SIMMENTAL MONITOR FARM

Mother Of All Beef Breeds • Making Suckler Cows Profitable

Farmers Weekly/Harper Adams

MONITOR FARM

TICKING ALL THE BOXES: CALVING EASE

FERTILITY

MILK = CALF GROWTH

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Secrets to success of beef high achiever Farmers Weekly has teamed up with Harper Adams University for a new Beef Focus Farm series. During the next 12 months we will be following suckler beef producer Ian Willison of Warsop Vale, Nottinghamshire, to find out how he achieves and maintains performance in the top 1%.

Sarah Alderton takes a look at the farm and his calving management

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PHOTOGRAPHY: JIM VARNEY

eef farmers need to focus on improving technical efficiency and reducing fixed costs if they are to stay in business, according to a leading cattle expert.

Simon Marsh, beef cattle specialist at Harper Adams University, says too many suckled calf producers are using their Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) money to stay in business.

The most recent AHDB Beef and Lamb Stocktake report reveals even average and top-third breeder/ finishing sucker producers are reporting a loss of £304 and £3 a cow, respectively, when fixed and non-cash costs are deducted.

The report also shows, for the average producer, the output a cow is £1,032, but variable costs are £485 and fixed costs are £851 a cow – the latter including £415 for labour (paid and unpaid) and rent (imputed and actual).

“This is not sustainable,” says Mr Marsh. “Producers need to focus

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on improving technical efficiency if they are to avoid using their BPS money to continue in beef production. A decent profit can be made from suckled calf production.

“Why overspend on machinery that just depreciates, rusts and burns fuel? Spend money on the best possible genetics with high-index bulls.

They will always give an excellent return on investment,” he adds.

BEEF FOCUS FARM CONCEPT

The concept of the Farmers Weekly/ Harper Adams Beef Focus Farm is to identify the top 1% of beef producers whose physical performance data are independently monitored, reported and demonstrated.

Mr Marsh says a suckler producer within the top 1% would be operating an easy-care suckler system, which he believes involves:  Having a compact calving pattern  Using hybrid vigour in the breeding programme  Using the top 1-10% index herd

Calving ease is a crucial EBV to consider when choosing a bull.

FARMERSWEEKLY  9 OCTOBER 2015

sires with a focus on calving ease, growth and muscle depth EBVs  Calving home-bred replacement heifers at two years old  Maximising use of home-grown feeds and fodder with appropriate body condition score management  Focusing on grassland management and creep feeding.

One such producer is Ian Willison, who farms at Williamswood Farm, Warsop Vale, Nottinghamshire. He runs a herd of 75 autumncalving Simmental cross British Blue sucklers.

Cows are put to Simmental bulls, with top 1-10% terminal indexes.

He uses AI and home-bred sweeper bulls, with a focus on calving ease and growth EBVs. Mr Willison used AI when he milked cows 25 years ago. He says he likes it, as it gives him access to a choice of bulls and allows him to pick genetics to suit the cows.

Cows selected to breed herd replacements are put to bulls with excellent maternal traits, with a focus on milk, scrotal size, short gestation length and positive fat depth EBVs. He aims for a calving rate of 101102%, with the Simmental breed more prone to twinning.

Because Mr Willison AIs cows, it forces him to use EBV figures.

“EBVs are an indication of what a bull’s offspring is likely to do for you – you can’t tell that by just looking at an animal.

“Calving ease is paramount and we would be looking for anything with at least a top 10% index for calving ease direct and milk.

“We also look for a positive on daughters and scrotal size. It is important to judge the cows as well as the bull, so we have a strict culling-out policy on cows that

Simon Marsh (left) will be monitoring herd performance at Ian Willison’s farm. don’t perform,” he adds.

The bull calves are intensively finished on maize silage and blend at 13-15 months old and heifer calves not retained for breeding are sold at a premium direct to pedigree breeders as ET recipients.

Their high health status aids this, as they are accredited for BVD, IBR and Johne’s. Herd replacements are selected on their ability to “calve and conceive”.

MONITORING PERFORMANCE

Cow and calf performance is independently monitored by Mr Marsh, with a particular focus on the evaluation of the progeny of the sires.

The 2014 calf crop was predominantly sired by two Simmental

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Farm facts  75 Simmental cross Blue

suckler cows

 Lowland 80ha farm, which

includes 40ha of reclaimed open-cast coalfield  Soil type is classified as medium loam over limestone  36ha is in permanent pasture with the rest in leys and 8ha of maize silage  Stock sold liveweight at Selby, but looking to sell deadweight in the future

Ian Willison’s top tips for achieving 1% performance  Focus on EBVs and find

the best genetics to suit the farm  Balance of genetics rather than focusing on one trait  Quality forage rather than seeking quantity  Strong culling strategy  Health monitoring  AI helps tailor management

bulls. Omorga Volvo is a top 5% terminal sire (TI+94) and Starline Decision (TI+60) is regarded as a top maternal sire, but with an index that is only in the top 60% for the breed.

Dirnanean Bradley was also used for the 2015 calf crop and is a top 1% bull with a TI of +115, making him a curve-bender bull with positive calving ease figures and massive growth. He was also overall Simmental champion at the Highland Show in 2014, proving you can have a top-index bull that is pleasing to the breeder’s eye.

The 2014 calving performance data proves EBVs do work (see table overleaf). Bull calves from Decision (top 60% bull) recorded similar performance to the sweeper bulls, with Volvo (top 5%) recording a much higher daily liveweight gain (DLWG) and 200-day weight com-

pared with Decision.

In future articles we will be delving into more detail regarding the calving figures from the 2014 and 2015 calf crop.

CHOICE OF COW BREED

Mr Willison’s preferred choice of cow for the past six years has been a Simmental cross Blue. He uses a mix, as he says it gives him hybrid vigour, with the Simmental cross Blue equally balanced for maternal and terminal traits. Hybrid vigour is particularly important in the cow as this boosts lowly heritable traits such as fertility and health.

“The Simmental provides growth, bone structure and milk, while the Blue brings conformation,” he says.

Currently, he isn’t looking to introduce a third breed, even though in future Mr Willison may

have to maintain hybrid vigour for the replacements. “At the moment I have no need to add a third breed.

If I wanted all calves terminal then I could see the benefit in adding another breed into the mix,” he says.

Cow weights are not too extreme, which is helped by calving replacement heifers at 21-24 months old.

Average cow liveweight pre-weaning in April this year was 637kg.

SEASON OF CALVING

When it comes to time of year for calving, Mr Willison goes against convention by calving heifers from mid-July and cows mid-August through to October.

He picked late summer/early autumn calving as it fits with his grass growth and gives him options whether to calve inside or outdoors.

It also means cow nutrition can be

controlled during the critical bulling period, as the cows are indoors from the end of October.

“Because we are using AI, autumn calving makes it easier, as the cows are already inside during the bulling period,” he says.

Another benefit of autumn calving is that steer and heifer calves can easily be finished by 18-20 months old out of yards rather than 24-28 months, which is typical with most spring-born calves, although Mr Willison finishes his bull calves at 13-15 months.

Mr Marsh adds that autumn calving can be just as cost-effective as spring calving.

“In recent years we have experienced summers with either drought or monsoon conditions and this can affect fertility in a spring-calving herd.

“In addition, it is often ➜p40 9 OCTOBER 2015  FARMERSWEEKLY

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stated feed costs a cow are lower for a spring herd, since the cow is dry for the majority of the winter.

“However, I would argue that this is not correct in most cases.

The majority of spring herds keep their calves for at least a year, so the feed that six- to 12-month-old spring-born calves require equates to the extra silage – and maybe some concentrates – required for an autumn-calving herd.”

Once heifers and cows are housed inside in October they are gradually introduced to a winter ration of a home-grown 50:50 grass and high-energy maize silage ration, with no additional concentrates, keeping cow winter feed costs to a minimum.

Once indoors, cows and heifers are served, with heifers AI’d over a three-week period and cows over six weeks. A sweeper bull is then used to pick up any not in calf. Anything still not in calf is fattened.

Cows are not synchronised before AI’ing, and Mr Willison is able to get 70-75% in calf to AI in the six-week period, with 70% of heifers in the three-week period.

AUTUMN CALVING MANAGEMENT

The aim is to keep cows and heifers at a body condition score of 2.5 throughout the year. Heifers are brought indoors four weeks before they are due to calve in July and fed solely on ad-lib hay.

“I don’t want to be hard on heifers, but I also don’t want to feed them silage, which is why I feed hay.

I also bring them in a month before calving so they can get used to their surroundings,” he adds.

Cows are offered 5-6kg each of straw a day at grass four weeks before calving to help control body condition. When they are brought inside to calve they are offered hay and plain haylage.

Cows and heifers are also bolused twice a year with selenium, copper, cobalt and iodine, which Mr Willison says has had a massive influence on calving times.

“When we blood-sampled cows we found they had a lack of selenium and copper. Cows are now dilating much better and calves are stronger – last year we only lost one calf,” he says.

Cows calve down in yards of 10-15 and are left unless help is needed. He says only one in 10 cows would need assistance.

Calves are observed at calving to make sure they have adequate colostrum intake. An emergency supply is kept in the fridge, with intervention only when absolutely needed.

Mr Marsh adds: “I can’t stress enough the importance of an early 40

FARMERSWEEKLY  9 OCTOBER 2015

Bolusing cows with selenium, copper, cobalt and iodine has helped calving.

 I can’t stress enough the importance

of an early and adequate intake of colostrum – it is the elixir of life

Simon Marsh and adequate intake of colostrum – it is the elixir of life.”

