Last month we looked at the cost of keeping a spring-calving suckler cow, and among the feedback received on that article we were asked how do autumn-calving sucklers compare.
In Northern Ireland, approximately 20% of suckler-bred calves are born during the autumn period, from September until November.
In contrast, approximately 52% of suckler-bred calves are born during spring, from March to May.
In general, autumn-calving cows incur higher associated costs compared with spring calvers. They are also more labour intensive, as the system is heavily dependent on silage and concentrate feeding.
Housing facilities will have to be more specialised to accommodate autumn cows with young calves, and there is a greater health risk posed to younger calves during the winter housing period compared with spring-born calves at grass.
But there are benefits to operating an autumn-calving herd, some of which are listed below:
On farms with heavier land, autumn calving makes better use of ground as cows can be weaned before turnout. Weanlings can then be grazed as a priority group early in the season, while dry cows remain housed until ground conditions and grazing covers permit. There is also the option to graze autumn-calvers on rougher ground over the summer that would not support a cow with a calf at foot.Where labour is limited, having a split herd calving between spring and autumn spreads the workload on farms.Cashflow should be improved as there will be a greater spread of cattle sales across the year.An autumn-calving system is well suited to bull beef finishing.Costs
The article published last month (edition dated 24 November 2018) explored the costs of keeping a March-calving cow and selling weanlings through the live trade. Total costs came to £840/cow.
So how do the costs of keeping an autumn-calving cow compare?
An example is outlined in Table 1 and based on a 40-cow herd calving from September through to November.
The example assumes that the calves are sold in two batches, with 20 of the strongest weanlings sold in June and the remainder in late September to October in the autumn suckled calf sales. Fixed costs are included at £240/cow/year (the same as in the spring-calving example).
Calving
Based on an average calving date of 1 October, it is assumed that the earliest calving cows are returned to grass for a brief period after calving.
All cows are housed from 21 October and fed, on average, 45kg/day of silage costing £20/t.
Concentrates are fed to cows for 60 days during this period. A small quantity of a starter ration is factored in to get calves eating concentrates.
Vet and miscellaneous costs include a pneumonia and IBR intra-nasal vaccine, clostridial vaccine, dehorning, calving aids and tags for the calf. Fluke, worm and lice treatments are also included for the cow.
The example assumes two bales of straw per cow are used to cover bedding for calving pens, mothering pens and calf creeps.
Straw is costed at £20 for a 4x4 round bale. This cost is higher than in previous years when bales were typically £16-£18 delivered.
Breeding
With cows calving from September to November, the breeding period runs from December to early February.
Cows remain on a daily diet of 45kg of silage and 2kg of concentrate until the end of February, when breeding has finished and cows are settled in calf.
Breeding is based on 20 cows served to AI at £25/cow plus a stock used to cover repeats. The bull is priced at £2,000, with a cull value of £1,300.
Therefore, serving 20 cows annually over three years, plus an annual maintenance cost of £365, the bull costs £598/year. Adding in £500 for AI semen and technician costs, the costs of breeding comes to £28/cow.
For 40 cows, a 15% replacement rate will mean six in-calf heifers are purchased annually. The example assumes calves are sold through the live trade and cows are continental types with good conformation.
Taking cull cow values at £1,000 and purchase costs of heifers at £1,200, the cost of bringing in herd replacements comes to £35/cow when spread over the 34 productive cows in the herd.
Turnout
Once breeding is complete, cows are fed a silage-only diet during March and April, assuming good-quality silage is available.
Concentrates continue to be fed to calves at a rate of 1kg/day, along with good-quality silage, during this period. Calves are then weaned in early May and put out to grass. Cows remain housed for an extra week after weaning, until ground conditions are more favourable.
Grazing
Cows are turned out to rougher pasture and graze on this land until calving time. The strongest calves are sold in June, with lighter calves carried over the summer.
These animals do not receive concentrate feed during peak grazing season, but concentrates are re-introduced prior to sale. It works out at an average of 1kg/day over the entire period at grass.
Grazing costs are taken as £58/cow and based on a grazing area of 50 acres receiving four bags per acre over the year. Fertiliser is a mix of urea, CAN and compound NPK at £230/t.
Miscellaneous costs are factored in to cover regular expenses such as slurry handling, topping grass, fencing, water trough repairs, lick buckets and hedge cutting.
Total costs
From the outlined example, the cost of keeping an autumn calving cow works out at £1,011/year. This means that the running costs for the herd are just over £40,000/annum.
Therefore, the herd needs to be selling 40 cattle every year at £1,011 to break even. The use of AI will hopefully mean top-class genetics have been used to increase calf performance and improve sale value. However, no mortality is factored into the example, nor is any cost on land rent and bank borrowings.
There are costs within the example that can be debated, such as the potential use of slatted pens for calf creeps to reduce straw use.
But ultimately, the example confirms the additional costs associated with autumn-calving suckler herds and highlights the important role that direct payments play on suckler farms as a means of providing a sustainable income.
Read more
What does it cost to keep a suckler cow?
