I have been using a weighbridge to monitor cattle performance for a good number of years now and preaching about its benefits for every bit as long. The value of a weighbridge was really hammered home to me last week, when I killed a six-year-old Charolais stock bull.

The bull was unfortunately no longer functional due to lameness and I had been feeding him fairly heavy for the past two and a half months – just before I killed him, he was probably eating 22kg of ration a day. He was too big to fit up my crush, so I was unable to weigh him as I normally would, but when anyone asked me his weight I told them he was probably around 1,100kgs.

Kill out percentage

I was also told by numerous men who know a lot more about killing cattle than I do, that an old bull would probably only kill around 50 to 52%. How surprised was I, when I rang the factory last Monday lunchtime and they told me the bull carcase was 700kg.

I have no more details yet, so I do not know exactly how far out my 1,100kg live weight estimate was, but If I was to assume the bull killed-out at 55%, which I would say would be more than generous for the type of bull he was; a nice type of a Charolais, good length and a good top line but no extreme muscle, then my estimate was out by around 172kg. If I was to assume he killed out at only 50% then my estimate was out by 300kg.

I do not proclaim to be an expert judge when it comes to the weight of cattle, but I would like to think I would normally be within 20kg to 30kg. I know there is more margin for error when it comes to judging an animal at 1,000kg live weight, compared to an animal at 600kg but all I can say is I am glad I did not sell him out of the yard based on my original estimate.

Grass report

The recent rain has pushed grass on nicely and the farm grew 91 kg/DM/ha last week. All but two acres of first cut silage has been harvested. The harvested area has since received 2,000 gallons of slurry per acre and four bags of 18-6-12 per acre in preparation for a second cut. It is unlikely that I will manage to cut it all again as pressure for grazing will probably not let me, but I will cut as much as I can to try and build up a fodder reserve.

I am strip grazing covers that I think are too heavy. The plate meter tells me they are only 11cm, but as ground conditions are very good I am getting a reasonably good clean out. I have 15 days grass ahead of me and I probably could take out some surplus, but I am reluctant to do so just at the minute. If ground conditions start to deteriorate and I cannot get the heavy covers cleaned out to my liking, then I will probably start to mow a few paddocks at that stage.

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