After each batch of calves the yards are cleaned out, allowing cows to calve in a clean environment and avoiding infections such as navel ill.

POST-CALVING MANAGEMENT

A day after calving, calves are disbudded, tagged and split into two groups – cow/heifers with bull calves and cows/heifers with heifer calves – to allow creep feed to be tailored.

They stay in these groups until weaning. Bull calves are weaned at eight months old (April) and heifers at 10 months (June).

Post-calving, heifers and cows are

put back out to grass, before being brought in again with their youngstock in October.

Bull calves are offered creep when out in the field and heifer calves are fed 1kg of rearing nuts until Christmas, before going on to maize and grass silage.

Bull calves average 1.41kg daily liveweight gain from birth until weaning (minus birthweight) and heifers 1.10kg, with the latter only being fed 47kg of creep.

Mr Willison says he is looking for a level growth curve and invests in concentrates during the first few months to get early growth.

“The younger the animal, the more efficient it is,” he says.

OMORGA VOLVO (TOP 5%) V STARLINE DECISION (TOP 60%) Sire

Calf sex Gestation length Calving ease (1-6)* Birthweight (kg) 200-day weight (kg) DLWG (kg)

Volvo

Bull 293 1.88 54.5 361 1.54

Decision

Heifer 286 1.06 46.7 287 1.20

*Calving ease score, 1 = unassisted, 6 = caesarean

Bull 291 1.27 47.2 323 1.39

Heifer 285 1.14 45.6 270 1.12

1. Maximise economies of scale and focus on output. Fixed costs stay the same with more cows.

2. Use easy-care systems – easy calving with low labour requirements.

3. Maximise hybrid vigour and focus on breed improvement – for example, use top 1-10% index sires that have very high growth, muscle scores and are easy calving, so-called “curve benders”.

4. Don’t be afraid to buy “ugly” bulls if their EBV figures are good.

Too many buyers are obsessed with pretty-faced bulls with big back sides. Breeding bulls with easy calving, growth, width and depth of body traits and an “extra rib” are needed. The highest priced part of the carcass is the loin, not the head or the back end.

5. Improve herd fertility and block calve. Data from herd surveys show the average calving interval is 399 days. Calving rate is 88.3%, so 80.8 calves are produced for every 100 cows in a calendar year. The target is 95 calves for every 100 cows every 365 days.

6. Home-bred replacements must calve at two years old, unless you have a lot of very cheap forage or have split calving herds and can calve at two-and-a-half years old.

7. Correct cow condition scores especially at bulling. The target is a minimum of 2.5.

8. Improve calf daily liveweight gain and cut slaughter age. The target is to wean a calf at 50% of the cow weight and look at suckler cow efficiency. The target is 50kg-plus 200-day weight for every 100kg cow weight. Earlier slaughter reduces the carbon footprint of beef production.

9. Focus on feed costs and quality and maximise use of home-grown forage. Consider outwintering dry spring-calving cows if you have suitable land.

10. Improve healthcare to cut cow and calf losses. Calves with a disease challenge will not thrive.

11. Focus on marketing. Target either the commodity or niche market and produce beef as efficiently as possible. There are critics of bull beef production and continental breeds, so if native breeds are reared on extensive systems they must obtain significant premiums in the marketplace.

Source: Simon Marsh, Harper Adams

Making Suckler Cows Profitable

Mother Of All Beef Breeds

The British Simmental Cattle Society in conjunction with Ian Willison at Williamwood Farm started the “monitor farm� project in 2012.

We would like to put on record our thanks to Ian and also Simon Marsh, Senior Beef Lecturer at Harper Adams University for their valued input and contributions to this successful project.

Neil Shand Chief Executive

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Edited by Sarah Alderton l 020 8652 4935 l sarah.alderton@rbi.co.uk

Secrets to producing one calf a cow every year In the second part of the Farmers Weekly/Harper Adams beef focus farm series, we take a look at how Nottinghamshire farmer Ian Willison manages fertility in his herd. Sarah Alderton reports

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roducing one calf from each cow every year is a priority for beef focus farmer Ian Willison, Williamswood Farm, Nottinghamshire.

In his autumn-calving herd, Mr Willison on average rears 98.8 calves out of 100 cows put to the bull with a 11.5-week calving period, compared with an AHDB Beef and Lamb average of 90 calves in 14.3 weeks. He says the secret to successful fertility in his herd lies in attention to detail in all aspects of the system, including:  Feeding  Observing oestrus  Correct AI technique  Good health and quality semen  A strict replacement policy.

CONDITION SCORE AND NUTRITION PRE-MATING

The main herd of Simmental cross Blue cows calve down from midAugust and are usually housed by the end of October in straw yards.

Cows are inseminated 12 weeks after calving, meaning housing cows indoors coincides with the start of the bulling period and facilitates the easy use of AI. According to Mr Willison, cow fertility starts eight weeks before calving, with cow condition score and nutrition during this period affecting conception in the next lactation.

To ensure cows are in good condition (score 2.5+) at mating, post-calving cows are turned out on Ian Willison uses AI to get the best genetics for his system.

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FARMERSWEEKLY  20 NOVEMBER 2015

FARM FACTS  75 Simmental cross Blue

suckler cows

 Lowland 80ha farm, which

includes 40ha of reclaimed open-cast coalfield  Soil type is classified as medium loam over limestone  36ha is in permanent pasture with the rest in leys and 8ha of maize silage to quality aftermath grazing at a stocking rate of one cow to the acre.

Ten days before cows are brought in at the end of October, each animal is fed 10-15kg/day of decent-quality grass silage (30% DM, 10.1ME) rising to 25kg just before they are brought in. This is to ensure cows are cycling with strong heats and a stress-free transition from grass to indoors.

Once inside, feeding is based on a 50:50 mix of ad-lib grass silage and good-quality 29% DM, 33% starch maize silage to provide 140MJ of ME. On average, Mr Willison says cows will be eating 45kg/day.

Feeding maize silage means Mr Willison can avoid feeding concentrates. This differs from most autumn-calving herds, which are typically fed medium-quality grass silage with at least 2-3kg of concentrates until late January, when the cows are in-calf (see table 1 for details of cow diet).

The ration when forage is costed at the variable cost of production equates to 41p a cow a day. Silage at full cost of production at £103/t DM costs £1.43 a cow a day.

Mr Willison has also found the inclusion of trace elements is critical to getting cows back in calf and for an easier calv-

ing. Cows and heifers are bolused twice a year (June and December) with selenium, copper, cobalt and iodine, after blood-sampling revealed cows had a lack of selenium and copper. This costs £14 a cow.

OESTRUS AND DIY AI

Once cows are cycling, Mr Willison observes oestrus at least three times during the day. He says: “It’s hard to miss them and when they are standing solid, we would be looking to AI them about 12 hours later.”

Cows are served for the first six weeks by AI before a sweeper bull is added for a further four weeks.

Any cows that don’t conceive in this period are culled. Replacement heifers are only served for six weeks and if they are not in calf during this time they are also culled.

Cows are AI’d in a crush and put back with their calf immediately after. Only when a cow is in the crush does Mr Willison remove the semen from the flask, thawing it at 35C for 30sec before inseminating the cow.

“I only ever inseminate one cow at a time,” says Mr Willison. “I also never split straws, as I want the optimum amount of semen to go into the cow.”

He suggests DIY AI costs about £500 to set up the equipment, together with £450 for a three-day training course. If an AI technician is used instead of DIY, Mr Willison would recommend an on-farm flask to reduce the amount of straws that are exposed to the outside temperature. “It costs me £144/year for Genus to top up the flask,” he adds.

His attention to detail is proved by his success rate, with 70% of heifers getting in calf to first service and 70-75% of cows after two services.

Mr Willison says he finds heifers easier to get in calf, which he puts down to them being under less

TOP TIPS FOR HERD FERTILITY AND WINTER MANAGEMENT  Cows must have a good

condition score and be on a rising plane during the bulling period  Cull cows that don’t conceive within the 10-week bulling period, heifers within six weeks  Fertility test bulls  Pay attention to detail with AI  Select bulls with easy calving traits by using EBVs  Feed high-energy forages to autumn-calving cows to reduce the concentrate feed bill stress. “The hardest group to get in calf is second calvers, as they are still growing. It is a new experience for them and they are still feeding a calf – they are just under more pressure.

“In an ideal situation we would house them in a separate shed, but we don’t have the facility to do this.

Instead they are fed more silage to get extra condition on them. It also sorts the animals out that are able to cope with our system,” he adds.

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INTERIM BULL FINISHING RESULTS At the time of writing, nearly three-quarters of the 2014 born young bulls had been slaughtered. Finishing is based on maize silage and blend and to date the results have been as follows:  Average 404kg carcass weights at 411 days (13.4 months) equating to a daily carcass gain of 0.99kg (0.93kg if 24kg is deducted for the calf carcass weight) compared with the AHDB Beef and Lamb target of a 350kg carcass at 14 months old  Grading is U3/4L  Carcasses met the abattoir’s supermarket spec of 38% recorded fat, class 4L, so could be killed lighter if required  There is a clear difference in performance for the calves by Volvo, which has a top 5% index, and Decision, the maternal bull with a top 60% index.

Full results will be provided in a future article.

