Mark Maxwell

Co Westmeath

I currently have almost all of my stock housed, with just some dry spring calvers out cleaning off some rough grazing. My closing grass covers are much higher on average this year than other years.

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At the first opportunity from late January onwards, I will aim to spread a bag of CAN to encourage early growth as I aim to begin turnout in February, weather permitting. Slurry will be applied also at a rate of 2,000 gallons per acre after grazing some of the heavier opening covers and on some of the last paddocks grazed this autumn, which should still be relatively bare.

I am currently readying up to 15 heifers and steers for slaughter. These have been fed up to 8kg of a barley/maize/soya home-mixed ration, plus 70 to 73DMD baled silage. They average about 680kg liveweight between spring- and autumn-born stock.

Weanlings are eating 2kg of 16% protein ration, plus 70DMD baled silage. I am pleased with how dry silage is this year overall, with the better palatability helping intakes.

The autumn herd has finished calving now and I am pleased with the results. I achieved 54 calves from 54 cows. I am using this time of the year to compile my profit monitor data and assess my annual performance.

While I won’t have the final result until January, I am very pleased with my performance this year overall, from preliminary results received. Output per hectare, per livestock unit and gross margin are all likely to increase this year.

Despite the poor beef price, I am beginning to see how increasing output on a grass-based system is leaving my farm more profitable.

Billy Glasheen

Co Tipperary

I have increased my output dramatically this year and, by year-end, I should have nearly 240 stores killed in the 12-month period since January this year. This is an increase from 109 slaughtered in 2013. I have moved from purchasing stores around the 400kg weight mark to purchasing 500kg stores, as I feel they are better value.

Margins in the store-to-beef system are going to be tight this year. When evaluating my figures, I see the cost of purchasing the store bullock is up by €30 per head for the same weight versus 2013, while the lower beef price is seeing my selling price back roughly €170 per head on the same carcase.

While input costs have decreased and my improved efficiency has held a small margin for me, I won’t see my gross margin increase by much this year.

One thing that struck me when examining my figures was where I would be if I hadn’t improved efficiency and output on the farm. I would probably have seen my gross margin halve.

One of the major improvements on my farm this year is the increased grass growth I achieved. Pasturebase Ireland has shown how I achieved almost 16t of dry matter per hectare.

This allowed me to increase my grassland stocking rate and have enough winter forage without increasing my meal bill dramatically. On the farm front, all stock are housed. I have 80 stores finishing at the moment, eating 72DMD silage, plus 5kg to 6kg of a finishing nut.

Ninety stores are on silage only, with soya and minerals to increase protein. My second -cut results were disappointing this year at only 65DMD, so I may have to supplement stores with a kilo or two of ration when feeding this.