The main focus for herd management is currently on breeding for my spring-calving herd. I have three groups of stock to manage during the breeding period, with two groups of cows and one group of maiden heifers. The heifers are being bred to AI using Stabiliser and Angus sires.

I have opted to use AI for a number of reasons. First off, the heifers are daughters bred from my current stock bulls. Rather than purchase a third bull, I felt that AI might give me more flexibility in the system.

Another reason is that AI allows me to use top genetics. I have been using both Angus and Stabiliser bulls on cows for a number of years now and am pleased with the calves produced.

Using AI gives me the option of using the best bulls in each breed to produce calves with improved performance.

Calving ease is also something that is extremely important, especially when calving heifers at 24 months of age.

Again, using AI allows me to select sires that are proven for calving ease, which will hopefully increase the number of live calves on the ground.

With fewer calving difficulties, this should also have a positive effect on the heifer’s fertility after calving.

Heat detection

Last year, I used AI on heifers and a select group of cows after a synchronisation programme. The results were poor, with just five heifers holding to AI from a group of 11 animals, while just one cow from a group of nine held in-calf to AI.

This year, I am taking a different approach to heat detection. Rather than synchronised heifers, I am trialling the Moocall system to pick up heifers in heat and hopefully increase conception rates.

There are 23 heifers to breed this year, with all animals served to natural heats. The cost of using the Moocall system is working out at approximately £1,000.

The CIDR programme would be close to £40 per head when drugs and vet fees are included, so, across 23 heifers, it would be a cheaper option.

However, if conception rates are increased from last year, then I feel it will have been a worthwhile exercise.

Additional aids

I also vasectomised a bull calf to aid with heat detection. The bull wears a collar, which picks up an individual ID tag placed in the heifer’s ear.

When heifers are identified in heat, the system sends a text message with the tag number to my phone.

I am still monitoring heifers for around 30 minutes in the morning and again in the evening. I have found the greatest level of breeding activity occurs in late afternoon and late evening.

Some of these animals would have been missed if I was relying on myself to carry out all heat detection, as the heifers are grazing on a land block which is beside the outfarm.

Management

The first of the 23 heifers was served on 25 May. To date, all heifers have been served once, with nine repeats during the six-week period since breeding started.

Some of these repeats are heifers that showed false heats early in the breeding period, while others are genuine repeats.

My plan is to continue to AI heifers for another three to four weeks. As the heifers are related to stock bulls, they will not get the chance to run with a bull to catch any more repeats.

Heifers are brought into the yard on the outfarm for inseminating once per day. Inseminations are generally carried out at around 11am, with a technician completing the task.

With heifers grazing in paddocks, they are easily handled and move relatively stress-free to the yard, which is a positive and will hopefully help to increase conception rates.

The heifers were weighed last week and averaged 432kg, so they are of suitable size and weight for breeding. The group has averaged 1kg/day from grass since turn out in late April.

Natural service for spring-calving cows

The main cow herd is running in two groups for breeding management. I have a group of 31 cows running with the Angus bull and a group of 34 cows running with the Stabiliser bull.

I calved 68 cows and heifers this spring, but three cows were culled, which leaves me with 65 animals to breed. The bulls were turned out with the cows on 26 May and will run through to August.

There was plenty of breeding activity in the first few weeks of June, but this has slowed recently, which I am hoping is a good sign of cows holding to service.

The cows being served with the Angus are slightly later-calving as they will suit the steer finishing system better.

The Stabiliser-bred calves will be finished as bulls, as they do not qualify for a bonus scheme.

Grazing management

Grass growth has slowed in recent weeks and is now running below demand. To stretch the grazing rotation, the group of 31 cows have been given three acres of grass that was closed for second-cut silage.

Cows were turned into this paddock last week and grass covers were heavy at over 4,000kg DM/ha/day.

However, with such settled weather, there has been no issue in getting cows to graze this sward out fully.

As the sward was fertilised with high levels of potash, I have increased the number of mineral lick buckets available to reduce the risk of tetany.

There is another week’s grazing in this paddock, at which point cows will move back into their normal rotation.

Compaction issues on silage ground

We have a 21-acre field that was closed for first-cut silage. However, it only yielded 25 bales, which was extremely disappointing.

The field was reseeded three years ago and yielded well last year. However, it appears that the effect of harvesting in wet conditions last year has led to major compaction issues in the field.

So to relieve compaction, I used a pan buster to sub-soil the field straight after first-cut was harvested.

It appears to have worked, as the yield of second-cut is looking good, although grass is now starting to shoot.

I have 56 acres of second-cut silage which should be ready to cut from next week onwards. After the low yield from the compacted field, additional acres were closed for second-cut silage.

I am still considering a small third-cut, depending on the total yield after second-cut is complete.

Additional bales have been made from surplus grazing in early June, which will also boost winter fodder reserves.

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