Weanling performance targets

Weanling performance is generally below where it should be over winter months on a lot of suckler beef farms around the country. Lost weight gain during the first winter is hard to make up and will result in delays in finishing times for these animals in 2018 and beyond. There are a number of areas which should be looked at to ensure maximum performance during the housing period. When I say maximum performance, I’m not saying over 1kg/day but somewhere between 0.5-0.7kg/day, depending on your system and type of animals.

It’s hard to believe a lot of weanlings don’t hit this target during winter months. Make sure that there is sufficient lying area in the shed – aim for about 2.5m2 for weanlings between 300-400kg. This is seven to eight weanlings in a standard bay of a slatted shed. Check the feeding space and that all animals can feed at the barrier with ease. Check the drinkers are working properly and that there is a clean supply of water going to each pen.

Reduced ventilation and air movement can increase the disease burden in the shed and increase pneumonia incidence, which again will reduce performance. If problems have occurred in the past, talk to your vet about a suitable vaccination programme.

Have a plan regarding fluke, worm and lice control and make sure you follow up with any treatments necessary. Clipping backs can help with lice control.

Finally, make sure you have the diet right. If you haven’t done so, get your silage tested and feed concentrates according to your silage results. The table below outlines the feeding levels required to achieve a weight gain of between 0.5-0.7kg/day. Aim for a simple mix with a high percentage of cereal and a good protein source, eg soya bean meal. Target protein should be 15-16%. Targeting a gain of 0.5-0.7kg/day will ensure that animals perform to their potential but still have the potential for compensatory growth when turned back outdoors next spring. It’s a good idea to weigh weanlings at the start of the housing period and weigh again at turnout to see if you have hit targets.

Clean Water

With slurry storage at a premium, especially in the west, making sure clean water is diverted away from tanks is a must. Take a look at gutters and down pipes and make sure none of this water is entering a tank. Large roofs can collect a huge amount of water and tanks can fill quickly if water is diverted the wrong way. If animals are standing on a yard area, this water must be collected but if a yard area has been washed down and is out of use for the winter, this clean water can be diverted away from tanks.