Beef focus farm: How to produce one calf a cow every year

Producing one calf from each cow every year is a key 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 secrets 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 mid-August 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.

See also: View the first beef focus farm article

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 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 a 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).

Cow winter rations
Feeds	(kg/cow/day)
Maize silage (29%DM , 33% starch, 9%CP)	22.5
Grass silage (30%DM, 10.1ME, 15%CP)	22.5
Minerals	100g
Dry matter intake	13.4kg
ME supplied	140MJ
Crude protein (% in DM)	12.0

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 calving. 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 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.

Cows are not synchronised at 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 one-time event.

“For example, it takes 10 days to synch cows and in that time 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.

Bull selection

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 cost into context, AHDB Beef and Lamb say if a stock bull works for five years and produces 30 calves a year, this 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.

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)

Herd fertility performance
	AHDB autumn calving herds	SAC Target	Ian Willison
Calves reared per 100 cows	90.0	95.0	98.8
Calving period (weeks)	14.3	11.0	11.5
Note: The number of calves reared by Ian 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.

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.