As suckler farmers, the only true measure of animal performance available to us is weight. So it raises the question: why we have been so slow in carrying out regular weighing of our cattle over the years? After all, we are paid on weight, so why leave it to chance on the day of sale? Of course, it’s an extra task which requires getting stock into the yard, but realistically there is no reason why it can’t be incorporated into routine health tasks like summer/autumn parasite control and vaccinations.

Equipment isn’t an excuse either when weighing scales are eligible for grant aid under TAMS or when ICBF offers a countrywide weighing service.

BEEP

While some view it sceptically, I think the Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot (BEEP) scheme can be real benefit to suckler farmers. Announced last October during Budget 2019, it was officially launched at the end of January. The objective of the scheme is to increase the economic and environmental efficiency of Ireland’s suckler herds. It focuses on improving the weaning efficiency of suckler cows by collecting their liveweights and their calves’ pre-weaning. After full-compliance with the requirements of the scheme, all participants will receive a payment of €40/calf. I spoke to Chris Daly of ICBF to get some top tips to securing that €40/calf.

Ideal time

At present, the Teagasc/Irish Farmers Journal BETTER farms are weighing spring-calving suckler cows and calves as part of BEEP. It’s a task that most spring-calving suckler farms should be looking at soon. The ideal time to weigh the calf is 150-250 days old, just before weaning, where we can assess its summer performance and determine a management plan for the autumn and winter. It is at this stage of rearing that we will get the fairest reflection of the weight of the suckler cow too – she is not run down after calving nor is she heavy in calf. To date, 10 farmers have weighed their cows and calves. Their Weaning Efficiency Reports are outlined in Table 1.

Table 1 shows the weights and average daily gain (ADG) of male and female calves on the farms. On any ICBF Weaning Efficiency Report, the weights of the calves are corrected to 200-day weights. The target ADG of males should be 1.25kg and the target for females is 1.1kg – anything over this is bonus territory and is going to cut the need for concentrates this winter. Anything below this should result in the introduction of a creep feeder to make up for lost ground. In any case, I’d much prefer to know now and take action if necessary, rather than get a nasty surprise when the weanling enters the ring, or comes out of the shed next spring.

Weaning efficiency is a new metric where the calf’s weaning weight is expressed as a percentage of its dam’s weight. Obviously, the higher the better. ICBF has set a target of 42% – the gold standard is 50%. Is this a clear showing of bias towards the small, milky dairy-cross cow? Is the classic continental going to get a rap on the knuckles? The answer is no.

Quite simply, there is no issue with a continental cow, provided she is leaving a worthy calf behind her. Take for example Philip Keville in Table 2.

He has some of the best quality continental cows on the programme, weighing nearly 670kg on average. But they are doing the business, leaving behind a calf nearly 310kg at 200 days of age (46% efficiency). If a cow isn’t pulling her weight (literally), we need to ask ourselves if she worth having on the farm.

Weighing can undoubtedly make a big difference to assessing and managing both weanlings and suckler cows this autumn. And even if not, the €40/calf is not to be scoffed at.

Read more

BETTER farm: top tips to secure your BEEP payment

Beef Management Notes: reseeding, BEEP and building grass for autumn