Look to the long term to choose replacements
Suckled-calf producers considering options for the future female replacement policy for their herds should ensure they look to the long-term needs of their businesse. After all, females brought into the herd now will still be influencing income in five to 10 years’ time.
That’s the advice of beef breeding experts faced with suckled-calf producers who are starting to focus more attention on their cows in terms of herd profitability.
While bull selection has been widely prioritised and often used as a panacea for any trait failings in cows, improving the type of cow – either by more discerning sourcing procedures or by retaining home-bred heifers – is now being given more priority by farmers evaluating their future herd replacement policy.
Sam Boon, Signet beef breeding manager, says suckled-calf producers weighing up the pros and cons of buying-in or rearing their own herd replacements must not base their decisions on short-term needs.
“A cow coming into the herd today will hopefully still be having an impact on the herd’s profitability for up to 10 years, so it’s important to try and bring in females that will enhance profits and not erode them by having performance shortfalls that you may unaware of,” says Mr Boon, speaking on behalf of the EBLEX Better Returns project.
He urges suckler-herd owners to work to a set of long-term objectives concerning herd replacements. “They should ask themselves what they are expecting from the herd in five or 10 years’ time how will the farm have changed what does the future hold in terms of farm labour and what the market will want from suckled-calf producers.
“There’s an on-going debate about whether to buy-in or retain home-bred females but, for those who opt to continue to buy-in, it’s worth remembering that the more you can find out about the genetic merit and health status of those females the better.
“In commercial beef breeding female sales it’s rare for vendors to provide any detailed information about the genetic background of cattle. But I think it would benefit them as sellers, and certainly benefit buyers, if those cattle sired by bulls with good EBV figures – covering such traits as milking ability, ease of calving and 200 day weight – were identified.
“The 400-day weight figure is also there for consideration, but females purchased for herd replacements and sired by bulls with high 400-day weight may grow too big – and that’s another issue farmers need to start looking at more closely,” says Mr Boon.
“Herd owners should look at the mature size of their cows and see whether improvements in maintenance costs and fertility can be improved by a moderate reduction in weight.”
Concerns over milking ability and fertility as some Continental-sired crossbred females approach the seven-eighths and fifteen-sixteenths stage continue, but according to Signet the advantage of hybrid vigour cannot be underestimated.
“The influx of another breed to the genetics will have an impact on reproduction and longevity, but there are traits that can only be influenced by taking account of EBV figures – calving ease, the 200-day milk figure and 200-day weight.”
Signet believes there are now plenty of bulls across a range of breeds that combine EBV ratings to provide a sire able to produce female replacements, as well steers, with the required growth and shape.
“Bull buyers who buy-in herd replacements and rely on the sire only to produce a crop of calves for sale are not as concerned with the long-term impact of the bull. If he fails to do the job he can be changed. A bull bought to produce females as replacements must be selected even more carefully. His influence cannot be fully assessed until his daughters have performed within the herd, and that may be almost four years down the line.
“The wrong bull bought as a female producer can be costly. His most important traits for the job cannot be seen, which is why EBVs concerning calving ease, birth weight and milk must be taken into account.”
While home-bred replacements improve control over health issues – particularly TB and Johnes disease – for many it’s future farm labour requirements that are an issue. “Easily managed cows – and cows of good temperament – are also likely to be considerations more farmers take account of in future along with performance traits.”
Stabiliser cows are easy calving and provide fast-growing calves and excellent female replacements.
There are plenty of options available to those sourcing replacements. Easily managed cows able to provide fast-growing calves are likely to be top of most farmers’ wish list.
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Case study James Dixon, Kendal Stabilisers – the composite breed – have made a dramatic impact in the new 120-cow suckler herd established by James Dixon after the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak and have since created an “about turn” in the farm’s approach to heifer replacements. An existing herd of 45 cows run on another farm had always relied on bought-in females. The creation of a second herd to replace dairy cows initially relied on the same policy and bought in Limousin and Simmental cross heifer calves, followed by a bunch of bulling heifers. But after attending an open day to look at the Stabiliser, Mr Dixon – who farms with brothers Andrew and Richard at Selside near Kendal – was on course for a radical re-think over his suckler herd. “Quiet and easily managed, easy calving, polled, plenty of conformation and good growth rates – it was a package I was prepared to try,” says Mr Dixon, who bought his first Stabiliser bull four years ago from John Geldard at Levens, Kendal. The bull ran with 40 heifers in his first year. “We’ve had 110 consecutive live calves by the Stabiliser over the last three years. They hit the ground running and we’ve never had to help a calf suck. “But if you are going to produce your own replacements you have to see what really matters and that’s the suckler cow. Going to three-quarters and seven-eighths with Continentals can lead to issues over milking ability and fertility. “We decided to continue with the Stabiliser bull and this year we’ve calved our first Stabiliser-sired heifer replacements that went back to a Stabiliser.” There are now 110 suckler cows with 16 F1 Stabiliser heifers rearing three-quarter bred calves. The farm is also establishing a purebred Stabiliser herd using embryos. “Being a closed herd will give us more control over cow health and enable us to control the genetic make-up of our females. There are too many unknowns when you rely on bought-in females – and then there’s the cost issue.” Stabiliser genetics at Kitcrag Farm have produced an impressive crop of spring-born calves both the heifer dams and the calves demonstrate an “unflappable” temperament to all visitors many of the calves are showing exceptional conformation. “Looking long-term, we will be backing the Stabiliser and see a good market developing for females as herd replacements. Our Stabiliser-sired bullocks have performed better off grass this summer than the few we had by Continental sires, and I would expect Stabiliser cows to out-winter if you needed them to.” |
| Case study Stephen Graham, Carlisle Hedging his bets – that’s how Cumbria beef producer Stephen Graham describes the heifer replacement policy in his herd of 200 suckler cows at Miller Hill, Gilsland, Carlisle. There have certainly been some changes in recent years. After buying-in Limousin x Friesian bulling heifers, the farm went through a period of retaining three-quarter and seven-eighths bred females by Belgian Blue and Limousin sires – but Mr Graham says it’s now “back to basics” as cost issues and less beefier females are being prioritised. “We have a good trade for calves with plenty of shape, but concentrating on keeping the beefier type of home-bred females meant we were losing milk, length and size. “So although we’re still retaining some home-bred heifers, we prefer those showing a less extreme type of conformation – and we’ve also gone back to buying-in some replacements to spread the cost.” Mr Graham also questions the costs involved when a female has to be home-reared and is on the farm for four years before generating any income. In theory, the idea of retaining home-bred females appealed in terms of herd health, but during the period of running a closed herd there was no marked reduction in health issues. “We’re keeping our options open. Buying in 20 replacements as heifers with calves at foot or young cows is acceptable when you only need 20 – but not 40. If I had to go out and buy 40 it would cost me about £50,000 and that makes a big hole in costs,” he adds. Bought-in females are costing about £1000 for cows and calves, while heifers with calves are £1200-£1400. “But it still costs £1000 a head to rear a home-bred replacement, so I think splitting our replacement costs both ways is still the best option for the time being.” |