Beef Newsletter - October 2023

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In this month's edition:

• What’s your grazing management plan?
  Your grazing management plan in October will determine how much grass you will have on your farm next February and March. Farms that are targeting to turn at least some stock out between Valentine’s Day and St Patrick’s Day need to start closing up fields and paddocks no later than October 10.
• Meal feeding calves and weanlings
  Dairy-bred calves need to be supplemented at grass in the autumn to ensure that they continue to grow. Depending on grass supply and weather, calves should be fed between 1.0 and 1.5kg of concentrate per head per day until housing. The crude protein in the ration should be between 12 and 14% in the dry matter.
• Silage quality and quantity
  Have you tested your grass silage this year? With lower levels of fertiliser spread this year and delayed cutting dates on many farms, the suspicion is that silage quality may be lower than in previous years. Alternatively, where crops were cut at the correct grass growth stage and quality is good, there may be an opportunity to cut back on the amount of meal that needs to be fed to growing cattle in a year where meal prices are rising fast.
• Vaccination
  A pneumonia outbreak around housing is one of the leading causes of death in beef weanlings. Stress, overcrowding and poor ventilation are the main reasons for these outbreaks. Losses are common and even where deaths are kept to a minimum, there is a long-term impact on animal performance, with significantly increased workloads and disruption all round.
• Date for your diary
  Teagasc, in conjunction with Animal Health Ireland, is running a series of walks across the country this month to discuss key topics in advance of housing, such as the correct dosing protocol, vaccination programmes, nutrition and maximising performance. Further details are available on www.teagasc.ie/beefwalks
• Research update - Breeding and weaning update
  Colin Byrne, Animal and Bioscience Research Department, Teagasc Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, reports on the breeding performance of the maternal herd and weaning update.
• 12 steps to reducing emissions
  Over 12 months, the Teagasc advisory newsletters will outline one action per month farmers can take to reduce their emissions. This month the focus is on step 10 reduce age at first calving.