January is an ideal time to get soil testing completed. In this week’s feature from the beef and sheep centre at Greenmount Campus, Dr Norman Weatherup outlines the importance of taking soil analysis so that the correct level of nutrients are being applied to maximise grass growth.
Around two-thirds of grassland is deficient in phosphate (P) and potassium (K). To get an accurate picture of soil pH, P and K levels, it is recommended to leave at least three months between taking soil samples and the last application of chemical fertiliser or slurry applications.
As restrictions on fertiliser and slurry spreading apply during autumn and winter, this makes January the best time to analyse soil fertility.
Soil testing now helps to get the task out of the way before the calving or lambing season gets under way on most farms.
Once completed, the results should be used to produce a structured fertiliser plan for the year ahead.
Where soils are deficient in P and K, you will need to change the type of fertiliser used or else increase the volume applied.
Lime should also be applied to soils below pH6, as acidic soils locks up nutrients.
Fields that are at optimum P and K levels can be targeted with slurry and chemical nitrogen.
The nutrient value of slurry varies depending on the diet fed to cattle groups. For instance, intensively fed finishing cattle will provide slurry of much higher nutrient value than that of dry cows.
With the programme farms firmly focused on growing more grass as a means to increasing stocking rates, taking soil samples and acting on the results has been the cornerstone to achieving this.
A soil sample costs £7.50 (plus VAT) and one sample can cover up to 4ha (10 acres). Taking a sample from the same field every three years will cost a mere £0.25 per acre.
This is a small cost considering the potential increase in grass growth from better use of fertiliser.
Key points
Mineral supplementation for mid-and late-spring-calving suckler herds is now under way.All programme farms with autumn-calving herds have finished their breeding season. All autumn cows and replacement heifers will be scanned by the end of January.All cattle have been covered for fluke, worms and lice. Some faecal samples have been taken to ensure the products used have been effective.The majority of spring 2015-born cattle kept as steers and heifers have now been slaughtered.Low-cost finishing at the Abbey Farm
KTT herd
Calves performed well throughout the autumn, with average daily gain (ADG) from birth until the end of September of 1.24kg and 1.39kg/day for heifer and bull calves respectively. This resulted in a 200-day weight for heifers and bulls of 286kg and 315kg respectively.
Grass was still growing due to mild weather, cows were in good body condition and the shed was modified to allow calves to creep-graze outside, so weaning was delayed to reduce the risk of pneumonia.
Bull calves were finally housed on 28 November and heifer calves on 13 December, with ADG from September of 1.09kg and 1.21 kg/day respectively.
Heifer calves were not creep-fed last autumn and are currently on a silage-only diet. Any of these heifers which do not become replacements may well finish off grass later this year without eating any concentrates in their lifetime.
Bull calves were being fed 2kg of a high-maize finishing ration in October and this has been gradually increased to 6kg/day split over two feeds.
After weaning, cows were fed the poorest-quality silage on the farm to further reduce body condition in preparation for calving.
Cows have also been vaccinated against BVD and Leptospirosis. Further vaccinations against IBR and calf scour will be administered when students return this month.
Checking post mortem results on Aphis online showed several animals with fluke damage at slaughter.
All stock will be treated for mature liver fluke with a product which also kills rumen fluke, as this has been an ongoing problem for several years at the farm.
Slaughter data
The first crop of Stabiliser bull calves was slaughtered last summer. The equivalent heifer calves that either scanned empty or were not selected for breeding are currently being slaughtered.
To date, the average carcase grade of these heifers has been R-4- at a carcase weight of 287kg.
While this is somewhat below national average heifer weight, it should be noted that the average age at slaughter was only 19 months.
The heifers were finished off grass without concentrate feeding, apart from the final three animals which were fed 3kg of concentrate for six weeks. Marketing these heifers at this age also freed up pen space for other cattle.
Angus cattle
Aberdeen Angus steers from the dairy herd have also been slaughtered. They had an average carcase weight of 368kg at 24 months of age and graded O=4-.