PHOTOGRAPHY: JIM VARNEY

BULL SELECTION

TABLE 1: COW WINTER RATIONS Feeds

(kg/cow/day)

Maize silage (29%DM , 33% starch, 9%CP) Grass silage (30%DM, 10.1ME, 15%CP) Minerals Dry matter intake ME supplied Crude protein (% in DM)

22.5 22.5 100g 13.4kg 140MJ 12.0

TABLE 2: HERD FERTILITY PERFORMANCE AHDB autumn-calving herds

SAC target

Ian Willison

90.0 14.3

95.0 11.0

98.8 11.5

Calves reared per 100 cows Calving period (weeks)

Note: The number of calves reared by Ian Willison is based on only having three barren cows which failed to get in calf after 10 weeks, but was aided by the birth of three sets of twins, a relatively common feature of the fertile Simmental, with just one dead calf

Williamswood Farm, as Mr Willison believes it is not necessary in his autumn-calving herd and conception rates are higher without it.

“I can see in some situations it is a must, such as in a spring-calving herd, but it doesn’t save you as much time and work as you would be led to believe. It is not a onetime event.

“For example, it takes 10 days to synch cows and in that period you have to handle the heifer three to

four times. In this time we would have served half of our heifers.”

Mr Willison’s experience has also found conception rates to be less in synchronised animals.

The main problems occur with getting cows pregnant that fail to get in calf to the synchronisation programme.

If 40+% don’t get in calf they all come back in oestrus at a similar time, which is too much for a sweeper bull to serve.

AI is allowing Mr Willison to use the best genetics for his system, but for a fraction of the cost of owning a bull. “Cost a cow averages £35-£40/conception as I use 1.25 straws/conception [including cost of keeping straws and the flask].”

To put this figure in context, AHDB Beef and Lamb says if a stock bull works for five years and produces 30 calves a year, it results in an annual bull cost per calf produced of £35. These figures are not based on using top-priced bulls.

“The biggest cost is what you choose to spend on semen. If you are not prepared to choose a quality bull for your system, then what’s the point?” he asks.

Mr Willison says because he is keeping his own replacements, it is important he selects a bull that has both maternal and terminal traits.

“We are replacing about 20% a year and we view replacements as an investment. We are as choosy with the cow as we are with the bull.

“We would rather give younger animals the chance than running an older cow that is not doing the job.

Our culling policy is based on function of the cow,” he says.

Straws from maternal Simmental bull Dirnanean Bradley, that was used last winter, cost £40 each, but he was a bull that sold for £22,000.

He is a top 1% index curve-bender bull and has excellent terminal as well as maternal EBVs, with +2.0% for calving ease daughters (top 15%) and +8kg for milk (top 10%).

Further discussion on EBVs for easy calving will feature in a subsequent article in this series.

Simon Marsh, beef specialist at Harper Adams University, who is monitoring cow and calf performance at Williamswood Farm, says

Bradley offers the rare combination of easy-calving daughters while maintaining outstanding terminal traits.

“His calves have good length without losing width and maintaining strength and top line. The value of his slaughter progeny and production of his daughters will easily cover his semen cost,” he says.

Mr Marsh says AI gives Mr Willison the flexibility to change breeds at the flip of a coin, which is useful in a volatile market.

“AI allows Mr Willison to maximise production from every animal and also gives him a calving date for every cow. Testimony to his focus on fertility is shown in the results he achieves.” (See table 2.)

Mr Marsh advises farmers mating by natural service to fertility test their bulls.

“I have lost count of the number of herds I have come across with a widespread calving period because they have an infertile, or subfertile, bull.

“Many vets now offer this service.

It is relatively quick to carry out and costs in the region of £90 a bull, with subsequent bulls at £60.

“I would suggest using a trusted breeder to buy a high-index bull – from a recorded herd – that has not been pushed excessively and has good locomotion.

“Also inspect the bull’s mother and any relatives. Make sure the bull is from a herd with high health status to limit disease risk. You get out what you put in, so use the best genetics you can afford,” Mr Marsh says.

Read about Ian Willison’s secrets to achieving top 1% ❱❱ performance at www.fwi.co.uk/ beef-focus-farm

20 NOVEMBER 2015  FARMERSWEEKLY

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Livestock Edited by Rhian Price l 020 8652 4922 l rhian.price@rbi.co.uk

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WEANING WAYS Suckler producer Ian Willison is hitting weaning weights way above the national average. Michael Priestley finds out how

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inimising calf stress and optimising the feed conversion ratios (F C Rs) are key to achieving average daily liveweight gains of 1.32kg to weaning for Nottinghamshire farmer Ian Willison.

The Simmental cross Blue cows at Williamswood Farm produced progeny this year that averaged 307kg after 200 days – some 48kg above the AHDB Beef and Lamb average of 259kg.

He says limiting stress factors and supplying quality feed are vital for realising the genetic potential of stock and counteracting possible growth checks.

After some experimentation with outdoor calving following scour issues, Mr Willison opted to return to calving inside, although this time he placed greater focus on cleaning sheds and “getting to the cause of the problem”.

Problems with scours and navel-ill are now negligible since daily trailer cleaning and weekly calving shed cleaning regimes were brought in to tackle the problem, rather than relying on treatments.

Calves are expected to be standing and suckling within four hours, and then disbudded within 24 hours, although calves slower off the mark are disbudded on day three. Mr Willison finds this is better for the calves and less stressful for him, as he can

disbud on his own.

“We are cutting out a growth check and also reducing the risk of pneumonia at that early stage, because they are only very small buds to deal with,” explains Mr Willison.

Calves receive 2ml of pain relief – lasting three days – and a pour-on fly treatment before being turned out immediately to grass with cows.

Heifers and bulls are segregated at this point to tailor creep feed, which they typically start receiving at six to seven weeks old, removing another stress-point later in life.

CREEPING CALVES

Calves are tempted to switch to creep with an 18% crude protein (CP) calf-rearing pellet before switching to a 17% CP, high-neutral detergent fibre and low-starch (19%) nut to optimise frame development.

“Creep nuts are geared towards growing the frame of the animal, meaning we look to use high protein and lower starch. Too much starch and the animal can quickly become fat,” says Mr Willison, who says using a proper calf pellet definitely pays off.

“We have tried several feeds for young calves, including mixing barley and sugar beet, but you soon see the benefits of moving to a proper rearing nut.”

To hit the top weaning weights,

producers must capitalise on a calf’s phenomenal FCR from birth to weaning (typically ranging from 2.54.5:1), according to Harper Adams University beef specialist Simon Marsh.

From studies and observations, he believes many suckler enterprises are restricting the potential of their calves.

He says farmers should target daily liveweight gains of 1.2-1.35kg for heifers and bulls.

He prescribes high ME (more than 12.5 MJ/kg DM) creep feeds to tap into the potential FCR of pre-weaned calves and says Mr Willison is right to target protein at bulls.

Ideally, Mr Marsh likes to see creep contain high levels of bypass digest-

PHOTOGRAPHY: JIM VARNEY

MANAGEMENT TIPS

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1 Focus on cow condition and breeding values for easy calving 2 Ensure early colostrum intake 3 Join a herd health scheme to help minimise calf mortality 4 Do not buy foster calves 5 Maximise early period when calves have high feed conversion ratio 6 Initially offer high-starch creep, then change to high neutral detergent fibre at three months 7 Include quality digestible undegraded protein minerals in calf creep Simon Marsh (left) and Ian Willison believe giving creep feed early is key.

FARMERSWEEKLY  15 JANUARY 2016

ible undegradable protein, which passes through the rumen, directly supporting growth, which soya bean meal can provide.

Mr Marsh says feeding 100-120kg of creep up to weaning increases weaning weights by at least 30kg a calf, which at £200/t (£24/120kg) and a liveweight gain value of £2.50/ kg gives a return of more than £50 a calf. Last winter, Mr Willison’s heifer creep intakes were 49kg and bulls took 289kg up to weaning.

Bulls are fed creep ad-lib, with heifers receiving up to 1kg/day until 100 days of age. Bulls are then introduced to their fat ration (50:50 maize silage and barley blend) two weeks prior to weaning, while heifers are introduced to their 50:50 maize and grass silage ration after 100 days, which they take alongside the cows, usually after Christmas.

Home-grown maize supplies the ration, with grass silage used for bulls only if it hits targets of 65-70 D-values, 10-12% protein and DM in the high 20s.

HEALTH AND HOUSING

Health also plays a big part in calves achieving targets.

For five years Mr Willison’s herd has been accredited for Johne’s, leptospirosis, bovine viral diarrhoea and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, which he believes has “massively reduced” mortality rates and illnesses.

Attention to flock hygiene helps to fight off orf

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FARM FACTS  75 Simmental cross Blue

suckler cows

 Lowland 80ha farm, including

40ha of reclaimed open-cast coalfield  Soil type classified as medium loam over limestone  36ha permanent pasture – rest in leys and 8ha of maize

Another important factor is keeping a closed herd. Mr Willison’s view is that foster calves from outside never bring profit and often bring problems. Instead, he believes cows that have lost calves are better off being sold as culls.

November sees cows and calves brought inside, where they access outyards, stemming from Mr Willison’s philosophy that “it’s wrong if you have to trim their backs”.

“Sheds are mostly for our benefit.

It’s important to keep cattle dry, but the cold is not an issue,” says Mr Willison. “They are better off outside.”

His mantra is “plenty of fresh air, plenty of cattle”, putting emphasis on the stack effect caused by large groups of animals creating heat and pulling in fresh air from the outside when wind speeds drop. Straw can be added to keep cattle happy through wintry spells, but he says clipped backs are a sign that ventilation is poor.

He adds: “We have only treated one calf this year for a respiratorytype condition and it is now fine.

Using outyards has been a massive help with respiratory concerns.”

