How to save cash and lift liveweights
How to save cash and lift liveweights
BEEF producers could increase liveweight gain at grass by 25kg and save £50 a head on costs by using a paddock system and extending the grazing season.
County Westmeath-based Teagasc adviser Christy Jones said: "Paddock and extended grazing will reduce production costs for only a small investment."
According to Mr Jones, a paddock system will allow producers to judge how much grass is ahead of cattle, making it is easier to cope with surpluses and shortages. "It will also reduce waste, which runs at about 50% in set stocked systems. With a paddock system, that will drop to only 20-25%."
Surplus grass can be baled and fed later in the season when growth has slowed, which will be easier to predict using paddocks, he said.
Producers should also aim for earlier turnout and later housing, which will cut costs further.