Feed fishmeal for better beef

By FWi staff

INCLUDING fishmeal supplements in the diet can improve the efficiency of rearing young beef cattle on silage.

Research, carried out by independent scientist Dr Janice Harland, revealed that daily weight gain increased by 24% to 58% with fishmeal supplements of 50, 100 and 150kg/g of silage dry matter.

More recent research, at Nottingham University, has shown an improvement in carcass protein gain in fishmeal supplemented stock.

This adds more value to the stock, particularly at lower slaughter weights because the carcass is leaner which will lead to a higher proportion grading at 4L.

It was also found that the time taken to slaughter was 60 days less for the supplemented stock, thus improving both cashflow and throughput.