TIMETABLE

LOW STRESS SYSTEM

Autumn-calving herds

Nutrition, health and management are vital, but to hit high growth levels, Mr Willison says it is paramount to start off with high-EBV bulls to produce calves able to thrive

Disbud and turnout calves with 24 hours Heifers and bulls separated Heifers

Bulls

At six to seven weeks old, introduce creep, with feeding “tempted” by high-quality 18% crude protein calf nut Calves on ordinary rearing nuts in November Intakes built up to 1kg a heifer a day until 100 days old

Creep-fed ad-lib

Cows and calves housed in November

Cows and calves housed in November New year, bulls receive 50:50 mix of rearing nuts and barley blend

Creep feed removed after Christmas.

Heifers get 50:50 grass silage and maize silage with mother’s milk

Weaned at eight months in April.

Fat ration introduced two weeks prior to weaning

Heifers weaned in mid-June at 10 months

Fat ration 50:50 maize silage and barley blend

Placed on aftermath grass, wormed and given trace element bolus

Bulls fattened in same rearing shed – no environment change

BEATING THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AHDB Wean age (days) Wean weight (kg) Daily liveweight gain (kg) 200-day weight (kg)

Ian Willison

Average

Bulls

Heifers

Average

278 345 1.10 259

229 382 1.49 341

295 366 1.14 271

262 374 1.32 307

and grow fast.

The first thing on his mind when analysing EBVs is direct calving ease, with bulls also being required to supply decent growth and muscle characteristics. A close second is gestation length for calving and milk, with a good positive figure for daughter calving ease also a high priority.

But it is his focus across health, breeding and nutrition that allows Mr Willison’s bulls to achieve daily liveweight gain of 1.49kg, according to Mr Marsh. And he believes creep feeding over the stress of weaning is a “no-brainer”.

“Creep feeding minimises stress and growth check post-weaning.

Can anyone justify not feeding creep?” asks Mr Marsh, who recommends feeding 14-17% CP. Fine-tuning should involve targeting 16-17% CP at continental calves and 14-15% for native breeds or heifers, with Mr Marsh warning against feeding high starch levels.

“High-ME feeds based on digestible fibre with lower starch levels encourage calf frame development, rather than putting on flesh, which is particularly important for heifers” explains Mr Marsh.

WEANING

Mr Willison finds the best approach to weaning is “the quicker the better”, with heifers weaned in midJune and bulls weaned in April.

“Prior to weaning, cow rations are changed from maize and grass silage to hay for three days to help them dry off and encourage creep intake,” adds Mr Marsh. “Having the cows at pasture is better for mastitis risk.

“Beef cow milk typically has about 3.4% protein as fed, which equates to about 25% on a DM basis.

However, yield peaks in weeks six to eight, so milk forms a smaller proportion of calf nutrient intake.

Therefore feeding calf nuts supplies the protein needed for muscle and frame development.”

15 JANUARY 2016  FARMERSWEEKLY

29

Livestock Edited by Rhian Price l 020 8652 4922 l rhian.price@rbi.co.uk

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Beef focus farm: How cow size affects performance

By Michael Priestley Running an efficient suckler operation hinges on the good management of an appropriately sized cow, which for Nottinghamshire producer Ian Willison means leaving room for flexibility.

Whatever the breed, Mr Willison believes cows can be too extreme either way and is enjoying success with a mix of Simmental and Blue genetics, which is helping to place the Williamswood herd near the top of national cow efficiency tables.

The cattle are hitting the mark, producing quality fat cattle and breeding replacement heifers to calve at 21-24 months.

And while Mr Willison acknowledges cow size and breed is personal and specific to farm location, management style and market orientation, his system targets first-calving weights of 500-550kg, progressing to 700-750kg.

“I think 800kg cows are too big, but depending on the system cows can be too small too,” admits Mr Willison. “Even the few 800kg cows here spend a fair bit of their working life at an efficient size”.

FLEXIBILITY

Market volatility, changes in the consumer and processor demands and Mother Nature can make a particular size of cow quickly uneconomical and irrelevant, says Mr Willison, whether around the 550kg or 800kg mark.

For this reason, he maintains a philosophy of never becoming “too extreme” either way.

FARM FACTS  75 Simmental-cross Blue

suckler cows

 Lowland 80ha farm, including

40ha of reclaimed open-cast coalfield  Soil type classified as medium loam over limestone  36ha permanent pasture – rest in leys and 8ha of maize 32

FARMERSWEEKLY  5 FEBRUARY 2016

“Buying in stock and operating flying herds is different, but when breeding replacements it’s easy to get yourself tied up doing the wrong thing,” explains Mr Willison.

“I have found it’s best to maintain a bit of flexibility in your cow size as if you’re too one way or the other it can take a long time to change your herd and get where you want it to be.”

Mr Willison rates Simmental genetics for being “varied and flexible”, which has served the farm well over the years.

 Having bigger

cows can be a boost with a bigger cull cow cheque, but cull values depend on the market

Ian Willison “If you have genetically small cows and you need to play catch-up for bigger stores or finished cattle then it’s hard, but with a 650kg cow you can manipulate size by feeding.”

COW EFFICIENCY

An industry target for suckler efficiency is to achieve a calf 200-day weight that equates to 50% of cow weight.

The Williamswood bulls exceed this, and even though the heifers are slightly below, they still have an average cow efficiency of 48.2% compared with the AHDB average of 34.5% based on a 750kg cow, which is common in many herds, according to Harper Adams beef specialist Simon Marsh.

Farm data analysed by Simon Marsh shows Mr Willison’s most efficient cow weighed 540kg and produced a calf weighing 365kg at 200 days to give her an efficiency rating of 65.9%. The least efficient cow weighed 865kg and produced

a calf that weighed 291kg at an efficiency of 33.6%.

“I would concede that more small cows work out with more calves within the 50% weight,” says Mr Willison, who believes it is a “myth” that big cows produce bigger calves and calve easier.

“Having bigger cows can be a boost with a bigger cull cow cheque, but cull values depend on the market, whereas the performance of the cows should be more consistent,” explains Mr Willison, who, with cow numbers up slightly, is able to cull out inefficient animals with stocking rates up to about one livestock unit (LSU) an acre.

“Up until now we’ve not been able to cull all the cows not hitting the mark,” admits Mr Willison, who had to carry on farming some animals to ensure there were enough cows on his farm.

“But now we have numbers up and good information to work from, we can find the cows that aren’t efficient and cull them – we are already bearing it in mind when we are choosing heifers to serve.”

Big cows not doing the job have a big cull value and Mr Willison would rather cash them in than risk losing them or watching weight drop off through ill health.

Small cows, on the other hand, must not be small because of stunted growth, explains Ian, as this can be a “calving disaster”.

“A small cow with big genetics is a nightmare. It is a major setback because she’s not been fed correctly.”

The Williamswood herd targets a pre-calving July BCS of 2.45, at a weight of 647kg. In April this drops slightly to 2.35 and a weight of 637kg when bull calves are weaned.

This is close to Mr Willison’s target of maintaining a body condition score (BCS) of 2.5 year-round, which he says is made easier by calving cows “tight”.

“I am firmly of the belief that maintaining that level through their lives is beneficial,” adds Mr Willison. “I would rather maintain than look to play catch-up and over the years we’ve looked to keep the heifers

High daily carcass gains are key to profitability. capable of a constant BCS of 2.5. I don’t look at having fatter and thinner cows at different times of year.”

He sees milk production is a “balancing act” when selecting cows and estimated breeding values (EBV) to maintain BCS. Close attention is paid to 200 day growth rates, with cows needing the ability to yield milk and get it to the calf.

“Without milking ability you have to pay too much to feed your calf, but too much milking ability and you end up feeding your cow too much,” says Mr Willison.

“It’s vital the calf can get the milk from a sound milk bag, there’s no point in sucking on half an udder.

Generally, the Blues offer reasonable maternal traits for a terminal breed.”

COW TYPE

Easy-calving cows and high daily carcase gains from small-tomedium-sized sucklers are key factors to profitability in suckled calf production.

This is the mantra of Mr Marsh, who has worked closely with Mr Willison charting the efficiency of his Simmental-cross Blue cows.

“As with any cross-bred combination, Ian’s mix results in hybrid

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TABLE 1. COW EFFICIENCY AND CALF PERFORMANCE AHDB

Autumn calving herds Average Wean age (days) 278 Wean weight (kg) 345 DLWG (kg) 1.10 200 day weight (kg) 259 Cow wean weight (kg) 750* Efficiency (kg calf/100kg cow weight) 34.5

Ian Willison

Bulls 229 374 1.49 341 633 53.9

Heifers Average 295 262 366 370 1.16 1.33 271 307 640 637 42.3 48.2

Note: AHDB cow weight estimated

TABLE 2. 600KG V 700KG, WITH SAME OR INCREASED CALF WEIGHTS Cow weight (kg)

JIM VARNEY

Herd size (cows) Calf wean weight (kg) Gross margin/cow (£) Herd gross margin (£)

vigour,” explains Mr Marsh. “This particularly benefits traits with low heritability such as fertility and health, which are so crucial for the cow.

“Growth is highly heritable so this is influenced more by the choice of bull. The breed combination brings together a good fit between the Simmental and Blue. The Simmental provides growth, bone structure and milk; the Blue brings conformation to the marriage.”

Additionally, Blue-cross cows frequently show very good milking ability, which Mr Marsh attributes as a “throw-back” to breeding the Blue from the Shorthorn.

He stresses the importance of good bone structure when “piling on” muscle and weight in a short space of time, especially with young bulls, and finds that, when crossbreeding, strong-boned and fineboned breeds are complementary.

Mr Willison has used a crisscross, two-breed rotation policy in general, but in 2013 and 2014 opted to inseminate all cows with Simmental to evaluate bulls with either maternal or terminal traits.

