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Weanling management and weaning preparation
In general, it’s been a good year so far for spring calves. However, weighing is the only way we can make a proper assessment of performance. As we detailed last week, many suckler farms will be weighing their calves and cows as part of BEEP – the ideal time to weigh is when the calf is 150-250 days old. Those not in the scheme should still weigh their calves. Target average daily again from birth is 1.25kg for bulls and 1.1kg for heifers.
At this stage all calves should be grazing ahead of their dams. Their demand for milk is reducing while their demand for grass is rising. Cows can now be held back that bit longer in paddocks and wires need to be raised to allow calves creep grazing ahead.
Speaking of creep, it’s a contentious one among farmers – is there a need to creep feed concentrates or not? Personally, I think creep feeding should take place prior to weaning. Performance results from Tullamore Farm have shown a clear benefit from doing so. The main benefit is the bridging of the gap as the diet moves from milk and grass to silage and meal. Don’t forget that weanlings are by far the most efficient feed converters on the farm.
As a general rule of thumb, concentrates should be introduced one month prior to weaning and their allowance gradually increased to 1-2kg/day by weaning time.
Since joining the programme, most Since joining the programme, farmers have adopted a proactive rather than a reactive approach to managing herd health. This involves sitting down with their programme advisers and their local vet to establish a health plan based on the specific requirements of each farm. Remember, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution when it comes to herd health plans. For young stock, like weanlings, pneumonia is the biggest threat during the autumn and winter period. The majority of farmers on the programme will be factoring IBR and RSV/Pi3 vaccines into their plans. This should be done prior to weaning; a peak stress period with high pneumonia risk. For parasite control, worms, fluke, lice and mites should be considered.
In suckler cows, the first thing that should be completed is scanning. Empty cull cows should be separated from the main group to avoid unsettling bull calves if they come in heat. A route to selling these cows – either to the factory or to the mart – should be determined.
Due to the shortage of Lepto vaccines this year, pregnant cows may still need to receive it. If it has been over 12 months since the last vaccination, it is recommended to treat them the same as maiden heifers and give a booster shot a month to six weeks after the initial vaccine. Other vaccines to consider are salmonella and a scour vaccine in December. Parasite control will likely be limited to the control of lice and mites and possibly a worm treatment for first-calved heifers.
There are two core objectives to keep in mind in order to simplify autumn grazing. The first is to maximise the number of days at grass before housing, to cut costs and boost animal performance. Research shows that every extra day an animal is at grass in the autumn is worth an estimated €1.80.
The second objective is to set the farm up to grow grass for grazing next spring. There are huge benefits to an early spring turn-out and getting grazed grass into an animal. From a financial point of view, every extra day at grass in the spring is worth around €2.70/animal. From a performance point of view, research has shown animals turned out in early spring have 6% (+23kg) higher carcase weight than those that get out late.
The tool to achieve these objectives is an autumn grazing planner. The plan, sometimes called the 60:40 planner, aims to start closing ground in early October, have 60% closed by early November and the remaining 40% closed by housing. It is the first 60% of ground closed that will be available for grazing next spring. The dates vary slightly across the country, depending on soil type and projected winter growth.
All of the BETTER farm participants will be drawing up an autumn grazing plan in September, and in the coming weeks we will take an in-depth look at a plan from one of these farms.
Given the good year we’ve had to date, completing a fodder budget may sound like a futile exercise, but it still should be done nonetheless. Peoples’ farming memories tend to be very short.
While last winter was stress-free thanks to a good backend and an early spring, we only have to look at the year before last to remember one of the most severe winters and worst fodder crises farmers have ever experienced.
When they made it to the other side of that winter, all BETTER farm participants agreed that a one-month fodder buffer should be in stock to prepare for future winters. Ask yourself: do you have enough fodder for this winter, plus a one-month buffer?
Completing a fodder budget is a relatively simple exercise. You need to establish the amount of fodder you have in the yard, and what the total winter feed demand of all the stock will be. A fodder budget should also include taking silage samples. It makes sense to do this as early as possible. There is little-to-no demand for feed at the moment, so a deficit could be easily filled for minimal cost. On the flip side, where there is an abundance of fodder in the yard and/or high quality fodder, concentrate purchasing can be reduced.
All of the BETTER farm participants will be completing fodder budgets and taking silage samples in the coming weeks. We will take an in-depth look at these soon.
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