Whether you call it a late autumn-calving herd, an early spring-calving herd or just simply a winter-calving herd, it makes no difference to Wesley Browne once calving during November and December can help him to reduce the heavy calving workload on his farm.

Wesley is the Monaghan Teagasc/Irish Farmers Journal BETTER farm beef challenge representative, farming just over 54ha, three miles south of Monaghan town.

While the land is heavy in nature, clever management and the use of a zero-grazing machine during the shoulders of the year leads to good grass utilisation and reduced poaching.

Alternative calving pattern

The plan on the farm, as set out by the BETTER farm management team and local Teagasc B&T adviser Conal Murnaghan, is to run 100 suckler cows.

At present the herd consists of 86 cows, up from around 80 at the beginning of the programme. Looking through the herd, it is easy to see the attention that has been put into breeding: “We have always been a closed herd. There’s cows here at the moment coming from generations of cows bred on the farm,” said Wesley.

The primary cow type is a Simmental-Limousin cross, however there is plenty of Angus running through, while Salers will also come into the mix in the coming years after the recent purchase of a Salers stock bull.

Calving 100 cows is no mean feat, especially for the sole labour unit Wesley.

In an effort to break up the potentially enormous workload, Wesley has decided on split calving his herd of cows in a 3:1 ratio.

“In two years’ time I’m planning to calve 25 cows from 1 November to 15 December and the other 75 from 1 March to 30 April,” Wesley explained.

At present, there are 16 cows calving this side of Christmas, with the remaining 80 due from next March onwards.

Quick turn-out

As well as splitting up the calving pattern, Wesley is a firm believer in keeping things as simple as possible when it comes to post-calving management.

For the winter-born calves, the main shed on the farm is designed to allow for creep areas to be set up, with cows lying on slats and calves getting access to the straw lie-back.

While one might think that these winter calves would be the first out the door of the shed next March, it is in fact the spring calves that are turned out first, practically as quick as they are being born: “Once I see that the calf has had its first suck I’ll let them straight out to the field.

"The cow usually calves in a straw bedded calving pan. She and the calf will bond for a few hours and then I will let the cow back into the slats to feed and drink.

"While the cow and calf are separated, I tag the calf and dehorn it using the gel.

"Once the gel dries-in after two or three hours, I’ll run the cow and calf into the trailer and bring them to the field across the road,” he explained.

Following turn-out, the cows get around 2kg/head/day of ration to minimise the risk of tetany.

Looking at the pre-calving diet of the cows, dry cows are currently on silage alone. Before Christmas, straw will be included in the diet, mixed in a diet feeder.

In January, pre-calver minerals will be added to the mix and by 1 February, 0.5kg/head/day soya bean meal will be included also.

Wesley is a firm believer in the benefits of soya bean meal for pregnant cows.

With a crude protein content of 48% and a UFL value of 1.02 he says: “I work out my mean calving date, which is usually around St Patrick’s Day, and I give cows 0.5kg for the six weeks before this. I think it’s great for building up colostrum quality, especially for calves being turned-out early.”

Everything under 16-months

The system employed on the farm is an under 16-month bull-beef system.

“Here, everything goes under 16 months and the best ones would even start going at 14 months,” he said.

“For me, I don’t think it would suit to start letting some bulls get heavier and slaughter them under 20 months.

"When you take the added cost of keeping them and the lower beef price, I don’t think there’s much benefit in it.

"With the under 16s, they’re out of the system much quicker and easier.”

For Wesley, this is a ploy that has worked to brilliant effect so far, judging by the performance of his 37, 2017-born bulls (Table 1).

On the other hand, Wesley has three routes for the female calves.

First-things-first, he will pick out what he needs for replacements.

Next, some heifers will be sold off farm as replacements to other local farmers, many of whom are repeat customers, while the balance will go for slaughter at around 24 months.

This year, six heifers were slaughtered at an average carcase weight of 323kg and grade of R=3-.

All bulls and heifers are slaughtered through Monaghan Quality Beef producer group supplying ABP in Clones.

Drainage works

Wesley’s land is situated both sides of the main Ballybay to Monahan Town road.

A major drainage job is being carried out to take away surface water coming from land higher-up.

In one field, across the road from the yard, a major drainage job is being carried out to take away surface water coming from land higher-up and to drain a three acre large plot of low-lying boggy ground.

To see how works are going, see the article and video online at www.farmersjournal.ie.