“This could lose some hybrid vigour since it could be argued the Simmental cross Blue cow should be put to a bull of a third breed for

600

700

700

140 285 297 41,649

130 285 301 39,118

130 297 322 41,915

even higher levels of hybrid vigour,” says Mr Marsh.

“However, Ian has found the Simmental cross Blue cow put back to the Simmental bull is a winning combination for terminal and maternal traits, growth, efficiency and temperament.”

600KG V 700KG COW

Research on beef cow size and stocking rate is finding that, in general, cross-bred beef cattle at 700kg cannot produce progeny with sufficiently heavy enough calves to compensate for the extra 8MJ/day of energy required for maintenance compared to a 600kg cow.

A model 100ha farm stocked at 1.4 LSU a ha would be able to keep 140 cows weighing 600kg, whereas herd size would have to be reduced to 130 with 700kg cows meaning nine fewer calves born a year.

Mr Marsh explains: “This calf

TOP TIPS FOR COW EFFICIENCY AND MANAGEMENT have hybrid vigour that will “calve and conceive”  Aim for small to medium-sized cows weighing 550-650kg  For home-bred replacements select breeds and bulls with top maternal traits, especially milk  Calve replacements at 22-24 months old  Target 50% efficiency  Take the calf from birth through to slaughter  A key management tool is body condition score

JIM VARNEY

 Keep cross-bred cows which

Mr Willison aims for mature cow weights of 700-750kg.

reduction will significantly reduce any potential gains from increased cull values from heavier beef cows worth an extra £2,531 (see table 2: £41,649-£39,118) for the 600kg cow.

“Keeping more cows would also reduce fixed costs per cow for the 600kg herd.”

This is being shown in Ireland by Teagasc where the Derrypatrick herd is showing that bigger cross-bred beef cows of different breeds do not necessarily produce bigger calves.

However, Mr Willison’s 700kg cows have been shown to be capable of producing an extra 12kg of calf liveweight compared with a 600kg cow, so combined with an increase in cull values this is worth an extra £26 a cow (£2.16/kg x 12).

Mr Marsh concludes: “In the model based on costings and performance of the AHDB non-SDA average suckler herd, this makes the 130 head 700kg cow herd more profitable by £266 (see table 2: £41,915-£41,649 = £266) due to heavier calves and cull cows even with a reduction in the number of calves sold.

“This is the first time this analysis has been done in the UK since previous studies have compared the performance of different breed types.

In this evaluation we looked at just one breed type to compare the performance of big versus small cows.

“Similar findings have been noted with former beef focus farmer Simon Frost with his Limousin-cross Friesian cows put to high index Charolais bulls.

“We need more research into this area to provide a clear message to the beef industry.”

5 FEBRUARY 2016  FARMERSWEEKLY

33

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Edited by Rhian Price l 020 8652 4922 l rhian.price@rbi.co.uk

Efficient finishing helps to hit beef carcass specs

F

ast finishing is vital to bull profitability for Nottinghamshire farmer Ian Willison, who adapted his intensive system to meet tight market specifications on carcass weights.

He believes feeding young animals when they are at their most efficient is key to reducing fixed costs on bulls from high growthindex sires.

By doing this and using terminal sire bulls within the top 5% of the breed, he is hitting daily liveweight gains of 1.82kg from weaning to slaughter, to reach 700kg at 13 months.

Selling bulls at 398kg carcass weights (48kg above AHDB target) at £3.30/kg dead carcass weight (dcw) is worth an extra £158 a bull (48kg x £3.30). This equates to an additional return of £6,320 for the year across the 40 bulls produced at Williamswood with similar feed costs.

Harper Adams beef specialist Simon Marsh believes Mr Willison has adopted the most-efficient system by finishing male calves at 13 months.

“The system maximises stocking rates and output on his farm.

If Ian were to finish the calves at 18 months old as steers, he would either have to reduce herd size by 23% or acquire more land and buildings to keep the same herd size. If the calves were to be finished more extensively at 24 months, the herd size would need to fall by a dramatic 38%.”

To achieve this the feeding mentality is “push, push, push” from birth, although Mr Willison stresses success with bull beef systems doesn’t hinge on feeding alone.

He sees the finishing phase as the last piece of the puzzle – on top of the right hybrid genetics, good herd health and welfare, and a well-executed weaning strategy for his autumn-born Simmental-cross

28

FARMERSWEEKLY  25 MARCH 2016

FARM FACTS  75 Simmental cross Blue

suckler cows

 Lowland 80ha farm, including

40ha of reclaimed opencast coalfield  Soil type is classified as medium loam over limestone  36ha is in permanent pasture, with the rest in leys and 8ha of maize silage suckler bulls.

Similarly, Mr Willison believes feeding high amounts of cereals can work only if based on a solid foundation of high dry (DM) matter intakes and a fibrous diet, allowing animals to “tick over” with a healthy rumen.

FEEDING REGIME

A 50:50 forage and blend finishing ration fed ad-lib incorporates home-grown grass and maize silage, with a focus on protein helping to achieve a daily liveweight gain from

weaning to slaughter of 1.82kg, well ahead of AHDB targets of 1.45kg (see “Performance comparison”).

A 17% crude protein, high neutral detergent fibre and 19% starch rearer nut is targeted at bulls prior to weaning as part of a policy of all calves being creep-fed to promote frame development and maximise genetic potential.

Two weeks ahead of weaning, bulls – all of which are kept entire – are introduced to the fattening ration, which is built up to 7kg of maize silage and a further 7kg blend, delivering 14-15kg/day overall.

Daily concentrate feed rate is then stepped up to 8kg in the autumn, five to six weeks prior to slaughter as bulls approach 12 months of age. By 13 months, concentrates are increased to 10kg/day to finish tailenders, with bulls eating 20-22kg of ration overall.

Variety drives appetite and supports rumen function, explains Mr Willison, who supplies home-

OCTOBER-BORN BULL CALVES: RATION TIMELINE Timing

Ration

Late November/early December (6-7 weeks old) New Year

 Tempted on to creep with high-quality 18% CP

calf nut ad-lib  50:50 mix of 17% CP, high-NDF rearing nuts

and home-grown crimped barley Early April – bulls introduced  4kg maize silage and 4kg blend to Total Mixed Ration Mid-April weaned – TMR  Crimped barley fed at 4.5kg with 4kg blend given protein top-up and maize silage. Ration topped up with 50g of urea to ensure adequate ERDP (effective rumen-degradable protein)  High-starch diet (37% DM) July – first-cut grass silage added Finishing phase

 Crimped barley fed. Just 6.5kg blend and

silage. Grass silage can replace last year’s maize  Feed rate tweaked up to 8kg a head a day and then 10-11kg a head a day to finish tailenders  Bulls eat 1,356kg of concentrates and 2t of silage throughout the finishing phase

JIM VARNEY

A careful feeding strategy is paying dividends for one Harper Adams Beef Focus Farm in the East Midlands, where carcass weights now beat the AHDB targets by 48kg. Michael Priestley investigates

grown maize for starch and highquality digestible fibre from sugar beet. He keeps protein levels at 14-15% (in the DM) to maximise the growth potential of his bulls.

“These form the basis of a balanced ration based on cereals, with straw always available for long fibre,” he says. He budgets for 60cm of bunker space a bull.

“Bulls looking gutty is never a concern, since this indicates a bull with good rumen function rather than a clean-bodied greyhound type of beast with acidosis.”

Wheat straw is provided twice a week in racks for “scratch factor” at a rate of 1kg a head a day.

WEIGHING AND HOUSING

Recent years have typically seen between 30 and 40 bulls finished each year for ABP, although cow herd expansion will see as many as 50 bulls finished in the coming years, at the expense of homegrown barley for grass leys.

Bulls are finished in the shed in which they are overwintered and weaned in mid-April. Cows are turned out on to spring grass.

“Once we have grouped and housed bulls we try not to alter groups or the housing since

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Ian Willison says feeding strategy must be combined with the right hybrid genetics and good herd health

TOP TIPS FOR FINISHING SUCKLER BULLS  Creep feed prior to weaning  Feed top-quality silage with

high-energy concentrates

 Initially feed a high level

of starch, but reduce with digestible fibre-based feeds as finishing progresses for optimum rumen function and health  Select for slaughter based on market requirements and look for outlets for heavy carcasses  If the market continues to penalise heavy carcasses, do not store winter continentalbred steers and select breeding bulls with positive fat depth EBVs

this checks growth rates,” he says.

His thinking is that groups of bulls can be split if need be, but ideally groups shouldn’t have bulls added, in an attempt to reduce the stress on animals.

Equally important to consistency of environment is a consistent cattle weighing schedule, explains Mr

FINISHING RATION: 50:50 FORAGE AND BLEND  Maize silage (29% DM and

33% starch) crimped barley and blend (13.5% CP and 23% starch), which is based on rolled barley, sugar beet pulp, biscuit meal, rape, soya hulls, syrup and minerals  Topped up with 50g of urea to supply effective rumendegradable protein  Initial high-starch diet (37% DM) to maximise efficient growth rates, then gradually reduced

Willison. Using a simple race and crush, 25 cattle can be weighed in half an hour, an exercise he stresses should take into account gut fill.

“The difference in gut fill can be up to 30kg on the overall weight of the animal,” he adds, potentially meaning you can be more than 0.5kg out in your daily weight gain calculations.

For this reason, Mr Willison’s Simmental-cross bulls are weighed at the same time on a morning in the first week of each month to account for eating routines.