Autumn breeding off to a positive start in Fermanagh
Last month we looked at the cost of keeping a spring-calving suckler cow, and among the feedback received on that article we were asked how do autumn-calving sucklers compare.
In Northern Ireland, approximately 20% of suckler-bred calves are born during the autumn period, from September until November.
In contrast, approximately 52% of suckler-bred calves are born during spring, from March to May.
In general, autumn-calving cows incur higher associated costs compared with spring calvers. They are also more labour intensive, as the system is heavily dependent on silage and concentrate feeding.
Housing facilities will have to be more specialised to accommodate autumn cows with young calves, and there is a greater health risk posed to younger calves during the winter housing period compared with spring-born calves at grass.
But there are benefits to operating an autumn-calving herd, some of which are listed below:
On farms with heavier land, autumn calving makes better use of ground as cows can be weaned before turnout. Weanlings can then be grazed as a priority group early in the season, while dry cows remain housed until ground conditions and grazing covers permit. There is also the option to graze autumn-calvers on rougher ground over the summer that would not support a cow with a calf at foot.Where labour is limited, having a split herd calving between spring and autumn spreads the workload on farms.Cashflow should be improved as there will be a greater spread of cattle sales across the year.An autumn-calving system is well suited to bull beef finishing.Costs
The article published last month (edition dated 24 November 2018) explored the costs of keeping a March-calving cow and selling weanlings through the live trade. Total costs came to £840/cow.
So how do the costs of keeping an autumn-calving cow compare?
An example is outlined in Table 1 and based on a 40-cow herd calving from September through to November.
The example assumes that the calves are sold in two batches, with 20 of the strongest weanlings sold in June and the remainder in late September to October in the autumn suckled calf sales. Fixed costs are included at £240/cow/year (the same as in the spring-calving example).
Calving
Based on an average calving date of 1 October, it is assumed that the earliest calving cows are returned to grass for a brief period after calving.
All cows are housed from 21 October and fed, on average, 45kg/day of silage costing £20/t.
Concentrates are fed to cows for 60 days during this period. A small quantity of a starter ration is factored in to get calves eating concentrates.
Vet and miscellaneous costs include a pneumonia and IBR intra-nasal vaccine, clostridial vaccine, dehorning, calving aids and tags for the calf. Fluke, worm and lice treatments are also included for the cow.
The example assumes two bales of straw per cow are used to cover bedding for calving pens, mothering pens and calf creeps.
Straw is costed at £20 for a 4x4 round bale. This cost is higher than in previous years when bales were typically £16-£18 delivered.
Breeding
With cows calving from September to November, the breeding period runs from December to early February.
Cows remain on a daily diet of 45kg of silage and 2kg of concentrate until the end of February, when breeding has finished and cows are settled in calf.
Breeding is based on 20 cows served to AI at £25/cow plus a stock used to cover repeats. The bull is priced at £2,000, with a cull value of £1,300.
Therefore, serving 20 cows annually over three years, plus an annual maintenance cost of £365, the bull costs £598/year. Adding in £500 for AI semen and technician costs, the costs of breeding comes to £28/cow.
For 40 cows, a 15% replacement rate will mean six in-calf heifers are purchased annually. The example assumes calves are sold through the live trade and cows are continental types with good conformation.
Taking cull cow values at £1,000 and purchase costs of heifers at £1,200, the cost of bringing in herd replacements comes to £35/cow when spread over the 34 productive cows in the herd.
Turnout
Once breeding is complete, cows are fed a silage-only diet during March and April, assuming good-quality silage is available.
Concentrates continue to be fed to calves at a rate of 1kg/day, along with good-quality silage, during this period. Calves are then weaned in early May and put out to grass. Cows remain housed for an extra week after weaning, until ground conditions are more favourable.
Grazing
Cows are turned out to rougher pasture and graze on this land until calving time. The strongest calves are sold in June, with lighter calves carried over the summer.
These animals do not receive concentrate feed during peak grazing season, but concentrates are re-introduced prior to sale. It works out at an average of 1kg/day over the entire period at grass.
Grazing costs are taken as £58/cow and based on a grazing area of 50 acres receiving four bags per acre over the year. Fertiliser is a mix of urea, CAN and compound NPK at £230/t.
Miscellaneous costs are factored in to cover regular expenses such as slurry handling, topping grass, fencing, water trough repairs, lick buckets and hedge cutting.
Total costs
From the outlined example, the cost of keeping an autumn calving cow works out at £1,011/year. This means that the running costs for the herd are just over £40,000/annum.
Therefore, the herd needs to be selling 40 cattle every year at £1,011 to break even. The use of AI will hopefully mean top-class genetics have been used to increase calf performance and improve sale value. However, no mortality is factored into the example, nor is any cost on land rent and bank borrowings.
There are costs within the example that can be debated, such as the potential use of slatted pens for calf creeps to reduce straw use.
But ultimately, the example confirms the additional costs associated with autumn-calving suckler herds and highlights the important role that direct payments play on suckler farms as a means of providing a sustainable income.
Read more
What does it cost to keep a suckler cow?
Autumn breeding off to a positive start in Fermanagh
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