The top performers

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Having a paddock system in place to supply quality leafy grass at all times is essential. This approach maximises weight gain from grass. Target to have 230 days grazing in year two. To achieve this target animals need to be out early in the spring, this will require excellent management in the autumn where paddocks are closed up early to ensure a supply of grass in February and March.

Good management of the grazing programme in the spring to ensure you set the farm up for maximum productivity over the summer is critical to success.

HIGH QUALITY SILAGE

In a calf to beef system all animals are priority.

Therefore producing high quality silage to ensure all animals meet the target average daily gains over the winter period is critical.

All silage on these farms should be greater than 70pc DMD to help reduce the concentrate level required to meet daily gains.

REGULAR WEIGHING

To ensure that performance is not compromised at any stage from purchase to slaughter it is essential that regular weighing of animals takes place throughout the year.

At a minimum animals should be weighed at turn out, mid-season and at housing.

Poor performing animals can be detected and a remedial action put in place.

Animals for finishing can be grouped together, thereby increasing efficiencies as only the stock close to target weights are fed.

PLANNING

When you buy your calves, you need to know when they are going to be slaughtered, and you need a plan to realise these schedules.

If not you will fall between two stools, with implications on housing facilities, slurry storage, not enough silage, mixed age groups creating issues for dosing, feeding concentrates for finishing and cash flow.

Talk to your processor, ensure that all animals meet the required market specification to achieve bonuses, quality assurance payments etc.

Farmers should plan how many animals they can finish at different times of the year to command the best price possible from the factories.