‘TRAGIC SITUATION’

Adaptations have been made to produce an average carcass weight at Williamswood of just under 400kg to avoid penalties for heavy carcasses.

Monthly weighing and fast finishing are two important factors in running a system that will limit overheavy cattle and remain in control of slaughter weights, allowing cattle to be sold early if they have

stopped gaining weight and are close to 700kg, explains Mr Willison.

These are ways of dealing with the “tragic situation” the beef industry has found itself in, according to Mr Marsh.

“We have made so much genetic progress over the years, having been encouraged to improve cattle

growth rates to then see penalties for efficient, well-bred beef cattle,” says Mr Marsh.

“If this market penalty continues, most breed societies will need to evaluate how they calculate terminal index and reduce the weighting on growth and place greater emphasis on calving ease and positive fat depth.

“However, this move will prove detrimental to finishing heifers, which are rarely slaughtered at heavy weights. The industry needs to evaluate optimal finishing systems for suckler-bred heifers.”

PERFORMANCE COMPARISON AHDB target

Slaughter age (months) 14 Slaughter weight (kg) 600 Weaning age (days) 244 Weaning wt (kg) 340 DLWG birth to weaning (kg) 1.25 Days weaning to slaughter 180 DLWG weaning to slaughter (kg) 1.45 DLWG from birth (kg) 1.29 Carcass weight (kg) 350 (58.3% KO) DCG from birth (kg) 0.81 (0.77) Carcass grade -U/U+3 Concentrates (kg/bull) 1,750 (1,500kg DM) Silage (kg/bull) N/A

I Willison

13.3 (405 days) 694 (gut full) 229 374 1.49 176 1.82 1.68 398 (57.3% KO) 0.98 (0.93) -U 3-4L 1,356 (1,155kg DM) 2,011 (651kg DM)

Note: DCG in brackets deducts 24kg for the bull calf birth carcass weight

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Livestock Edited by Rhian Price l 020 8652 4922 l rhian.price@rbi.co.uk

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The economic benefits of calving heifers at two years old are well known.

Michael Priestley finds out how Ian Willison is achieving growth rates of more than 1kg/day to enable him to bull heifers at 13 months

MANAGING HEIFERS

The focus on maternal genetics is a major part of the success at Williamswood, where top-of-the-range estimated breeding values (EBVs) for maternal characteristics underpin sire selection.

28

FARMERSWEEKLY  22 APRIL 2016

JIMVARNEY

C

alving heifers at two is a key efficiency driver for Nottinghamshire suckler producer Ian Willison, who is aiming for fast early growth rates and a good balance of maternal genetics in his replacement heifers.

Mr Willison says high youngstock growth rates and selecting sires for 200-day milk, calving ease daughters, scrotal size and positive fat depth make calving at two years old both optimal and achievable.

Replacement heifers calve down at 22-23 months in the autumncalving Simmental cross Blue herd at Williamswood Farm.

Heifers are weaned at an average weight of 366kg and manage daily liveweight gains (DLWG) of more than 1kg. This means most heifers are served at a liveweight of about 425-450kg, which at 65% of mature weight is the target bulling weight of a 650kg mature animal.

Bulling heifers are served with high-index Simmental genetics, once using AI – with conception rates averaging 70% – before running with a home-bred sweeper bull.

“We are assessing animals from one year old and usually serve all heifers between 13 and 15 months,” explains Mr Willison. “Once they go beyond 15 months we don’t serve them as at this point we could be breeding with slow-maturing animals and we don’t want that.”

Top-of-the-range estimated breeding values for maternal characteristics underpin sire selection at Williamswood

Good growth crucial to calve heifers at 24 months High importance is placed on using bulls on heifers that are easy calving, with positive EBVs for calving ease direct, short gestation length and below-average birth weights. Once the genetics are in place, the target is for fast growth at a young age.

A daily liveweight gain from birth to calving of 0.84kg is required to reach 650kg, however Mr Willison pushes his heifers early in life and last year their DLWGs were 1.07kg from birth to service, with a mean bulling weight of 491kg at just 13.7 months old.

Autumn-born heifers are fed 18% CP rearing nuts usually by seven weeks of age, followed in November by a 17% CP high-NDF 19% starch at 1kg a head a day to optimise frame development. In the new year heifer calves are left on mother’s milk and silage.

Mr Willison looks to select replacements born early in the calving block to maximise growth potential.

“These are likely to be from more fertile cows and will be heavier at bulling,” he explains.

Fast growth allows a constant body condition score to be maintained in the last trimester when the animal is kept at a body condition score of 2.5.

“We don’t want them to gain condition or lose weight,” explains Mr Willison. “Over the last four weeks they should ideally stay as they are.”

Hay is offered ad lib at this stage alongside vitamin and mineral buckets, with heifers typically weighing 576kg at 19 months old.

In July 2015 the pre-calving liveweight of heifers was 599kg.

SELECTING TO CALVE AT TWO

Heifers with the best temperament are chosen as replacements, focusing on the moderate-sized animals.

Female families are then looked at to make sure their lines are performing. Finally the EBVs of fathers are assessed.

“Any lines that have or are developing calving or fertility problems are ended,” says Mr Willison. “Only heifers 13 months or older and healthy are served with a proven easy-calving bull, but ➜p30

SIMON’S TIPS FOR CALVING REPLACEMENTS AT TWO YEARS  Focus on maternal genetics

and maternal EBVs – we have too many big suckler cows with not enough milk in the UK  Select heifers on temperament, family breeding and size – not too small and not too big  High early life growth allows you to control condition in the last trimester  Once calved, manage heifers in a group on their own  Replacements are the future of your herd – look after them  Ensure cows are 65% of their mature weight at mating. Aim to get high growth rates in the first two-thirds of life  Select replacements born early in the calving season – these will likely be from more fertile cows and heavier at bulling  Only allow heifers to run for two cycles  Aim for a condition score of 2.25-2.5 at calving

LIVESTOCK BEEF FOCUS FARM PERFORMANCE OF HEIFERS SELECTED FOR BREEDING Served heifers

JIMVARNEY

Weight at service (kg) 491 Age at service 13.7 months DLWG birth to 1.07 service (kg) Weight at turnout (kg) 576 Age at turnout 18.8 months DLWG service to 0.55 turnout (kg)

Simon Marsh (right), pictured with Ian Willison, says calving at two years old saves forage and requires a smaller area the bull’s daughters’ calving score should be positive if they are to be kept.”

The breeding system at Williamswood produces a terminal calf from a maternal female Simmental cross Blue female put to a terminal Simmental sire.

“This is the best way to produce a profitable terminal calf and the Simmental is very good at this,” adds Mr Willison.

By breeding his own replacements from AI, the herd has been accessing the best genetics in the world for 30 years.

This allows the farm to produce cows that start their productive life at 550kg and end it at 700kg. This way they give a decent cull value after weaning calves at almost 50% of working cow bodyweight – the benchmark of cow efficiency.

This is already being achieved at Williamswood, with the 2015 crop of calves having just recorded a DLWG from birth of 1.44kg. This equates to a 200-day weight of 335kg, with a cow efficiency of 49.9%.

SEPARATE FROM THE HERD

An important factor in calving at two is running heifers separately, allowing them to grow in a lowstress environment.

Mr Willison says if heifers grow fast when young and are managed well then the concerns people have over calving at two are “mythical”.

“From what I have seen, heifers calved at two can calve easy, they last longer, they end up getting bigger and they carry more milk,” he stresses.

“There’s no difference in mature size – that is down to genetics and how the animal is taken care of.”

An average bulling age of 13.7 30

FARMERSWEEKLY  22 APRIL 2016

FAST TRACK TO CALVING AT TWO Mid-June August/September

Late September September/October

October/November December March April June July

Heifers are weaned and wormed, given a trace element bolus and put on aftermath grazing Stocked at 3.7 animals a hectare on a three-leaf, one-week rotation grazing policy and wormed again in August and September. No supplementation is given, so animals come in “hungry” to create a flush for AI A “flush effect” is produced by feeding top-quality silage (11ME+) once housed in late September DIY AI programme begins serving over a four-week period. Heifers are served when they will stand fully in heat. At week two any served heifers are turned out with a sweeper when they are “off heat”. Heifers run with sweeper for two cycles (six weeks) Heifers mop up surplus grass until December housing Cattle housed. Winter nutrition is ad-lib 50:50 grass:maize silage plus rock salt Cattle turned out after TB test Any empty heifers sold as embryo transfer recipients.

Stocking is at 7.4 animals a hectare to keep on top of sward heights. They are offered hay/straw Herd is tested/vaccinated for BVD, IBR, leptospirosis and Johne’s disease Heifers are housed prior to calving

months allows the Williamswood heifers to calve replacements in July prior to the main herd calving in August to mid-October, ensuring they get more attention and time to grow frame for the next lactation.

Heifers are finally introduced to the mature cows 12 weeks after having their first calf at winter housing. This year will see about 25 heifers mixed with the herd as part of a planned expansion phase on the farm.

This mixing is typically a problem-free transition for the 15-17 heifers retained in a typical year, although one smaller heifer may get pushed to the bottom of the pecking order.

Generally though, issues are minimised by the feeding system.

“Having a total mixed ration available on the concrete floor 24/7 helps the heifers hugely,” explains Mr Willison. He budgets for about 60cm head space for each cow.

And while he looks to limit feeding in the last trimester, he offers the best grazing and winter forage once calved to ensure sufficient nutrition to develop the second embryo.

