BEAM Confusion

There is still widespread confusion with BEAM participants about what they need to do to comply with the scheme to avoid paying the money back in 2021. Under the scheme, participants must reduce the bovine nitrogen produced on their holding by 5% between 1 July 2020 and 30 June 2021 based on the nitrogen produced on their holdings between 1 July 2018 and 30 June 2019. The ICBF this week launched a live calculator on its website. You need to log in to your HerdPlus account to view the calculator. It gives actual numbers up to November and then predicted numbers from December on which can be edited if you think you are going to sell animals.

Be careful to get the age category right, and when they change from a 0- to one-year-old to a one- to two-year-old. Talk to your Teagasc adviser or agricultural consultant about where you need to be and how you are going to get there. Don’t leave this until spring 2021 as it could be too late to reduce stock and sizable cheques will have to be written to pay back the money when targets are not met. The Department of Agriculture will be writing to all scheme participants next week to outline the details of where your herd is at.

Grazing Kale/Redstart

It has been really good weather for grazing brassica crops over the past few weeks. Farmers are reporting excellent utilisation with good ground conditions. Take note of how fast you are proceeding through the crop. It needs to be finished being grazed by 17 March 2021 (before flowering) so increase the stocking rate if you won’t hit this target. Don’t forget to feed a fibre source (baled silage or straw) when grazing kale. The diet should be made up of 70% brassicas and 30% silage/hay/straw. Brassicas are generally high in protein (16-20%) so meal feeding is not required when grazing. Make sure animals receive adequate minerals as brassicas are deficient in trace elements. Animals should receive boluses before starting to graze the crop.

In terms of cross-compliance make sure animals have access to a lie-back area and have a dry place to lie down. Be careful where a tractor is going in and out of a field with bales as if the soil becomes liquefiable it could attract a penalty during a cross-compliance inspection. Some farmers who were having problems with fences and animals knocking posts over have changed to posts that carry current to the ground and are finding these are working better.

Injection sites

When injecting an animal, consider carefully where you insert needles. Ideally, injections should be given in the neck as it is an area of lower carcase value compared with the loin or ribs. It also tends to be less dirty than the hindquarter where faeces can accumulate due to the animal lying on slats. Operator and housing hygiene is important. As injections pierce the skin, it is possible for bacteria to enter the opening and cause an abscess. When the abscess subsides, the muscle develops scar tissue and the meat is unfit for consumption meaning it has to be trimmed off the carcase, making it less valuable. Always massage the skin after injecting an animal.