.
There were (43) 2021-progeny born beef bullocks available to be slaughtered this year on Newford Farm. All of the bullocks were sired by 5-star terminal bulls. Fiston, Hideal, Laurel, Gstaad, Tomschoice Lexicon and Kilconnelly Kodaline were used on the mature herd, and Ewdenvale Ivor was used on the first calvers.
The cow type on Newford Farm are first –cross Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cows , bred from the dairy herd with an average live weight of 650 Kilograms. These cows have excellent maternal traits, especially milk production. This underpins positive pre- weaning daily live weight gain with the males averaging 1.35 kilogram liveweight per day, and heifers averaging 1.28 kilogram per day in recent years.
It is also probable that the early maturing genetics in the Newford cows is playing a significant role when it comes to finishing the Newford beef bullocks at less than 21 months of age.
All of the 43 yearling bullocks were turned out to grass on the 23rd of March at an average liveweight of 454 kilogram. The yearlings had achieved an average daily gain of 0.72 kilogram per day over the winter period.
To-date 40 of these bullocks have being drafted at 20 and half months of age or 622 days. The first 4 bullocks were drafted on the 31st of August off grass with no meal fed. Concentrates were introduced on the 1st of September to 20 bullocks at a rate of 3kg per head daily.
On the 7th of October 19 bullocks were housed and the remaining 14 bullocks outside were housed on the 21st of October. All of the bullocks were gradually brought up to 6 ½ kilograms of concentrates along with 74% DMD silage fed ab lib before slaughter
On average the 40 bullocks drafted to date graded
- R = 3 –
- Their average live weight going up the ramp of the lorry was 653 Kg @ 20 ½ months of age ( ranging from 19 months to 21 months of age)
- They had an average carcass wgt of 358 Kg and achieved a 55 % kill out
- Four bullocks out of the 40 bullocks drafted had a fat cover 2= and as such missed out on the 20 cent /kilogram QPS bonus
- With the factory base price and the Quality Payment System or the QPS the average price per kilogram of beef paid was €4.96 cent.
- And their net value was € 1,776 per bullock
On average each bullock drafted consumed roughly 250 kilograms of a high –energy, 12 % crude protein ration before slaughter. This cost €103 per bullock at a concentrate cost of €411 per ton. Newford intends to draft the remaining 3 bullocks as soon as they come fit for slaughter and we are aiming to have all the bullocks sold off the farm by late December