The 2021-born heifers on the ABP Demo Farm have started receiving concentrates this week, as the heifers and steers in the group will be finished before the 2022-born calves are housed for the winter.
However, the monthly weighing of the 2021-born cattle was put on hold due to the hot conditions recently. It will now be completed next week when temperatures ease.
The hot weather over the past week has also resulted in a heightened focus being placed on ensuring that cattle on the farm have priority access to paddocks with shade. Cattle are checked regularly and water supply is constantly monitored.
ABP Demo Farm cattle performance
However, 50% of the 2021-born cattle were weighed this month and they have an average weight of 487kg. The cattle that have been weighed had an average daily gain (ADG) of 0.92kg/head/day.
The 2022-born calves will be weighed at the end of the month. The calves had an ADG of 0.87kg/head/day and an average weight of 160kg when they were last weighed in July.
Cattle are performing well on the farm, and have no major issues, however the risk of pneumonia is high in the younger stock with the changing temperatures; a close eye is being kept on these during herding.
The 2022-born heifers started receiving concentrates on August 9.
A total of 138 heifers are currently being fed 2kg concentrates/head/day. This concentrate level will gradually be increased to 5kg. Heifers will be housed in the coming week and finished on a Total Mixed Ration (TMR).
A total of 100 of the 2021-born steers on the farm have been identified and will be sent to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation’s (ICBF’s) Tully Progeny Test Centre in the coming month.
These steers are from a range of sires and breeds and their feed intake and methane emissions will be measured. 50 heifers from the farm are already in Tully and are undergoing the same trials since last month. The remaining steers on the farm will begin receiving concentrates from September 1.
The general finishing period on the farm ranges from 50-60 days. Ideally, the target minimum carcass weight would be 250-260kg, however some of the poorer genetic heifers will be fit at 220kg carcass weight. If cattle are a three in flesh, irrespective of weight, they will go to the factory.
The finishing ration used is a 14% protein nut, however the farm is looking at the possibility of dropping the protein in the concentrate mix. The farm’s fodder budget will be examined also, to see can concentrate feed be reduced and more silage fed to cattle.
Grazing, silage and reseeding
The fourth cut of red-clover silage will be taken in two weeks’ time.
On the farm, the dry weather conditions have caused grass growth to slow significantly. The grazing ground is starting to burn up but with the 2021-born cattle being drafted for finishing, grass supply is predicted to continue to meet demand.
Fortunately, rain is forecast to arrive next week, which will be welcomed on the farm.
Every year, the farm purchases store lambs which are finished on the land over the winter. A total of 400 store lambs with an average weight of 30kg have been bought over the past week.
These will be weighed, graded and split into groups according to weight. Lambs will also be vaccinated for clostridial diseases and pasturellosis.
11ac of the farm have been sprayed off and sown in Tyfon, which the lambs will graze over the winter. This 11ac will then be sown in a grass and clover or multi-species swards next spring.
Winter preparations
Planning for winter housing is already underway on the farm. The 2022-born calves will be weighed at end of this month and will receive their first shot of the bovine respiratory disease (BRD) vaccine.
The second shot will be administered one month later in plenty of time for housing.
Sheds have been cleaned and are ready for cattle. Feeding and bedding straw is being sourced currently. The farm uses approximately 1,300 round bales of straw every year and the best quality straw will be kept to one side for bedding and feeding the 2023-born calves.
ABP Demo Farm open day
The ABP Demo Farm in Co. Carlow hosted a farm walk for Advantage Beef Programme members and ABP suppliers at the end of July.
Commenting on the event, ABP’s agri-sustainability manager, Stephen Connolly said: “The farm open day was a great success. We received a lot of feedback and interest from the farmers and industry representatives in attendance.
“There was a huge interest from farmers in the farm’s emphasis on genetics in calf-to-beef systems.”
Read more about the ABP Demo Farm open day here.