Positive grazing conditions in recent months are helping to bring performance back on track at Newford Farm.

Steers performed poorly over the winter gaining just 31kg from housing on 12 November to turnout on 23 March when steers averaged 382kg.

While performance was well below target, steers had developed a good frame which gave rise to compensatory growth.

The latest weighing on 10 May showed steers weighing 441kg on average. This equates to an average daily gain since turnout of 1.22kg per day while the average daily gain since birth is running at an average of 0.89kg. .

Heifers

Heifers achieved similar performance over the winter and were housed at 333kg liveweight on 8 November and turned out a month earlier than steers on 26 February with an average daily gain of 357kg.

They were turned out to old permanent pasture which was growing since last autumn. They were also weighed on 10 May and recorded an average daily gain of 405kg at an average age of 15 months.

This gives an average daily gain since turnout of 0.65kg and an average daily gain since birth of 0.83kg. Performance is expected to be significantly higher at the next weighing with inclement weather and grass quality limiting thrive in early March.

Day-to-day tasks

The farm had its annual herd test earlier this week and recorded a clear test. The focus remains on breeding with cows checked four to five times daily to pick up any repeat heats. Grassland management will also come back into the spotlight with growth predicted to increase in the coming week and possibly giving rise to surplus paddocks being taken out of the rotation.

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