Spring calving is now finished and across all of the programme farms and the calving period was relatively successful. There were a few losses along the way, generally the result of problems such as mal-presentation at birth or intervening too late during a difficult labour.

Calving data has been compiled for the farms and, on average, the spring-calving period lasted 81 days, which equates to just under 12 weeks.

Compact calving

The most compact calving period was on Oliver McKenna’s farm. Oliver calved down 26 cows and replacements over 66 days from 28 February to 4 May, which equates to nine weeks.

The last cow to calve was an outlier as she was served unintentionally. Prior to this animal, the last date for a calf born on Oliver’s farm was 16 April which would shorten the calving period to seven weeks.

Longest period

The longest calving spread was 14 weeks for Declan Rafferty/Aidan Quinn and Fionbharr Hamill. On both farms, cow fertility is excellent, with calving being extended by a handful of cows running beyond their due date.

For instance, on Declan and Aidan’s farm, 86 cows were due to calve this spring, with 70 animals, or 81% of the herd, calving inside the first six weeks.

On Fionbharr’s farm, out of 98 cows, 92 calved in a 10-week period, with the last six animals running for an additional four weeks.

Industry target

Within the suckler sector, there is a ‘gold standard’ target for a herd to wean 0.95 calves per cow mated.

For a farmer putting 50 cows and heifers to the bull, this means weaning 47 to 48 calves each year.

While target figures help to focus herd management, they must be obtainable and realistic. Our experience over the years of the programme is that any farmer who weans more than 0.90 calves per cow to the bull is doing an exceptional job.

Barren rate

Take an example herd of 100 cows running with stock bulls from 1 June to 1 September. At a barren rate of 5% across all cows, the herd will have 95 animals scanned in-calf in the autumn.

From scanning until calving starts in spring, the vast majority of suckler herds will experience some losses during mid and late pregnancy.

There can also be isolated cases of cow mortality from heavy ?uke burdens or other health issues.

But allowing for a 2% loss for problems such as abortion and mortality, this reduces the number of in-calf cows to 93 at the start of calving.

Calving period

There will also be some form of mortality at calving time. Assuming 3% calf mortality, this brings the number of cows that calve down with live progeny to 90.

Fostering a twin can help o?set the number of calves on the ground. So, for the sake of the example, the number of cows with live calves is taken as 91 head (one twin calf is successfully fostered).

Allowing for 2% mortality from birth to weaning, brings the final number of calves to be weaned to 89.

In other words, despite a high level of herd management, and keeping losses to a minimum, we have a weaning rate of 89% per cow to the bull, short of the industry target of 95%.

BETTER Farm

For the programme farms, the average number of cows put to the bull last summer was 87. At scanning time, the herds averaged 81 cows settled in-calf. This equates to 93% of all breeding animals served, meaning there was an empty rate of 7%.

However, it is worth noting that the programme farmers aim to operate a strict 12-week breeding period. If breeding was extended for another three weeks, at 70% conception rate, the average herd would have another five cows settled in-calf, reducing the empty rate to 2%.

Surplus breeding stock

A number of the programme farmers have established a market for selling in-calf breeding stock. Additional heifers were bred last summer and included in the scanning figures, before selling over winter.

Deducting these animals from the analysis, the average herd put 79 cows to the bull with 73 animals scanned in-calf (93% of animals bred).

Live calves

With calving finished, the number of spring cows with a live calf at foot currently averages 68. This means that 86% of cows put to the bull last summer have the potential to wean a calf this autumn, provided there are no further losses over the summer.

Ryan McDowell to host virtual farm walk

Ryan McDowell will host a virtual farm walk on 23 June at 8pm.

On Tuesday 23 June, Ryan McDowell will hold a virtual farm walk starting at 8pm. The event is open to everyone and will be streamed using the WebEx platform.

Farmers will have the chance to listen to and pose questions to Ryan on the evening.

Since joining the programme in 2017, Ryan’s farm system has seen significant changes. Cow numbers increased to just over 100 by 2018.

But with Ryan taking up full-time employment away from the farm in 2019, cow numbers have been reduced and rented land given up. The herd currently carries 66 spring-calving cows.

Breeding has also evolved from solely using Angus and Hereford sires. Over the past two years, Ryan has started using Limousin and Charolais sires through AI.

This year, all cows will be served to AI at least once, with replacements served to native breeds. The protocols for using AI while cows are at grass will be outlined on the evening.

Cattle sales

The herd has established a successful market for selling in-calf heifers along with cow-and-calf outfits. Male cattle have been finished on farm as steers, with a high percentage killed off grass in autumn.

Register

The event is open to all members of the public, but to access the meeting, please register at www.farmersjournal.ie/farmwalk by Friday 19 June at 5pm.

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