Factory fit cattle

Farmers finishing cattle should familiarise themselves with the in-spec bonus payment structure. There are reports of cattle missing out on bonus payments due to lack of flesh cover in the last few weeks. There are a number of criteria that need to be met to obtain the €0.20/kg payment.

The bonus is paid on steers and heifers under 30 months grading from O= to U+ on conformation and from a 2+ to 4= coming from a quality assured farm, with a final 60-day residency period and a maximum of four farm residencies.

Steers and heifers under 30 months old and grading O- or 4+ and meeting other in-spec criteria will attract a payment of €0.12 /kg.

Steers and heifers aged between 30 and 36 months grading at least a O= and a fat score between 2+ and 4= will attract a payment of €0.08/kg, provided all other criteria are met.

There are currently no weight limits attached to the recently agreed bonuses. If killing cattle, handle them to find out what a 2+ and a 4+ feels like.

More detail on meeting the in in-spec requirements can be found on p66 on the business of farming pages.

Housing

With housing coming up, it is time to look at ventilation issues in sheds. Most problems occur shortly after housing, and it’s too late when an outbreak of pneumonia has already occurred.

It’s very important when cattle are housed that ventilation is correct, allowing stale air to be removed. Warm, moist and stale air is a breeding ground for disease.

Signs of poor ventilation are a constant smell of ammonia, high temperature, cobwebs on the timbers and sheets becoming black with mould.

A ridge opening should run along the full length of a roof apex. Wider sheds require wider openings, as follows:

  • Up to 15m (50ft) span – minimum 450mm (18in) wide.
  • Up to 24m (79ft) – 600mm (24in) wide.
  • Over 24m – 750mm (30in) wide.
  • Size of inlets are equally important to allow fresh air to enter the shed, create a stack effect and push the stale air out. Be careful where sheds have been extended that there is sufficient inlet area for the span of the new shed.

    Make sure there is nothing impeding inlet airflow outside the shed like trees, or hay or straw stacked up against the inlet area.

    A simple smoke bomb test can be undertaken demonstrating where air is moving and if it’s getting out fast enough. It’s important to do this when cattle are indoors to get a true reflection of the ventilation in the shed.

    Pregnant heifers

    Make sure that bulls and heifer have been split up to avoid any unwanted pregnancies in very young heifers.

    Young weanling heifers, especially with traditional breeding, can come into heat as young as nine months if they have done well over summer.

    If in doubt call in a scanning operator, but they will only be able to pick up pregnancies from 28-30 days. I know it’s a worry for heifer buyers and every year there are problems with heifers having to be returned along with an argument over price for feeding etc.

    Weanling sellers need all the customers they can find so don’t turn off potential buyers over a simple management decision.