“The most important thing to calving a heifer at any age is to make sure she has whatever feed she needs after calving and up to conception of the next calf.” michael.priestley@rbi.co.uk

‘OVERWHELMING’ EVIDENCE IN FAVOUR OF CALVING YOUNGER  Calving heifers at two years old is more efficient and productive and it is unfortunate the UK beef industry is calving at an average of 33.6 months, says Harper Adams beef specialist Simon Marsh.

He says there is “overwhelming evidence” that home-bred replacements should be calved down at two years.

By the time a cow is 10, one that first calved aged two and her daughters will have produced 41 calves. Whereas a cow that first calved aged three and her daughters will have produced 19 calves, Mr Marsh points out.

He says that while growing heifers fast enough to serve at 13-15 months requires more concentrates, calving them earlier requires less silage.

“Calving at two years old typically requires 400kg of concentrates a head versus 250kg,” admits Mr Marsh. “However, a three-year-old requires almost double the amount of silage and more than double the land.”

Studies show a three-year-old calver will eat 15.5t of silage and need 0.83ha compared with 8.9t and 0.38ha for a two-year-old calver, he explains.

“One of the major criticisms or failures with calving at two years is that the heifers subsequently struggle to get back in calf,” says Mr Marsh.

Once calved, good nutrition is essential. Mr Marsh recommends feeding at least 140MJ of energy post-calving.

The simple solution to this problem is usually to manage firstcalved heifers separately from the main herd so they don’t get bullied and get extra attention.

This could be in a management group with lean cows to avoid having too many groups in the herd.

Livestock

LOOK OUT FOR

AI helps lower age at first calving p34 Rotational grazing boosts income p37 Results from the Balmoral Show p40

Edited by Rhian Price l 020 8652 4922 l rhian.price@rbi.co.uk

Why breeding values make a difference Careful attention to the figures has helped a Harper Adams Beef Focus farm in Nottinghamshire get great results from both terminal and maternal bulls.

Michael Priestley reports

F

aith in estimated breeding values (EBVs) has been paying off for a Nottinghamshire beef herd for nearly 30 years, resulting in maternal and terminal genetics to suit both the farm and the market.

Sire selection is critical for Ian Willison at Williamswood Farm, Warsop Vale, where quick-finishing progeny average 1.32kg DLWG to weaning and fertile, easy-calving replacements are bred from top Simmental bulls.

Financially, Mr Willison maintains there is a “marked difference” in calves from high-EBV sires

HEAD TO HEAD  Weaned bull calves from Volvo

were worth £62 a head at £2.50/kg, averaging 3.9kg higher birthweights and 25kg more at 200 days.  Volvo’s calves were 34kg heavier at slaughter, with their carcasses being 20kg heavier.  For bull calves at slaughter at £3.15/kg DCW the difference was £63. Bull calves from Decision (0.96kg) averaged 5g daily carcass gain less than Volvo (1.01kg), with DLWGs from birth of 1.54kg versus 1.62kg (see table opposite).

compared with the average – and also in offspring from replacement daughters.

Along with Harper Adams University beef specialist Simon Marsh and the British Simmental Cattle Society, Mr Willison is interested in how progeny from two very different Simmental sires are performing in his autumn-calving Simmental cross Blue herd.

The two bulls were used as part of Mr Willison’s AI breeding programme in a 50:50 split to get a balance of calves and enough selection pressure for replacement heifers.

Anything not successfully inseminated in six weeks is given one cycle with a home-bred pedigree Simmental sweeper bull.

“The sweeper bull needs to be a decent all-rounder,” explains Mr Willison, who runs two AI cycles for cows and one for heifers, looking to calve heifers by two years of age.

“I can’t have the sweeper too extreme one way or another. Gener-

ally speaking, the focus is on maternal EBVs when choosing AI bulls.

The first thing I look at is a combination of daughter calving ease, milking ability and then growth, as opposed to muscle.”

He stresses the importance of “keeping a balance” and not following certain traits too much. Following muscle will lose growth, milk and fertility, while choosing easycalving bulls and ignoring daughter calving ease will lead to breeding females with small pelvises, explains Mr Willison.

TAILORING SIRES

One of the benefits EBVs have brought for Mr Willison – a beef

GROWING EVIDENCE FOR EBVS

 Progeny from the top 1% of the

breed are worth £120 more than calves from the bottom 1% of the breed, work from Harper Adams shows.

This supports mounting

evidence that EBVs result in financial benefits, says Mr Marsh.

Calves from the top 1% bull finished 25 days earlier with +18kg carcasses and graded better with higher conformation scores.

CONTRASTING SIRES Sire

Omorga Volvo (terminal) Starline Decision (maternal)

32

Index

Terminal traits

Maternal traits

Top 1% (TSI+87)

 Growth EBVs in top 1%

 Calving Ease Direct -3.9%

Top 60% (TSI+55)

FARMERSWEEKLY  20 MAY 2016

 400-day weight of +72kg (top 10%)

(bottom 15% for the breed)  Calving Ease Direct +4.9% (top 5%)

 400-day weight +47kg (top 65%)

 Short gestation length -3.7 days (top 1%)  Milk EBV +12kg (top 1%)

Daughter calving ease can be a key factor in bull selection farmer who left the dairy industry in the early 1990s – has been the ability to match bulls to individual cows.

“It is hugely important for me whether a bull is recorded one way or another and the present EBV system is the best one we have, due to the vast amount of information used from relatives and offspring to predict what traits are likely to be passed on,” he explains.

“I match first- or second-calvers to bulls with better direct calving scores, while for third-calvers and upwards I don’t need to worry as much and can look more towards better muscling. We really put calving ease to the fore in first- and second-calvers.”

Mr Willison rates the Simmental highly, but values the Blue – used once in each line – as a cross to open up genetics.

“It’s the same at the top end of any genetics in livestock – the pool does become limited,” he admits.

“Crossing allows us to get the best from both breeds.”

In Mr Willison’s experience, top 10% bulls are more profitable than the rest and EBVs are a tool to find genetics best suited to the job required on his own farm.

And as far as performance

We test drive Kubota’s biggest-ever tractor, the French-made M7171 Machinery p60

VOLVO V DECISION: PROGENY PERFORMANCE Sire

Terminal sire – Volvo

Calf sex

Bull

Heifer

Maternal sire – Decision Bull

Heifer

Gestation length (days) Calving Ease (1-6) Birth weight (kg) 200-day weight (kg) DLWG (kg)

293 1.88 54.5 361 1.54

286 1.06 46.7 287 1.2

291 1.29 47.7 328 1.4

285 1.14 45.6 270 1.12

VOLVO V DECISION: BULL FINISHING PERFORMANCE Terminal sire – Volvo

Maternal sire – Decision

Slaughter age (months) 13.3 (406 days) 13.4 (409 days) Slaughter weight (kg) 713 679 DLWG from birth (kg) 1.62 1.54 Carcass weight (kg) 409 389 DCG from birth (kg)* 1.01 (0.95) 0.96 (0.90) Conformation score (1-7) 5.1 (-U) 5.0 (-U) Fat score (1-7) 3.4 (3-4L) 3.4 (3-4L) *DCG in brackets deducts 24kg for the bull calf birth carcass weight

FARM FACTS  75 Simmental cross Blue

suckler cows

 Lowland 80ha farm, including

recording goes, Mr Willison’s outlook is simple: the more EBVs and progeny data there is, the betterinformed choice you can make.

“When I entered the beef industry, the Signet system was just coming into its own,” he adds. “We have always bought the top-end recorded bulls of the day and as we have gone along we have seen the difference each year.”

ACCURATE AND PROVEN

Genetic breed gains and increasing data on progeny performance mean Volvo and Decision’s EBVs have changed slightly since they were first used at Williamswood in 2013.

But Mr Marsh says this is inevitable and certainly not a bad

thing. “Volvo now has a slightly higher index of +89 but Calving Ease Direct has slipped further to –6.6%,” he says. “Likewise, Decision’s index has increased to +57 but Calving Ease Direct has improved to +6.1% as data builds and strengthens EBV accuracy.”

Mr Marsh says that no one breed is best but that he would have “failed professionally” if a Harper Adams graduate was to buy bulls without looking at EBVs on entering the beef industry. The simple message for commercial producers is to pick a breed combination to suit the farm, environment and market, using high-index bulls with appropriate EBVs for the system in hand, he stresses.

Ian Willison (left) is working closely with beef specialist Simon Marsh (right)

40ha of reclaimed opencast coalfield  Soil type is classified as medium loam over limestone  36ha is in permanent pasture with the rest in leys and 8ha of maize silage It is the array of breeds (25 native and 15 continental) that creates the “incredible passion and interest” for the industry, he explains.

“This is why I get so much enjoyment working in it,” says Mr Marsh.

“Sadly, though, it doesn’t help the processors, who have to deal with a range of carcass weights, fat and conformation grades and ages with all the different production systems and breed combinations.”

SHOW AND EBV WINNER

A third AI bull, Dirnanean Bradley, was used at Williamswood in 2014.

A real “curve bender”, Bradley won at the Royal Highland Show the same year and his eye-catching qualities were backed up on paper by positive calving ease figures, massive growth and a TSI of +116.

Bradley also proved to be a winner on the farm, producing lighter calves with an average birth weight of 46.4kg that rocketed to higher 200-day weights (bull and heifer average of 335kg), adding to the proof that EBVs are trustworthy and accurate, according to Mr Marsh.

TOP TIPS FOR EBVS FROM SIMON MARSH  Focus on the bull’s individual

EBV that will suit your system.

 Buy bulls with high accuracy

figures for the EBVs.

 Be prepared to buy an ugly bull

with a high index as long as he is functionally correct with good locomotion.  High-index bulls always give a significant return on investment. Pay good money for top genetics – not machinery.  The actual financial return on investment is always higher than predicted by the index.

