Optimise feed, sell fast and increase incomes
Optimise feed, sell fast and increase incomes
By Hannah Velten
STEERS should be sold the day after they have earned their second Beef Special Premium payment. Keeping them longer is a waste of time and money.
Optimising use of feed resources and hitting growth rates to finish beef at 24 months, rather than 30 months, will maximise income/kg/year, says MLC beef scientist Duncan Pullar. The system will lower variable costs and increase turnover.
Current British Cattle Movement Scheme data shows the slaughter age for steers is mostly 28-30 months. "This is worrying because more than 1000 steers/week go over the age limit and into the Over 30-Months Scheme, automatically downgrading revenue."
One reason for this waste is failing to set a target weight and date of finishing, which leads to under-finished animals that are of no interest to abattoirs, says Dr Pullar.
"It is essential to define a slaughter target weight and age, then divide this into housing and grazing target weights, giving you growth rates for each part of the system."
Reducing the time to finish, which also reduces variable costs, can be achieved by tightening up grass management and a change in attitude to supplementary feeding, he adds (see tables).
The advice is echoed by Tom Egan, Teagasc cattle specialist at Moorepark, Co Cork. At the end of June 2001, beef producers in Eire had to accept that steers over 30 months were difficult to market following the end of the Purchase for Destruction Scheme and the UK becoming their biggest market. "Obviously producers are having to respond to market forces and become realistic about finishing before 30 months."
To achieve this, Mr Egan says steer growth rates must be maintained during winter, rather than slowed through a traditional store period. "Forage-based rations must be increasingly supplemented to move from weight gains of 0.5-0.6kg/day, with little supplementation, to 0.8kg/day."
When using silage-based winter rations, the aim should be to make the highest possible quality silage, preferably with a high energy content of 11.4MJ/kg, adds Dr Pullar. "But it is also important to analyse silage for its nutritional value, allowing accurate addition of supplements."
Use of grazing is also crucial, he says. "For maximum nutritional value and grass intakes, sward height should be measured twice a week. In early season, grass kept between 6-8cm and in late season at 8-10cm, will support 0.8-0.9kg/day growth."
Beef producers in Eire have benefited from the Cash in on Grass Programme advice for five years, says Mr Egan. "The aim is to increase time spent at grass to 220-240 days, which puts on about 200kg liveweight. During the three weeks post-turnout steers can put on 1.2kg/day when there is a decent cover of grass."
Silage ground is grazed first before being closed for first cut, which improves the eventual silage quality, he adds. Cattle are then rotationally grazed, spending 3-4 days in one paddock so fresh, quality grass is in front of them.
Apart from feeding, growth rates will be influenced by the genetic make-up of stock. "For faster finishing, animals with greater growth potential are needed," says Dr Pullar.
He advises buying or breeding beef crosses sired by a bull of high Beef Value. "Progeny from a top 1% bull finish one month earlier than others, with feed savings of £30, worth 5p/kg in improved margins."
Mr Egan believes feed management is more important than the breed of animal used. "However, producers should check whether bought in animals are at an age and weight that will see them finish within 30 months."
The importance of finishing targets is highlighted when cattle fail to hit grading specifications, resulting in high penalties, says Dr Pullar. "There is no point going for extra weight when cattle reach the optimum fat class of 3/4L, as long as they are at abattoir minimum weight requirement."
Both advisers emphasise that weigh scales are essential to keep track of weight gain. "Most cattlemen judge how performance is going by eye, but this isnt accurate. Business is too much on a knife-edge to base finishing on inaccurate weights," says Mr Egan. *
Possible cuts in variable costs from reduced finishing time
Increase weight gain at grazing 6p/kg/lw
Analysing forage and formulating accurate rations 8p/kg/lw
Use of terminal sire of high Beef Value 5p/kg/lw
Sell at the right time 6p/kg/lw
Total savings on variable costs 25p/kg/lw or £150/head
Gross margin/year for 90 steers
Variable costs 22-24 months 28-30 months
Average 77-78p/kg £12,884 £9213
Possible 52-53p/kg £21,000 £15,390