Today's episode of the Teagasc Virtual Beef Week focuses on dairy calf to beef production, with particular focus on the dairy calf to beef project currently being undertaken in Teagasc, Grange. Adam Woods is joined by guests Donal Fahy, Bernadette Early and Alan Dillon.
Today's episode of the Teagasc Virtual Beef Week focuses on dairy calf to beef production, with particular focus on the dairy calf to beef project currently being undertaken in Teagasc, Grange. Adam Woods is joined by guests Donal Fahy, Bernadette Early and Alan Dillon.
Beef Talk – Ep 2: Dairy Calf to Beef Production.
Research
Research being undertaken on the dairy calf to beef unit at Teagasc Grange sees 120 calves reared annually to be produced in an under-24-month steer production system. These calves are made up of three differing gentetic groups. A Holstein Friesian (HF) group from the top four EBI sires and two groups of Angus (AAX) calves; one high genetic merit for carcase weight and conformation while the other are from lower genetic merit sires. However, the calving difficulty figure is similar for both.
In 2019, the HF were slaughtered at 23 months, with an average carcase weight of 305kg and graded O- 3+, with a lifetime concentrate intake of 740kg/hd. The AAX were slaughtered at 22 months of age with a carcase weight of 297kg with an average grade of O= 3+, having consumed 638kg concentrate throughout the entire system.
Lifetime performance across all groups was excellent due to attention to detail in three key areas of: calf health, calf rearing and nutrition, and grassland management.
Vaccinations
In today’s Beef Talk Adam Woods talks to Bernadette Early about calf health and the latest research results on calf vaccination policy for dairy calf to beef systems. Having a strict vaccination and health protocol for calves arriving on farm is critically important if mortality levels are to be kept low throughout the rearing phase.
Teagasc’s Alan Dillion also speaks about how farmers across the country are getting on in the Teagasc Green Acres Calf-to-Beef programme where in 2019 Holstein Friesian-sired steers returned a higher financial return compared to the Angus and Hereford sired steers.
Although the Holstein Friesian steers had higher feed costs and graded poorer than their early maturing counterparts, this was more than compensated for by a heavier carcase weight and a lower initial purchase price. This poses a serious question over the price being paid for these beef cross calves from the dairy herd.
Tomorrow's show will focus on grassland management and nutrition as part of Day 3 of the Teagasc Virtual beef week. Tune in at 12pm on farmersjournal.ie to watch the show
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