All animals are DNA-tested at slaughter to confirm parentage, so the bonus hasn’t been received as yet, but it should be in the region of £150/head.
Cattle are being regularly drafted for slaughter to ensure they remain within specification for their target market.
Shorthorn cattle
A Shorthorn bull was purchased to breed replacements at the hill farm and one of his key traits was increased fat levels.
This was an important selection criterion, as we are trying to breed easier-fleshing cows. But it also has benefitted the steers bred from the bull.
The first of his 2015-born steers will be slaughtered this month under the Glenarm Shorthorn scheme, which has an attractive bonus of 10% above quoted U3 beef price.
Cattle for this scheme must be 280kg to 380kg carcase weight and require a higher fat cover than conventional markets.
For this reason, Shorthorn steers will have their concentrate allocation gradually increased this month from 3kg to 6kg/day. This will ensure an adequate level of finish is achieved without exceeding the 380kg carcase weight limit.
All other finishing cattle will remain on 3kg concentrate, as performance has been excellent to date, with steers and heifers achieving 1.2kg and 1kg/day respectively since housing.
Sheep
Rams were removed from the ewes after two cycles were completed. Scanning has also just been carried out on the sheep flock, with the lamb percentage at 188%, which includes empty ewes.
Simplify management
Although this is down slightly on last year, it is mainly due to fewer triplets and quads which should help to simplify management this spring.
Sheep have been grazing the same area for two years, so this year paddocks will have to be set up in a different area to minimise parasite build-up.
Soil
January is an important time for soil sampling and nutrient management planning in preparation for fertiliser buying.
The Beef and Sheep Centre is soil-sampled regularly and results indicate that fields near the farmyard are generally at optimum P, K and lime status.
Fields that are further away from the yard with a long history of silage-cutting are below optimum P and K levels.
Slurry will be targeted towards these fields and straight P and K fertilisers will also be applied as per recommended allocations.
January is an ideal time to get soil testing completed. In this week’s feature from the beef and sheep centre at Greenmount Campus, Dr Norman Weatherup outlines the importance of taking soil analysis so that the correct level of nutrients are being applied to maximise grass growth.
Around two-thirds of grassland is deficient in phosphate (P) and potassium (K). To get an accurate picture of soil pH, P and K levels, it is recommended to leave at least three months between taking soil samples and the last application of chemical fertiliser or slurry applications.
As restrictions on fertiliser and slurry spreading apply during autumn and winter, this makes January the best time to analyse soil fertility.
Soil testing now helps to get the task out of the way before the calving or lambing season gets under way on most farms.
Once completed, the results should be used to produce a structured fertiliser plan for the year ahead.
Where soils are deficient in P and K, you will need to change the type of fertiliser used or else increase the volume applied.
Lime should also be applied to soils below pH6, as acidic soils locks up nutrients.
Fields that are at optimum P and K levels can be targeted with slurry and chemical nitrogen.
The nutrient value of slurry varies depending on the diet fed to cattle groups. For instance, intensively fed finishing cattle will provide slurry of much higher nutrient value than that of dry cows.
With the programme farms firmly focused on growing more grass as a means to increasing stocking rates, taking soil samples and acting on the results has been the cornerstone to achieving this.
A soil sample costs £7.50 (plus VAT) and one sample can cover up to 4ha (10 acres). Taking a sample from the same field every three years will cost a mere £0.25 per acre.
This is a small cost considering the potential increase in grass growth from better use of fertiliser.
Key points
Mineral supplementation for mid-and late-spring-calving suckler herds is now under way.All programme farms with autumn-calving herds have finished their breeding season. All autumn cows and replacement heifers will be scanned by the end of January.All cattle have been covered for fluke, worms and lice. Some faecal samples have been taken to ensure the products used have been effective.The majority of spring 2015-born cattle kept as steers and heifers have now been slaughtered.Low-cost finishing at the Abbey Farm
KTT herd
Calves performed well throughout the autumn, with average daily gain (ADG) from birth until the end of September of 1.24kg and 1.39kg/day for heifer and bull calves respectively. This resulted in a 200-day weight for heifers and bulls of 286kg and 315kg respectively.
