Beef and Sheep Notes February 2007
Suckler Cows
Spring Calving
Spring calving suckler cows should have a body condition score of 2.5 - 3.0 at calving. Cows with condition score of 3.0 or above should be restricted on silage. Separating these cows and feeding 35-40KG of average quality silage from now until calving should result in the loss of about 0.5 of a condition score. Cows currently at condition score of 2.5 should maintain condition on ad-lib average quality silage.
Particular attention should be paid to first calvers, older cows and shy feeders as these are likely to be thinner than the rest of the herd. Separating these cows and feeding them at a higher level will pay dividends. If silage is below average quality (10.5ME) it should be supplemented with 1.0-1.5KG/day of meal in the final six weeks pre calving.
Autumn Calving
Autumn calving cows can tolerate some weight loss in winter but not until they are back in calf, that is, from February until turnout. As these cows are producing milk a higher level of feeding is required. Cows in good condition now should maintain condition on very good quality silage fed ad lib or on average quality silage plus 1KG of meal. Thinner cows would need the meal feeding level doubled. From service until turnout ad-lib silage alone should be sufficient.
Steers and Heifers: Finish in the shed or at grass?
Now is the time to batch finishing cattle into two different feeding regimes.
Group 1 - cattle that will be finished out of the shed.
Group 2 - cattle that will be turned out to grass in spring for finishing this summer.
There are two factors that will influence the decision on which cattle should be included in each group:
- Turn-out date
Question: Is turn-out date for these cattle likely to be 30, 60 or 90 days in the future?
The answer to this question effectively becomes the finishing period for those cattle that should be finished in the shed. Therefore the next step in the decision making process is to assess cattle condition.
- Cattle condition: Assess individual animal condition in terms of time to finish in an intensive system.
For example, if turn-out date is expected to be within the next 60 days, then cattle should be assessed on their potential to reach finish in an intensive feeding system within this time frame.
Feed intake is crucial for these animals. The higher the intake the better the animal should perform. Intake can be improved by paying attention to the following:
- Having the cattle in healthy condition, comfortably housed and with adequate access to silage/concentrates.
- Keeping silage and concentrates fresh. Placing fresh silage on top of old material will reduce intake. Clean the feeding passage regularly.
- Ensuring the overall diet is balanced for protein vitamins and minerals and that the concentrate part of the ration is correctly formulated and balanced to compliment the feed value of the silage.
Cattle that have the growth potential to gain 100+KG liveweight without becoming over fat should be managed with the intention of getting them back out to grass at the earliest opportunity.
Targets for the grazing season are to have steers gaining at 1KG/head/day and heifers at 0.8KG/head/day.
Research has shown that cattle that have not been “pushed” over the winter period will compensate in the early part of the grazing season and put on more weight at grass at much lower cost.
To achieve maximum compensatory growth at grass meal feeding should be reduced now and stopped completely in the four to six week period before planned turnout date.
Sheep
Maintaining Ewe Condition in Late Pregnancy
Ewes should be lambing at Condition Score 2 ½ - 3. Separate out thin or over fat ewes now – overfeeding to build condition in the final few weeks of pregnancy can lead to complications at lambing. Feeding meal flat rate at 0.5KG/day has been found to be as effective as a stepped feeding programme and is less likely to result in prolapse in ewes.
A twin bearing 70KG ewe will typically require 10MJ of energy (ME) per day during the last 6 weeks of pregnancy, rising to 17/18MJ of ME in the last week. Aim to feed a good quality ration – ME 11.0 to 11.5 as fed and a protein level of 16-18 percent, depending on the forage quality.
Preparing the Lambing Area
Preparations should begin now, well in advance of the busy onset of lambing. Lambing pens are necessary to allow bonding of the ewe and lamb. Allow one pen per 10 ewes and provide feed racks, water and meal containers. Pens should be approximately 1.5sq m (5ft x 5ft). Consider the use of group pens for small batches of ewes and lambs. Ewes and lambs together in this pen for one to two days helps bonding between ewes and lambs before moving out to pasture and greatly reduces the mis-mothering of lambs in the field.
Plan to re-stock your ‘Medicine Cupboard’ now – it is much easier if all the necessary items are at hand before the main lambing period begins. Items required include
- vLubricant
- vGlucose
- vTincture of Iodine
- vFrozen colostrum
- vCalcium/Magnesium solutions
- vDisinfectant
- vAntibiotic injections
Ration quality and achieving good lamb birth weights:
Production from the ewe flock is part determined by genetics and part by nutrition.
The nutrition of ewes within the last three weeks of pregnancy greatly determines the quality and survivability of lambs after birth. This means that ration quality comes before price. To assess the quality of a ration you both need to know the analysis and the composition of the ration. Crude protein will give an indication of overall protein content but does not tell you anything about the protein source.
High quality rations are generally cereal based and will contain high quality protein sources such as Soya bean meal. Soya bean meal is the preferred protein particularly within the last two to three weeks prior to lambing. A high quality protein within a good quality ration will help to improve udder development, foetal growth and colostrum quality and ensure that adequate birth weights and high lamb survival are achieved.
Ration Example:
Where home grown cereals are available, simple mixes can be made up including high quality protein and other palatable straights – for example
| KG/tonne | |
|---|---|
| Soya Bean Meal | 225 |
| Sugar Beet Pulp | 175 |
| Molasses | 25 |
| Barley | 550 |
| Minerals | 25 |
Grassland
Fertilizer needs for the 2007 grass season
As a result of the new legislation introduced on 1 January 2007, fertilizer containing phosphate can now only be applied where a crop need can been demonstrated through soil analysis. It is important that farmers determine the nutrient status of the farm through soil analysis before making bulk orders of fertilizer containing phosphate.
In grassland where soil phosphate indices can tend to be high, there is often no crop need for additional phosphate. In such circumstances, straight Nitrogen fertilizer (for example, chalk, urea) and/or zero phosphate fertilizers (if potash is needed) are suitable. Phosphorous applied through organic manure applications must also be taken into account when considering crop need. Contact your local fertilizer merchant to discuss the availability of zero phosphate fertilizer products.