All of the programme farms that finish cattle have now housed the most forward groups of stock for finishing. These animals will be a combination of young bulls born last autumn, along with steers and heifers born in spring 2015. Cows not scanned in-calf will also be fed for slaughter.
With all farms using silage-based diets to finish these cattle, it is essential to know its feed value. This will allow concentrate supplementation to be fed at appropriate levels to get maximum animal performance this winter. In John Dobson’s case featured below, good quality silage is allowing cattle to be finished on 3kg to 4kg of rolled barley.
In some cases, farmers may be guilty of overfeeding concentrates. On programme farms, analysis often shows that the quality of silage is actually better than expected.
With meal prices on the increase, getting silage analysed now may provide an opportunity to reduce feeding levels compared with other years. Feeding good quality silage along with high levels of meal, which is not required, will result in certain cattle types, mainly heifers or traditional beef breeds, becoming overfat too quickly. This leaves a poor return from winter finishing.
On the other hand, where silage is poorer than expected, it is much better to know this now and address the problem early in the feeding period. Feeding finishing cattle below their performance potential and prolonging slaughter is generally not a profitable exercise.
Wet weather
Given the recent wet weather some programme farms have been forced into housing spring-calving cows. Most of these farms are now weaning calves from these cows and turning the weanlings back to grass. Determining silage quality will give a good indication as to what levels of feeding these dry cows will require, based on body condition score.
Scanning now taking place on the remainder of programme farms.Weaning is continuing on earliest-calving and heavier farms to help prolong grazing of lighter stock this autumn.Vaccination programmes being completed for spring-born calves.Some programme farms have sold surplus in-calf heifers this month.The last of the silage analysis and winter feeding budgets are now being completed.
All of the programme farms that finish cattle have now housed the most forward groups of stock for finishing. These animals will be a combination of young bulls born last autumn, along with steers and heifers born in spring 2015. Cows not scanned in-calf will also be fed for slaughter.
With all farms using silage-based diets to finish these cattle, it is essential to know its feed value. This will allow concentrate supplementation to be fed at appropriate levels to get maximum animal performance this winter. In John Dobson’s case featured below, good quality silage is allowing cattle to be finished on 3kg to 4kg of rolled barley.
In some cases, farmers may be guilty of overfeeding concentrates. On programme farms, analysis often shows that the quality of silage is actually better than expected.
With meal prices on the increase, getting silage analysed now may provide an opportunity to reduce feeding levels compared with other years. Feeding good quality silage along with high levels of meal, which is not required, will result in certain cattle types, mainly heifers or traditional beef breeds, becoming overfat too quickly. This leaves a poor return from winter finishing.
On the other hand, where silage is poorer than expected, it is much better to know this now and address the problem early in the feeding period. Feeding finishing cattle below their performance potential and prolonging slaughter is generally not a profitable exercise.
Wet weather
Given the recent wet weather some programme farms have been forced into housing spring-calving cows. Most of these farms are now weaning calves from these cows and turning the weanlings back to grass. Determining silage quality will give a good indication as to what levels of feeding these dry cows will require, based on body condition score.
Scanning now taking place on the remainder of programme farms.Weaning is continuing on earliest-calving and heavier farms to help prolong grazing of lighter stock this autumn.Vaccination programmes being completed for spring-born calves.Some programme farms have sold surplus in-calf heifers this month.The last of the silage analysis and winter feeding budgets are now being completed. 
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