Beef and sheep notes July 2008

There is a natural slowdown in cattle liveweight gain from mid-season until the end of the grazing period. This is due to a decline in the feeding value of grass due to lower digestibility combined with lower intake as grass becomes stemmy. There is also a decline in compensatory growth as cattle mature and an increasing proportion of the gain is fat. Laying down fat requires more than twice the amount of energy compared to lean meat. A target of 200 kilograms liveweight gain over a 220 day grazing season should be the aim.

Sward quality can be maintained by topping to about 4 to 5cm to remove dead vegetation and encourage tillering. Do not overgraze pastures, especially in the summer months, because recovery will be slow and performance will suffer. Ideally, graze down to 4 to 5 cm or leave a pasture cover of 1600 to 1700 KG DM per ha. Equate grass supply with the demands of the stock by walking the grazing area and assessing grazing days ahead. In July and August, 15 to18 grazing days ahead is ample. .

Some farmers see an opportunity to graze cull cows rather than purchase expensive stores. It is important to check health status. Watch out for lameness and mastitis and treat for fluke particularly in wetter areas. Target weight of beef cows would be up to 1.5 KG/day and a kill out  percent of 54 percent. For Holstein / Friesian cows the weight gain target should be 1.3 KG/day with a 48 percent kill out  percent. On good grass (8 to 10 cm) little meal supplementation required. Concentrates should only be fed to achieve speedier finishing or where grass supply is limited. Feed at a daily rate of 0.5 to 1.0 KG per 100 KG liveweight rolled barley is adequate.

Lambs become less dependant on the ewe’s milk from eight weeks of age and by 12 weeks of age are receiving the bulk of their nutrients from grass. Therefore at weaning time (14 weeks of age for most situations) lambs should be moved to the best swards on the farm. Hogget ewes suckling twins and ewes with triplets should be weaned earlier. Lambs should be weaned onto silage aftermaths or productive swards rested from sheep grazing. Maintain sward heights at 8 to 9 cm. A rotational system of grazing will allow swards time to recover and will also help to encourage clover growth. A good grass/clover sward can improve liveweight gains by up to 25 percent for finishing lambs.

Consider using the FEC (Faecal Egg Count) pack to check worm egg counts from lambs. On most intensive sheep situations a strategic worm drench is money well spent on weaned lambs before moving to new or clean pastures.

Weigh a good representative sample of your lambs and use products to suit the expected finishing period with the correct dosage for the weight of lambs. Remember to check the accuracy of the dosing apparatus and check the product details for correct usage and management after dosing.

If in doubt about worm treatments and products, always consult with your Veterinary Surgeon.

Foot problems can seriously affect lamb performance. At weaning lambs should be foot bathed using 10 percent Zinc Sulphate or 5 percent Formalin solutions and repeat this every 14 days. Stand the lambs in the solution for the recommended periods of time.  Individual lambs with severe feet scald or infections should be treated with antibiotic sprays. Mixed grazing with cattle and rotational grazing helps reduce foot scald and foot rot in lambs. Grazing areas rested from sheep for greater than 14 days can help to break the cycle of the foot rot bacteria.

Weaning should be the time to take a ruthless look at ewes for culling to make sure that the flock is not carrying unproductive sheep or animals that will create extra work. Instances of mastitis, foot problems, prolapses and age should influences your decision

Ewes should be condition scored and thin ewes (Condition score 2 or less) should be moved to good swards. The rest of the flock should be maintained in good condition to achieve condition scores of a minimum of 3 to 3.5 before tupping.

Specialist air seeders such as the Einboch can successfully over seed grass and white clover into uncultivated soil to upgrade existing swards. This is a quick low cost method of clover establishment compared to conventional reseeding.

Guidelines for over seeding