This is a subscriber-only article
Garreth McCormack farms part-time on 34ha of good-quality land just outside Bailieborough in Co Cavan.
Upon joining the programme, Garreth had a herd of 36 suckler cows. This year, he has a group of 45 cows and next spring, after an excellent scanning, he will have 51 cows to calve, beginning on 1 February.
Garreth explained “I used to calve from early January on but after the few bad springs in recent years I’ve decided to push scanning back until 1 February. It should save bedding and disease build-up in sheds.”
Because Garreth is farming part-time, a simple system is key and that is something he has been working towards over the last number of years. Bulls are slaughtered in an under 16-month system. Heifers are either kept as replacements and the rest are sold live at one year old.
As a result, Garreth has only one group of stock to manage on the farm for the year – his suckler cows and calves and his replacement heifers, all of which come into the yard for AI each day.
On AI, Garreth said: “I don’t have too much problem getting them in. It’s much easier bringing in one big group than a couple of small groups and it’s easier to see animals in heat too. The MooCall heat detection was an excellent addition this year as well.”
After a quick glance around the herd, it is easy to see what his preferred cow type is: “I love the Salers. I think they are a great cow to calve and they are good mothers. For me, working off-farm, it is great to not have to worry about cows calving and having to give assistance each time.”
For anyone questing the docility of the breed, Garreth says: “I’m out with these calves two times a day during the summer walking through them. That really settles them. I also give the heifer caves meal to keep them coming to me and keep them settled.”
This is the first year Garreth has gone 100% AI. He uses Salers bulls on his best cows to breed replacements and Charolais, Limousin and Simmental bulls also.
Weaning
Weaning is taking place on the farm this week and it is Gareth’s first year trialling the QuietWean system.
“I heard a few other lads in the programme talking positively about them and I said I’d give them a go. I ordered a pack of 25 units which cost €115 including delivery.”
As we all know, the key to a successful weaning is to minimise calf stress. The QuietWean pads are designed to prevent calves from sucking their mothers. This weans the calf gradually off the milk while still being able to bond with its mother.
Then, when the mother is taken away, the bond and milk dependency is not as strong between the calf and its mother and stress is reduced as a result.
Garreth explained that he put pads in 11 of his 19 bulls and 14 of his 25 heifers. This was done on Saturday and all calves also received a booster vaccine for pneumonia on the day.
Then, four days later, the mothers of the calves with pads on were removed from the group and Garreth was very satisfied with how settled the calves were after that.
Key to this procedure was having grass and meal available to the calves to compensate for the loss of milk in the diet. Electric wires were raised to allow calves creep graze ahead on the best grass. Meal was also given for one month prior to weaning at 1kg/head/day and calves were increased to 1.5kg/head/day following weaning.
Before the weekend, Garreth plans to take the pads off the weaned calves and put them on the calves not weaned and then four to five days after that, the rest of the cows will be taken away from the group.
To learn how two more Teagasc/Irish Farmers Journal BETTER farm beef challenge participants are weaning, see this week’s Irish Farmers Journal in print or online.
SHARING OPTIONS: