Farmer Focus: Minimal setbacks to bulls at housing essential
Matthew Brownlee ©Steffan Hill In our dairy calf-to-beef enterprise the heaviest bulls will be on their last couple of weeks of grazing.
Vaccinations have been given to allow for housing from mid-September on.
The final date will depend on weather, grass supply and ground condition.
But I believe feeding bulls that are 350kg and over are better housed by the end of September at the latest.
The transitional period from grass to housing must be done well.
To help this transition these bulls will receive some total mixed ration before housing while still grazing to allow for a gradual nutritional change.
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As many as possible will also be housed on the same day.
This practice should mean they all settle in the shed together and the health challenge cattle face at housing happens at one time – as opposed to challenges every time more cattle are added to the shed.
Ensuring minimal setbacks to these bulls at housing will be essential to keep liveweight gain on target and meet the under-16-months-of-age-bull restrictions.
Housing has taken place for any heifers and bullocks on the land that were earmarked for finishing before Christmas.
See also: Ensuring good grass to graze proves tough
Housing these batches of cattle means there is more grass to offer to the cows and calves as grass growth rates slow down.
It also allows us to spread cow numbers over bigger areas as ground conditions deteriorate.
Calves continue to receive creep feed.
In the past we have had some problems with cows suffering from grass tetany in the autumn.
To try to counteract this we will offer cattle silage in feeders to try to slow down the digestive process.
The apple harvest has just begun on our farm spelling the beginning of a busy time. Crop yields this year are good and we look forward to what should hopefully be a successful harvest.
Matthew Brownlee farms 121ha alongside his father. They run 100 Limousin cross suckler cows and buy in store cattle to finish.