HERD UPDATE 25.11.2019

General Detail

• All the suckler cows are now housed on the Newford and were body condition scored last week. After scoring all cows were selected and pen according to their score.
  • 24 cows with a low body condition are receiving 2 Kgs of Soya Hulls per day, including the cow carrying twins. This will help those cows to build up reserved body conditions prior to calving next spring
  • This level of feeding will be monitored on a weekly basic.
  • The average weighted of all the  cows is 640 Kgs and the herds average body scored was 2.75
  • Body condition scoring of the cows at this time of the year was proven to be very successful and critical point in farm management  over the last 5 years and has been a key point in good herd husbandry with easy of calving in the spring
  • All cows will received 100g of pre-calving minerals per day on the top of the silage in the coming days.
  • All cows will be treated for fluke and lice in the coming days along with their tails and back been clip.
  • The 11 in-calf heifers from the contract rearing farm have settled well back into Newford farm and will be also treated for fluke and lice.
• All the 2018 born Beef Heifers (52)  have been  sold to the factory
  • The grading of the heifers , is as followed
    • 6 ( U ) grade heifers
    • 45 ( R ) grades
    • 1 ( O ) grade
• All the heifers were sold on average at 20 months of age
  • The average grade was   R =   3 =
  • Average live weight was 569 Kgs
  • Average Carcase weight was 299 Kgs
  • Average kill out %   53 %
  • Average price paid per heifer was €1,117
  • The following table shows the heifers sales comparison for the last 5 years

• To-date there is 15 bullocks sold to the factory.
  • The average live weight of the 15 steers  was 667 Kgs
  • They kill out at 53% , with a carcase weighted of 352 Kgs  ( R=   3 =)
  • At 21 months of age
  • Their sale value was € 1,295
  • There is 36 more steers left to be kill in the coming weeks. They are on 6 Kgs of ration
• All the weanlings are been treated for fluke and worms at the moment , their back and tails are also been clip
• The average housing date for the weanlings was the 9^th November.
  • All the weanlings are on 2 Kgs of concentrates at 18% protein, along with 74 % DMD round bales of silage.
  • The below table shows the weaning performance ADG  from birth to housing ( 9^th Nov)

• The below shows the weaning percentage of the weanling weight “Verse’s” the mother’s weight. The average weaning date was the 17^th September
• The males ADG from Birth to Weaning was 1.26 Kg/ day and the heifers ADG from Birth to Weaning was 1.21 Kg / day

Key recommendations for this week

1. Watch the housed weanlings  closely for pneumonia  and keep fresh silage under their heads
2. Checked and clean out all water troughts when necessary 
3. Selected any bullocks coming near fit for drafting
4. Monitor all cows health closed on the slats and keep fresh silage under the cow’s heads.
5. Feed cows according to their pen body condition score