Beef cattle need to be fed an energy-dense diet. By feeding the correct ration, animals add meat to their frame and optimise fat cover before slaughter.
Firstly, regularly weighing finishing cattle is extremely important to determine slaughter date; as the saying goes: ‘You cannot manage what you don’t measure.’
Also Read: Can winter finishing deliver any margin for beef farmers in 2020?From this, when a finishing animal’s daily weight gain starts to decrease, this is an indication that the animal is coming near slaughter.
Secondly, it is important to look at where the animal deposits fat. In the case of steers and heifers, animals should be assessed around the tail, rib and loin.
In the case of bulls, measuring fat cover can be a little more difficult. On very well-conformed bulls, it can be difficult to see the fat cover building up at the tail.
While the bull is in a crush, pressing along the back (loin) of the bull will allow the farmer to assess fat cover; this area should feel soft.
Another area that can be examined is behind the shoulder. Again, this area should have a degree of softness indicating fat cover, while the rib area is also another good indication.
Farmers should also check the flank area, as large amounts of fat are deposited here. A ‘fleshy’ look indicates that the animal is coming fit.
The brisket – which is located between the two front legs – is another area where animals deposit fat – particularly the early-maturing breeds (Hereford and Angus). However, other breeds also deposit fat here after 100 days of intense feeding.
The final area that needs to be assessed is the cod (area above the scrotum). This area will fill with fat when the animal is fully fit and it’s the last area where the bull will deposit fat.
If we take, for example, a 5% fall in kill-out percentage – on a 300kg heifer (dead weight) – that equates to a 15kg lighter carcass. If we take a base price of 355c/kg, that’s a loss of €53/head.
Furthermore, liaising with your factory and comparing your results with actual results will help for future assessments – practice makes perfect.