He wants to see people end the practice of buying bulls purely “on eye” alone, likening EBVs to horse power and torque when buying a car or tractor.

“You wouldn’t buy a tractor without asking about the specification, so why buy a bull?” he asks. “You obviously need to see a bull in the flesh to assess locomotion but too many producers are obsessed with having a masculine head – why?

“This criticism is often levelled at curve bender bulls, which are the bulls the industry needs. What happens to the head of a bull at an abattoir – it gets binned!

“One pedigree breeder on hearing my comments asked if I would marry an ugly woman! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and if she had an ugly head I wouldn’t have her shot!”

20 MAY 2016  FARMERSWEEKLY

33

LIVESTOCK BEEF FOCUS FARM

Reduce waste to help maximise beef margins Margins at Williamswood Farm, Nottinghamshire, are dictated by changes in farm management and not in beef price, Harper Adams beef focus farmer Ian Willison tells Michael Priestley in our final update

I

under which the farm is accredited for BVD, IBR, neospora and Johne’s.

“The scheme’s had a massive effect in keeping mortality to a minimum. It is worth £5,000/year in benefits and costs about £1,000, so it’s a no-brainer,” he adds.

Also important is the ability to maximise the beef cheque by hitting abattoir specs. This requires keeping an eye on the marketplace and finding premium outlets for heifers.

Last year’s silage-and-blend-finished bull calves yielded carcass weights of 398kg at 13.3 months, meaning daily carcass gains from birth were 0.98kg and DLWG from birth to slaughter averaged 1.68kg.

FIVE-YEAR ROLLING COSTS

Farm accounts and business benchmarking are seen as a critical step in managing what is going on at farm level – the element over which a farmer has most control, stresses Mr Willison.

He values the insight of “people on the outside” who can draw on the experiences of other farms and enterprises to give an objective opinion. “I use a specialist livestock consultant who does costings for several beef and sheep farms,” explains Mr Willison.

JIM VARNEY

an Willison believes farm output is something he has a degree of control over, unlike market volatility. For him, rearing 98.8% of calves born each year from bulls with high estimated breeding values (EBVs) is paramount to having a margin in the beef industry.

Currently, gross margin stands at £804 for every cow in his autumncalving Simmental cross Blue suckler herd, some 63% ahead of the English average.

This level of achievement hinges on low mortality, efficient feeding and a practical system for the environment, which for Mr Willison is based on investment in the “golden triangle” of genetics, health and nutrition.

Vaccinations and replacement rearing are therefore not strictly seen as costs, explains Mr Willison, who regularly scrutinises his business on a cost-of-production basis.

Instead, money spent on vaccines and replacements is seen as an investment and a critical part of the most important figure on the accounts sheet – financial performance a cow.

“I don’t like to see mortality increase,” stresses Mr Willison, who is part of the Biobest health scheme,

Ian Willison invests in herd genetics, health and nutrition 38

FARMERSWEEKLY  24 JUNE 2016

“Richard Elliot does a five-year rolling gross margin comparison.

This is really useful as it benchmarks one year against another to see where we are progressing.”

The business has seen a steady increase in margin over the past five to 10 years.

“It’s vital on two counts; it shows what is working and, importantly, what is holding the business back.

Nine times out of 10 margin falters not because of the price of beef in the market, but because of something going awry on the farm.”

Knowing cost of production allows Mr Willison to appreciate the year’s margins can lift, despite fat cattle prices dropping. It could be due to gains in productivity or falling feed costs.

“We have had lower feed and diesel costs over the past year or so and we can see how this has played out by looking at the five-year costings, which are simply represented in five columns side by side.

MISTAKES THAT RESULTED IN LOWER MARGINS

“We have had a few blips,” admits Mr Willison. “One year I tried cutting costs by mixing apple pomace in the bull ration.

“We were running low on barley and against the advice of my feed merchant, I gave it a try. The end result was poor and I didn’t achieve the same kill-out percentage.

“Another year our cows weren’t stacking up as well as they had been on paper. This was flagged up by the five-year analysis Richard does and we found calf mortality had increased and fertility was affected.

“That said, if I make a change and it pays performance-wise, then I’m not worried about the added expenditure. I believe you only get out what you put in.

“Now if I tweak my system and add in a few more cows, probably ending up with no more than

 You only get out

what you put in

Ian Willison

95-100 head overall, it might be interesting to see where margin and farm profit will head.”

PROFIT IS IN THE WASTE

A 32-horse livery yard and rented shed space for caravan storage are sideline enterprises to the expanding suckler operation, with cow numbers currently hitting 93 head.

Fixed costs are split 60:40 (60% cows: 40% livery yard) because all equipment is used to the benefit of both enterprises, barring the cattleonly feeder wagon and bedding machine.

Mr Willison is considered fulltime on the farm and his wife Lorraine manages the stables.

Integrating the livery yard and the cows is key to making sure money spent is not wasted and this starts with bedding.

Straw is sold into the equestrian unit, used by the horses, and then recycled as cattle bedding the following day.

Waste is also reduced within the beef unit by feeding a TMR ration, which minimises forage waste compared to ring-feeding silage.

“With bedding and feed it’s already cost you to produce or buy it, so don’t waste it,” he says.

LIVESTOCK TOP TIPS FROM SIMON MARSH  View replacement costs as an

investment

 Concentrate on cow genetics

as much as the bull

 Join a health scheme  Make sure all enterprises

dovetail

 Justify investment in

machinery to significantly improve efficiency  Think “health, nutrition and genetics” – a weakness in one and the others will suffer  Profit follows adopting the “science of beef production”.

Be wary of the “smoke and mirrors” in the beef industry

2015 CALVING PERFORMANCE Birth weight (kg) Calving ease (1-6) 200-day weight (kg) DLWG (kg) Cow weight (kg) Efficiency (kg calf/100kg cow weight)

47.1 1.28 335 1.44 667 50.2

JIM VARNEY

Calving ease score: 1 = unassisted, 6 = caesarean

THINGS YOU CAN’T DO WITHOUT

In terms of machinery, several purchases over the past three years have increased labour efficiency on-farm but eroded farm margins, admits Mr Willison.

In growing the herd from 75 to over 90 head since 2013, the justification has been that one front-end loader and one 100hp tractor for the farm and the stables was stretching it a bit far – something had to give.

“It was wearing both me and the tractor out,” says Mr Willison, who added a feeder wagon, a bedding machine and a second 100hp tractor.

The fixed costs of the loader and two tractors were then shared across the beef and livery businesses.

“Adding to my machinery saves my time as I’m not swapping machinery around and it means the tractors will last longer.”

The £10,000 feeder wagon cuts feed waste, meaning output can be increased from having more cows and was traded in for a £3,000 mill and mix unit, which was rotting in the sheds.

The feeder can be justified because tractors and other fixed costs can be shared over two businesses, says Harper Adams Univer-

WILLIAMSWOOD SUCKLER HERD MARGINS AHDB rearer/finisher Financial performance (£ a cow)

Average

Top third

Ian Willison

Calf output Replacement costs (with incoming calves) Output less replacement costs Variable costs Purchased feed (including minerals) Home-grown feed Purchased forage Home-grown forage variable costs Total feed and forage Vet and medication Bedding Other livestock expenses Total variable costs Gross margin/cow

1,013 52 961

1,084 47 1,037

1,298 80 1,218

181 50 18 73 322 44 61 42 469 492

117 43 29 45 235 34 58 43 370 667

136 37 0 82 255 43 55 61 414 804

Source: Richard Elliot, Livestock & Business Consultant

sity beef specialist Simon Marsh.

“The good cashflow of both enterprises allows investment sooner and with less finance than would be the norm,” details Mr Marsh.

“The livery side enjoys the use of machinery and labour from the cow side to make hay, cart straw, remove muck and do all other field work.”

This is why costs are shared the way they are, he adds. “Cows

shouldn’t carry the rent, water and contracting costs on their own.

ACCOUNTING FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE

Exceptional bull calf performance is also a major factor in achieving a gross margin of £804 a cow at Williamswood, explains Mr Marsh.

Farm records show the 13.3 month-old Simmental-cross bulls gross £1,378 and non-retained

The farm is part of the Biobest health scheme, which gives accreditation for BVD, IBR, neospora and Johne’s heifers make £1,300 at 15 months when sold to pedigree breeders for embryo transfer work.

The same valuation has to be placed on his homebred 22 to 23-month calved replacement heifers. However, this makes replacement costs look steep at £80 a cow compared with AHDB figures levelling at £50 a cow.

Meanwhile, due to attention to feeding, feed and forage costs may look high, but Mr Marsh stresses this is producing bulls at 398kg carcass weight (48kg above the AHDB target), which is worth £158 a bull at £3.30/kg dwt (dead carcass weight).

In terms of bedding, the £55 figure is “very debateable” but a bone of contention for the beef sector as a whole.

“Most suckler farms should be on a ‘straw-for-muck’ agreement and therefore have zero bedding costs,” says Mr Marsh.

“And in terms of mixed units, why should the arable land on a mixed farm get free farm yard manure from the beef operation?

“Also of concern are the diminishing organic matter levels in soil, which can be helped by cattle in a rotation, along with controlling blackgrass.”

24 JUNE 2016  FARMERSWEEKLY

39

Making Suckler Cows Profitable

Mother Of All Beef Breeds

The British Simmental Cattle Society Limited Stoneleigh Park Kenilworth Warwickshire CV8 2LG Tel: 02476 696513 Email: information@britishsimmental.co.uk

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