Managing a 'self-reliant' suckler herd in Co. Meath

Running a 50-cow suckler herd alongside a full-time job, which sees him away from home for up to 12 hours a day, means Oldcastle, Co, Meath-based Mick Smith needs a simple system made up of self-reliant cows.

Since switching to a predominantly Limousin herd nearly 20 years ago, that is exactly what he has achieved, with cows mainly calving themselves and the only calving issues requiring assistance being malpresentations.

“I’m confident enough in my cows to say that if a calf is correctly presented the cow will calve itself,” said Mick.

“I only have to help those where the calf isn’t properly presented and cows are long-lasting too, with cows still producing good calves at up to 15 years old.”

Split in to three calving groups – an early-spring group, a late-spring batch and the final autumn-calving group – Mick targets the herd at producing weanlings for the export market as well as retaining homebred heifers as replacements.

“A split-calving works well for a number of reasons, first and foremost because it spreads the workload across the year more evenly and with a full-time job that is an important consideration,” Mick continued.

“Secondly, it means I have batches of calves to sell at various points in the year, helping me hit a number of preferential sale periods and spreading cash flow more evenly through the year.

And while some may suggest Limousin-cross cows put back to the Limousin bull could make for troublesome calvings, Mick disagrees.

He said that careful selection has aided in the development of a herd with a high percentage of Limousin genetics which is easily managed and highly productive.

“I prioritise the maternal ability in the herd, selecting replacement bulls using calving ease and other maternal estimated breeding values and looking for milky bloodlines within the pedigree of bulls I buy.

“Additionally, I’m particularly conscious of pelvic size in replacement heifers and ensure heifers are well-grown before bulling.”

Replacement heifers are calved at 26-28 months old to get them in to the herd and productive at a reasonably young age.

“We don’t quite calve at two years old, but I certainly don’t want them to get much older before they calve,” Mick added.

And, importantly, Mick operates a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to any issues within the herd.

“I don’t carry passengers in the herd, any cow which causes a problem is culled, whatever age it may be,” he said.

“I’m particularly keen on temperament and ensuring the herd is easy to work with and doesn’t cause any unnecessary issues.”

Herd management

Herd management is kept simple throughout the year with cows and heifers receiving no supplementary feed at any point in the year, grazing grass in a paddock system through the spring, summer and autumn, and being fed high-quality silage when housed in winter.

The target is to graze the herd from mid-March to mid-November, keeping the winter as short as possible and housing cows in a slatted shed with silage fed behind a feed barrier.

“Calves receive some creep feed ahead of weaning to ensure they continue to thrive at weaning and don’t take a check. This is particularly important for the bull calves which are sold within a few weeks of weaning, with most being sold through markets to maximise the trade achieved,” Mick continued.

“The export market is the main target for the male calves, with a good number going to Italy and a number also heading to Northern Ireland for finishing too.

“Average prices over recent times have seen bull calves level at €1030-1040 over the last three years at 10.5 months old and 385-400kg.”

Heifers, meanwhile, are either retained for breeding or sold locally for breeding or finishing, with most going for breeding and a number of local suckler herds regularly sourcing their replacements from the herd.

The limousin cow

Other breeds have been used in the suckler herd at times, but Mick says it is the Limousin which performs time after time for him and delivers high value calves which help maintain herd profitability.

“I can’t fault the Limousin breed for its ability to work in my system and leave a profit.

“The cows in the herd would now be heading for 7/8 Limousin, with many at least three-quarters Limousin, but they retain all the abilities I want in a cow,” he said.

“They’re docile, easy calving and milky. Their maternal abilities are second to none and their fertility is also beyond question. I don’t believe many other breeds could perform as well as the Limousin does for me,” he continued.

“It is the all-round abilities of the breed which make it the right fit for my herd. It’s a great mother, but also delivers premium quality calves with the ability to top the market.”

Looking to the future, Mick said he can’t another breed replacing the Limousin in his suckler herd, but the likelihood is he won’t increase cow numbers as the cost of land, either bought or rented makes it unsustainable to take on more acres.

“Land prices are beyond the scope of what I feel is justifiable and with a full-time job I am able to manage the herd at its current size without it impacting on my working week,” Mick concluded.