Grass was still growing due to mild weather, cows were in good body condition and the shed was modified to allow calves to creep-graze outside, so weaning was delayed to reduce the risk of pneumonia.
Bull calves were finally housed on 28 November and heifer calves on 13 December, with ADG from September of 1.09kg and 1.21 kg/day respectively.
Heifer calves were not creep-fed last autumn and are currently on a silage-only diet. Any of these heifers which do not become replacements may well finish off grass later this year without eating any concentrates in their lifetime.
Bull calves were being fed 2kg of a high-maize finishing ration in October and this has been gradually increased to 6kg/day split over two feeds.
After weaning, cows were fed the poorest-quality silage on the farm to further reduce body condition in preparation for calving.
Cows have also been vaccinated against BVD and Leptospirosis. Further vaccinations against IBR and calf scour will be administered when students return this month.
Checking post mortem results on Aphis online showed several animals with fluke damage at slaughter.
All stock will be treated for mature liver fluke with a product which also kills rumen fluke, as this has been an ongoing problem for several years at the farm.
Slaughter data
The first crop of Stabiliser bull calves was slaughtered last summer. The equivalent heifer calves that either scanned empty or were not selected for breeding are currently being slaughtered.
To date, the average carcase grade of these heifers has been R-4- at a carcase weight of 287kg.
While this is somewhat below national average heifer weight, it should be noted that the average age at slaughter was only 19 months.
The heifers were finished off grass without concentrate feeding, apart from the final three animals which were fed 3kg of concentrate for six weeks. Marketing these heifers at this age also freed up pen space for other cattle.
Angus cattle
Aberdeen Angus steers from the dairy herd have also been slaughtered. They had an average carcase weight of 368kg at 24 months of age and graded O=4-.
All animals are DNA-tested at slaughter to confirm parentage, so the bonus hasn’t been received as yet, but it should be in the region of £150/head.
Cattle are being regularly drafted for slaughter to ensure they remain within specification for their target market.
Shorthorn cattle
A Shorthorn bull was purchased to breed replacements at the hill farm and one of his key traits was increased fat levels.
This was an important selection criterion, as we are trying to breed easier-fleshing cows. But it also has benefitted the steers bred from the bull.
The first of his 2015-born steers will be slaughtered this month under the Glenarm Shorthorn scheme, which has an attractive bonus of 10% above quoted U3 beef price.
Cattle for this scheme must be 280kg to 380kg carcase weight and require a higher fat cover than conventional markets.
For this reason, Shorthorn steers will have their concentrate allocation gradually increased this month from 3kg to 6kg/day. This will ensure an adequate level of finish is achieved without exceeding the 380kg carcase weight limit.
All other finishing cattle will remain on 3kg concentrate, as performance has been excellent to date, with steers and heifers achieving 1.2kg and 1kg/day respectively since housing.
Sheep
Rams were removed from the ewes after two cycles were completed. Scanning has also just been carried out on the sheep flock, with the lamb percentage at 188%, which includes empty ewes.
Simplify management
Although this is down slightly on last year, it is mainly due to fewer triplets and quads which should help to simplify management this spring.
Sheep have been grazing the same area for two years, so this year paddocks will have to be set up in a different area to minimise parasite build-up.
Soil
January is an important time for soil sampling and nutrient management planning in preparation for fertiliser buying.
The Beef and Sheep Centre is soil-sampled regularly and results indicate that fields near the farmyard are generally at optimum P, K and lime status.
Fields that are further away from the yard with a long history of silage-cutting are below optimum P and K levels.
Slurry will be targeted towards these fields and straight P and K fertilisers will also be applied as per recommended allocations.
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