Watch: why an autumn-calving system suits Offaly BETTER Farm

Ken Gill is one of two Offaly participants in the Teagasc/Irish Farmers Journal BETTER Farm beef challenge. Farming on 95ha of heavy-clay soil in Clonbullogue, Ken is also the only organic beef producer in the programme.

Ken is running a herd of 70 suckler cows. His farming system is simple with the aim to slaughter steers and heifers at 24 months of age, as many off grass as possible. Replacements are also bred on-farm.

As with most organic livestock farms, Ken manages his grassland in a crop rotation to maintain soil health and fertility.

Oats, a pea-barley mix and red clover are the three main crops in the rotation.

Autumn calving

For Ken, autumn calving suits the organic system very well. “Obviously, we can’t spread fertiliser here so autumn calving leaves us with a much lower demand for grass earlier in the year,” Ken explained.

“Calving later gives us time to build up a bank of grass throughout the summer for grazing in the back-end”.

Autumn calving also means the majority of calves are born outdoors. On this farm, it works very well.

“We use the paddocks in front of the house for holding cows for calving. We can keep a good eye on them there.” For the few births that need assistance, the yard is also close by.

Calves born outdoors are also at less risk of exposure to disease or infection than those born inside.

2018

In 2018, calving performance was very impressive with 68 calvings occurring within a 10-week period, beginning on the last week of July.

The calving interval for the herd was excellent at 368 days, while the herd’s six-week calving rate was also very impressive at 68%.

Breeding

Breeding takes place indoors and now comprises a high usage of AI. Cows are monitored several times daily for heat and are separated for AI upon obvious signs of heat. No heat detection aids are used.

Previously, cows would have been separated from their calf too while in the AI holding pen, but Ken found this was adding stress to both the cow and the calf.

As a result, a creep gate into the AI holding pen has been installed for calves to gain access to their mothers.

With AI working well, Ken is strongly considering going 100% AI for the forthcoming breeding season.

For more on organic beef production on Ken’s farm, see this week’s Irish Farmers Journal in print or online.