Refine your drafting skills at BEEF2024
BEEF2024, Teagasc’s biennial flagship beef open day to be held in Teagasc Grange, Co. Meath, Eircode: C15 PW93, on June 26, will offer farmers an opportunity to refine their drafting skills.
Through a live demonstration facilitated by Teagasc research and advisory staff and factory personnel, farmers visiting BEEF2024 will see first-hand the level of fatness required when drafting or selecting beef cattle for slaughter. On the day, a firm focus will be placed on achieving the desired fat scores/grades under the Quality Payment Scheme (QPS) – an important factor in maximising the returns when finishing cattle of either suckler or dairy-beef origin.
A fear often echoed by novice or inexperienced beef finishers is failing to hit the desired level of carcass fatness – either through the delivery of under fat or over finished animals to the lairage – and how the returns for such animals may be penalised. In both suckler and dairy-beef systems, drafting cattle when they are actually fit is key to maximising returns, the live demonstration at BEEF2024 offers farmers an opportunity to brush up on the skills to make this possible.
Nationally, a relatively high percentage of animals are being slaughtered at excessively high fat scores, representing additional feed days and an economic cost to beef farming systems through the allocation of feedstuffs – whether that be in the form of grazed grass, silage or concentrate – to animals of decreasing carcass performance efficiency. By knowing when to draft, farmers can make savings in this regard.
Along with the economic benefits, selecting animals at the appropriate fat score also offers environmental benefits. Where animals are allowed exceed the desired level of carcass fatness, this represents additional days on farm. With Irish agriculture aiming to reduce age of slaughter from 26 to 22-23 months by 2030 – seen as a central steps in achieving agriculture’s 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions target by 2030 – the gains, however small, achieved through slaughtering animals at appropriate fat scores should be prioritised.
Additionally, with more dairy-beef animals coming on stream, farmers who previously finished suckler-bred animals may be finishing dairy-bred animals for the first time. The live demonstration at BEEF2024 will allow all producers to examine the nuances of each animal type when finishing to ensure the benefits outlined above are achieved.
More at BEEF2024
Along with the finishing demonstration, BEEF2024 is an opportunity to see first-hand the results of Teagasc’s comprehensive research and innovation programme and to meet Teagasc research, advisory and education staff. Key attractions include: the Grassland and Forage Village; the Suckler Beef Village; the Dairy Calf-to-Beef Village; the Advisory, Education and Opportunities Village; and three live forums on the day.
With a theme of ‘Securing your future in beef farm’, the key challenges and opportunities of beef farming in Ireland will be outlined, along with production systems to balance income and lifestyle. A management toolbox for beef farmers will also be showcased, centring on optimal suckler and dairy-beef systems, driving genetic gain in beef cattle and maximising performance from grass forage.