Beef management: housing cattle to prevent sward damage

Strom Francis brought torrential rain to parts of the country, leaving grazing ground saturated and unsuitable for carrying livestock.

Where farms operating on heavier land are struggling to keep animals from damaging swards, then consider the option of housing for a short period to allow land to recover.

Not all animals have to be housed, so prioritise what can be brought indoors. Chances are that dry autumn cows are already housed for calving.

Priority stock

For cows that calve in January, is there scope to house and wean the strongest calves? These cows could remain inside for a week to 10 days on a silage or straw diet to dry off.

This would take some pressure off grazing ground and give swards a chance to recover. The calves could return to grass as soon as conditions allow.

Strong stores destined for winter finishing could also be housed early. These animals will be gaining nowhere near 1kg/day on wet grass, so early housing will increase weight gains.

Smaller groups

With forward cattle housed, this will free up ground. Cows and calves could be spread out over the whole farm in smaller groups if grazing in bigger numbers on rotation is no longer a reality.

Housing

Weather is expected to be more settled by the end of the week. Farmers need to assess ground conditions and look at how many paddocks will be available for grazing in the weeks ahead.

Be realistic about things. As we move into September, shorter days means less drying opportunities. Hopefully, there will be a spell of good weather still to come to carry stock well into autumn.

But if it remains wet and temporarily housing part of the herd is the best option, look to bring in small groups of cattle every few days, while animals are dry.

Housing animals in smaller groups means you can spread cattle out in sheds, reducing stocking density and the risk of respiratory problems.

Ensure there is plenty of airflow in sheds. Do not house young stock in sheds that are stuffy, as this will lead to a pneumonia outbreak.

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