The first of the 2018-born progeny were drafted for slaughter this week on Newford Farm.

The 32 heifers which were housed in early September were weighed and assessed earlier in the week, with the entire batch averaging 579kg.

The heifers achieved an average daily liveweight gain of 0.93kg since birth and 1.03kg since turned out to grass on 26 February.

A group of 14 heifers were selected and sent to Dawn Meats Ballyhaunis plant on Friday.

The heifers weighing 603kg at an average age of 19 months old achieved an average carcase weight of 315kg and an average sale price of €1,180.

A detailed breakdown of the individual slaughter performance will be available in the coming days. Another batch of 14 heifers will be sent for slaughter early next week.

Steer performance

The 49 steers which were brought back to the Newford grazing block a couple of weeks ago and introduced to concentrate supplementation were housed on Friday.

The steers were coming into a shed in the yard on a daily basis to receive concentrates, but with further heavy rainfall, sticky ground conditions and performance under pressure due to the low dry matter of grass, a decision was taken to bring steers indoors.

Along with improving steer performance, the grass earmarked for grazing will be better utilised by weanlings in the coming weeks. The steers are weighing 575kg on average, with the target to slaughter all animals before the end of the year.

The last two batches of cows and calves were weaned this week.

This will be easily achievable for some, but with a 100kg weight range between the heaviest and lightest animals, the lighter heifers will need at least the entire three-month period.

Steers will initially be offered ad-lib silage and 6kg concentrates daily, with this finishing diet reassessed once steers settle indoors and again at a later date, depending on performance.

Weaning finished

The last two batches of cows and calves were weaned this week. The weaning procedure remained constant, with cows and calves housed in adjoining pens, then allowed to suckle 24 hours later, before calves were removed out of sight of cows to straw bedding.

Calves are being offered ad-lib silage along with 2kg of concentrates, with this level of supplementation continuing when calves are released back outdoors.

Steers and heifers weaned two to three weeks ago have settled well.

Weanlings are being fed twice daily, with 1kg per head offered morning and evening. This is also helping herding and identifying any health issues which to date have not occurred.

Utilisation is being helped by paddocks being temporarily split.

As calves were grazing ahead of cows by passing under a raised electric wire, two strands are being used, which is keeping good control of weanlings.