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Weighing cattle should be part and parcel of herd management, just like dosing and feeding. The weighing scales will always tell the true tale of how good herd management is.
With weaned calves and store cattle now settled in sheds, it is a good time to weigh animals and get a baseline for herd performance.
Calf weaning weights can be used to monitor cow performance at grass over the summer. They can also be used to identify cows that repeatedly wean light calves and should therefore be culled.
Having a weight record at the start of winter allows you to monitor how effective the winter diet is
Having a weight record at the start of winter allows you to monitor how effective the winter diet is, especially in growing cattle that will be sold during spring.
Weighing every four to six weeks will highlight any problems in these animals. This allows you to take steps to alter housing space, feed space, concentrate levels or ration type at an early stage, meaning you will have heavier cattle for sale in spring.
Cattle being stored on average to good quality silage and 2kg of meal should be gaining 0.5kg to 0.6kg/day.
Finishing cattle on higher levels of concentrates should be gaining 1kg to 1.5kg/day, although some young bulls will gain up to 2kg/day on ad-lib concentrates.
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