Beef and sheep notes April 2008
Sheep
Getting the Best from Worm Control
Worm control can no longer be based purely on a set timetable of treatments for ewes and lambs. The appearance of wormer-resistant worms means that effective worm control needs to be a balance between ensuring sheep are not compromised by worms and ensuring that the current anthelmintics remain viable. It is important that we act now to slow the progress of wormer resistance.
If you are concerned about wormer-resistant worms on your farm:
- Use faecal egg counts (FEC) to monitor worm burdens and to help you decide when to drench. Fecpaks are available free of charge from local DARD Development offices and can be easily used to determine FEC.
- If you find that the FEC of your lambs is not reduced by drenching, complete a Faecal Egg Reduction Test, which is available through AFBI Veterinary Service. This test will determine which drenches are working effectively on your farm.
- Based on this information your local Beef and Sheep Development adviser can support development of practical grazing and drenching plans to manage wormer-resistant worms on your farm.
Only through your actions now can you ensure the sustainable control of worms on your farm in the future.
Lameness in Sheep
It is unrealistic to expect that lame sheep can ever entirely be eliminated. Scald and footrot maybe the most common causes of lameness, but a recent survey of Blackface lambs at Greenmount indicated that shelly hoof and mis-shapen feet may be an underlying problem.
Lameness should be treated as soon as observed, but many farmers waste their efforts because;
- foot bathing on wet, muddy days tends to be ineffective
- formalin hardens the horn which reduces the future effectiveness of salt type products.
- sheep are not allowed to stand in the salt solutions for the necessary time, up to 30 mins in some cases.
Poor handling equipment can also result in the spread of lameness. Separate areas for foot inspection and paring should exist within all set-ups so that sheep which are uninfected do not acquire infection from hoof clippings. Remember to pare feet only as a last resort.
The key to reducing lameness on every farm is to cull persistent offenders and never retain their daughters for breeding.
Cattle
Stocking Rates
Stocking rates at grazing are the key to maintaining quality pastures. The following table should be used as a guide for the early part of the grazing season.
April – May (Grazing Area)
| High | Medium | Low | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight of cattle | |||
| (KG per ha) | 2500 | 1875 | 1250 |
| (KG per acre) | 1000 | 750 | 500 |
(1875 KG = 5 x 375 KG stores/ha or 2 x 375 KG steers/acre)
Rotational grazing
To maximise grass production and animal performance a planned system of rotational grazing should be set up.
Points to bear in mind:
- Depending on the farm layout, five to seven paddocks or grazing areas should be satisfactory for beef cattle.
- Check grass supply regularly (twice per week) and note re-growth. Where grass supply is getting too far ahead of stock take out a paddock for silage.
- Target fertiliser application according to grass growth – aim for 15-16 grazing days ahead of stock.
- Graze tightly during April-May (down to 5-6cm) This will produce better swards later in the season.
Plan for High Quality silage now
The typical first cut silage produced on the beef finishing unit at Greenmount Campus had a dry matter of 40 percent, 13.6g/KGDM crude protein, 11.4 MJ/KGDM ME and an intake factor of 104. Several batches of cattle were finished on silage only, a major economic benefit in a winter where real feed costs increased by almost 50 percent. The remaining cattle received only 3KG/day of rolled mineralised barley. Almost every beef cattle finisher has the potential to make high quality silage; it’s all about planning the fertiliser application and the cutting date.