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Teagasc demonstrated the potential to rear and finish beef cattle through an organic system during an organic farm walk in the midlands on Wednesday.
The walk was held on the farm of mixed enterprise organic farmer Fergal Byrne at Dunlavin, Co Kildare.
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, and neighbour of Byrne, Martin Heydon was in attendance, along with approximately 150 farmers.
At the event, Department officials confirmed the reopening of the Organic Farm Scheme (OFS) in October this year.
They said it is “guaranteed” that the scheme will reopen every October for the next five years.
While all aspects of the organic farm system were demonstrated (beef, sheep and tillage), it was Byrne’s organic beef system where ample detail was given on organic feeding and weight gains.
On his 59ha farm, Byrne runs approximately 15 sucklers - predominantly Charolais-crosses - alongside 180 ewes and 10ac of organic cereals.
Performance
The 15-cow spring-calving suckler herd is run to a Charolais bull, with Byrne stating that he stuck with the continental breed rather than switching to the one more commonly used in organic production, Angus, as he “would always have a good animal to sell” with the Charolais.
All herd progeny are reared through to fattening at 22 to 27 months of age.
Byrne reported that to finish his cattle, they receive 3kg to 4kg of feed ration for the last three weeks before slaughter. According to the Kildare farmer, that is the only ration the cattle receive in their lifetime.
Organic red clover silage is fed to these finishing cattle over their second winter, with lower-quality hay and silage fed to cows and weanlings.
All cattle slaughtered in 2022 have been sold to Slaney Meats, with the majority receiving a flat price of €5.60/kg. Overall, average slaughter age was 25 to 26 months and average carcase weight was 286kg.
Steers v heifers
When comparing the performance of the organic Charolais-cross steers versus heifers, there were only slight differences.
The 11 steers slaughtered had an average of 747 days on the farm, were slaughtered at an average of 25 months with a carcase weight of 286kg and carcase grading of O+2-. The average factory price received was €1,570 (€5.49/kg).
For the three heifers slaughtered, they had an average of 774 days on farm, an average age of 26 months and average carcase weight of 287kg. They killed out at a grade of O+3- and made an average price of €1,616 (€5.63/kg).
Costs
Teagasc outlined the performance of Byrne’s finished cattle when compared with his organic farm input costs. The fact that the cattle had received such little meal and that there are no fertiliser bills on the farm were particularly highlighted.
While the cattle finished were born on the farm, Teagasc assumed instead that they were bought as weanlings at 300kg for €900.
Teagasc said it overestimated Byrne’s silage and straw costs, because he does not use contractors, but does his own. Teagasc said it wanted to reflect a farmer who does avail of contractors for its organic beef performance analysis.
Detailing this, Teagasc said the cattle had feeding periods for their first winter (150 days), at grass (215 days) and second winter (160 days). They said that over the two winters, each animal consumed 12 bales of silage (200kg dry matter).
Costs
While acknowledging some would say it was an underestimate, Teagasc said at €15/bale, the cattle would eat €180 worth of silage over their lifetime.
They said meal costs were €60, vet costs were €24, seed costs €26, straw €78 and non-silage contractor costs were €26. All in, Teagasc reported that the animal’s variable costs were €394.
At a sale price of €1,679 (received for an exceptionally well-performing finished heifer), minus total fixed costs of €303, the purchase price of €900 and total variable costs of €394, the net profit on the finished heifer was €82.
Adding an average OFS payment of €131 per animal, the profit on this animal would be €213, according to Teagasc.
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