BDGP surveys: The Department of Agriculture has said it is looking to pay as many farmers as possible before Christmas for the Beef Data and Genomics Programme. One of the key issues is farmers forgetting to return survey forms or not having tissue tags returned. If you have not yet completed the survey form, the quicker it is returned the better. In terms of the tags, understandably farmers are trying to reduce the workload and in some cases have avoided taking the tissue samples due to cattle being at grass. With most animals now housed, this is a good opportunity to tag and sample the required stock, especially if help is at hand. Remember to return the samples in the addressed envelope provided.

Treating liver fluke: The table that appeared in last week’s Focus supplement on indoor management had the headings early immature and mature incorrectly swapped. Products containing Oxyclozanide are effective at killing both rumen and liver fluke, but only mature stages of liver fluke and will not kill 100% of the fluke in the animal. Triclabendazole-based doses are the only product that can kill early immature, immature and mature liver fluke with a 90% to 100% effectiveness.

Cattle weights and finishing: With cattle coming into sheds heavier than previous years, it is essential that you weigh and know accurately the weight at housing so that you can tailor the feeding and finishing regime to suit. In most cases, cattle will require a slightly shorter intensive finishing period than previous years to hit similar carcase weights. Assess fat cover at housing and where possible group cattle based on the length of finish required. Remember that once an animal starts laying down fat, the cost/kg of gain increases. At current ration costs, finishing cattle will cost between €2.20 and €2.80/day to feed on most farms. The cost of each kilo of carcase gain, particularly when the animal is laying down fat, will exceed the return at current beef prices. The focus should be on drafting cattle for slaughter, once they are adequately covered with fat. Farmers who have finishing cattle on hand that are out of spec (ie aged bulls, heavy weights, movements etc) should talk to their processor in advance of slaughter.