Last week saw the annual review of the herd health plan. It was the one task that really appealed to me in the initial options for the Beef Technology Adoption Programme (BTAP).

When considering them in 2012, I wanted to do something I wasn’t doing prior to then that would benefit the business. As the numbers in the herd have crept up, it’s become essential. It allows the prevention of problems before they occur. It is now the best value vet appointment of the year.

Myself and my father went into the practice and sat down with one of the vets. Trying to go through the plan on-farm would have too many distractions, so going into the office allows us to focus on the task at hand.

The vet asked what proved to be the main health issue this year and what had changed positively from 2013. 2012 saw a pneumonia outbreak in the calves; 2013, rumen fluke and rotavirus. There was a one-week to 10-day spell during calving where my heart was in my mouth opening shed doors, hoping nothing else was dead or sick.

There were almost daily visits from vets during that time, let alone extra time spent working. In 2014, vet calls were minimal, as prevention and planning worked.

Since late 2013, soil sampling and blood mineral analysis now play a huge role in herd management. From an animal health point of view, soil test results tell what minerals are available and at what level. The results of the bloods are then compared with it.

Last year saw relatively poor breeding performance from the heifers and first calvers. Rather than wait until the end of these years to see if things would miraculously improve, a decision was made to take blood samples for mineral levels.

It turned out copper levels were rock bottom. Animals on this block had access to mineral licks through the grazing season this year. Of the 13 heifers who returned to the home block last week, 12 are due in the first 21 days of calving. Fertility mineral licks have also been available to the weanling heifers over winter. Maintaining correct mineral levels beats drug costs.

Following the chat on these issues, we ran down through each month of the plan from 2014 to see what to improve on for 2015.

When things go wrong, you have to ask why. It’s one of the most common questions children ask and, as they grow older, are encouraged to stop asking. Getting the answer gives great clarity and, to an extent, peace of mind.

I was an interested observer at my local co-op symposium recently and Mark Faherty from the Irish Dairy Board (IDB) was predicting a possible average milk price of 25c/litre for 2015. He went on to explain global market trends in great detail. He painted the picture of why prices were going the way they are. It couldn’t be argued with.

An explanation of why certain countries wanted certain products was given. Again, the IDB went and found out why their consumers wanted a product and encouraged those under the IDB umbrella to produce it.

A similar presentation on beef trends mightn’t go astray just to show producers the market forces affecting price. But would such a presentation be of any use?

The majority of beef producers are producing for the mart, the farm-to-farm sale or the show ring. The end user is of limited relevance to too many. It’s something those of us involved in the industry need to improve.