Weanling management: Every year we see weanlings that don’t perform to their potential over the winter housing period. Poor growth rates can lead to reduced sale weights, delayed time to finish and increased cost of feeding. This poor performance can be due to a variety of reasons, including incorrect feeding. Where silage quality is poor you will need to supplement with more concentrates to hit a target liveweight gain of 0.6-0.8kg/day over the housing period. Table 1 outlines the supplementation levels required for different classes of stock. The first step is to get your silage analysed so you know what you are working with.

Make sure you are dosing for the correct parasites and be careful around life stages. Some products don’t kill all stages so time the dose appropriately. Make sure weanlings have access to clean water and observe them eating to make sure feed barriers/rails are at the correct height. Weanlings should be housed in a well-ventilated shed. Lying space is the final piece of the jigsaw. Make sure weanlings have enough lying space. Weanlings at 300kg housed in slatted pens should have 2-2.2m2 each.

BEEP-S and BDGP: Make sure you are up to date with both BEEP-S and BDGP. In BDGP you need 50% of your herd (reference number of animals) genotyped four- or five-star on 31 October. Some farmers I spoke to over the last few weeks plan to sell some cows after the deadline. There will be a rollover of the scheme in 2021 with a likelihood of the same conditions attached so don’t get rid of all the four- and five-star cows just yet. In BEEP-S, weights and faecal egg samples must be submitted by 1 November to be eligible for payment in 2020.

Tullamore Farm heifer sale: The Tullamore Farm in-calf heifer sale takes place on Wednesday 21 October in Central Auctions, Roscrea, Co Tipperary, at 7.30pm. There are 24 in-calf heifers and five maiden heifers entered. All heifers are spring 2019-born with most sired by AI sires like ZAG, QCD, Biouvac, AHC and Curaheen Earp. Heifers have been bred to calve at two years old in January/February and March 2021 and are in calf to LM2014, EBY, Ulsan and a Salers stock bull. Most of the heifers are genotyped four- and five-star and are eligible for the BDGP scheme. Heifers have all been vaccinated for BVD and Leptospirosis and will be available for viewing from 4pm on the day of the sale. For photo and videos of the heifers, click here.