Five Angus heifers and four Hereford heifers have been drafted for slaughter later this week.
They have been getting meal at grass since the beginning of August. They were on 2kg/day initially and in recent weeks they have moved up to 3kg/day.
Interestingly, four of the five Angus calves are sired by JZJ, a bull with a dairy beef index (DBI) figure of €87, a value of beef sub-index figure of €24 and a carcase weight figure of -1.6kg.
This is one of the lowest carcase weight figures of all bulls used in 2019.
Of the Herefords, two are sired by HE2491. This bull has a DBI of €41, a value of beef sub-index figure of €43 and a carcase weight figure of 7kg.
Economic sense
These heifers are currently around the 540kg mark and although they are not the heaviest animals in the group, they are sufficiently finished and further feeding would just lead to higher carcase fat scores with minimal increase in carcase weight, making it economically unviable to continue feeding.
We will continue to draft heifers every fortnight or so over the coming weeks.
Bullocks are that bit further behind and it will be another three weeks until the first draft is slaughtered.
A full breakdown of the carcase weights, grades and fat scores will be reported on in next week’s Irish Farmers Journal.
Thrive dairy calf to beef programme logo
Read more
Thrive open day - Watch: demonstration farm and system economics
Thrive dairy-calf-to-beef programme virtual open day
Five Angus heifers and four Hereford heifers have been drafted for slaughter later this week.
They have been getting meal at grass since the beginning of August. They were on 2kg/day initially and in recent weeks they have moved up to 3kg/day.
Interestingly, four of the five Angus calves are sired by JZJ, a bull with a dairy beef index (DBI) figure of €87, a value of beef sub-index figure of €24 and a carcase weight figure of -1.6kg.
This is one of the lowest carcase weight figures of all bulls used in 2019.
Of the Herefords, two are sired by HE2491. This bull has a DBI of €41, a value of beef sub-index figure of €43 and a carcase weight figure of 7kg.
Economic sense
These heifers are currently around the 540kg mark and although they are not the heaviest animals in the group, they are sufficiently finished and further feeding would just lead to higher carcase fat scores with minimal increase in carcase weight, making it economically unviable to continue feeding.
We will continue to draft heifers every fortnight or so over the coming weeks.
Bullocks are that bit further behind and it will be another three weeks until the first draft is slaughtered.
A full breakdown of the carcase weights, grades and fat scores will be reported on in next week’s Irish Farmers Journal.
Thrive dairy calf to beef programme logo
Read more
Thrive open day - Watch: demonstration farm and system economics
Thrive dairy-calf-to-beef programme virtual open day
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