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A number of suckler beef producers either currently or previously involved in the BETTER Farm Beef Challenge programme now have dairy heifer-rearing enterprises on their farms.
It has generally been a profitable addition to each farm business, providing a regular income, while at the same time allowing the farm to increase output per hectare.
Over the last nine years, the programme has consistently shown the importance of maximising stocking rate per hectare if net profit is to be achieved.
The problem with that is when a farmer looks to increase numbers, they end up making money on paper, and paying more tax. So cash can be extremely tight until higher sales are realised. Taking in heifers for rearing gets around that issue.
There are also many benefits for the dairy farmer, who is able to concentrate on milking cows, and often the contract-rearer might actually dedicate more time to ensure that heifers meet growth targets.
In addition, coming down the tracks from 1 January 2020 are also new nitrogen (N) excretion rates for dairy cows, which have increased from 91kgN/cow/year to 100kgN/cow/year.
This means dairy farmers will need more acres/cow to meet the N loading limit of 170kgN/ha.
Getting heifers off the farm can help in this regard.
However, the challenge is always finding two parties willing to work together – ideally a written agreement, which clearly sets out targets, responsibilities and payment rates should be in place.
As reported on page 6, local dairy co-op Dale Farm is hoping to facilitate potential deals.
A limiting factor can be the lack of suitable cubicle housing on the rearing farm, so contract-rearing might be best suited to a retiring dairy farmer.
However, the main problem remains the scourge of bovine TB. In an ideal world, the contract-rearer would have no other cattle on the farm, or takes all other cattle through to direct slaughter. Some flexibility and understanding from local DAERA vets is required if this is to work in practice.
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