Beef Welfare Scheme

We have received a number of queries as to whether you need to administer one shot or two shots of a pneumonia vaccine.

Reading the terms and conditions of the scheme, the Department of Agriculture are leaving it up to farmers to consult with their vets on the appropriate vaccination protocol that would benefit your farm the most.

There are some pneumonia vaccines which only require one shot, while others will require two.

It’s not just about claiming the €15, it’s about decreasing the chances of your animals getting pneumonia, so it’s important to talk to your vet on the options for your farm.

It’s also important that if a two-shot programme is needed to actually give the two, as if inspected and the required shots were not given there will be a penalty.

The €15/payment is the maximum you can claim regardless if you vaccinate against pneumonia, clostridial disease or both.

It’s the time of year where worm burdens are increasing at pasture, so if you’re bringing in the calves for a vaccine, think about dosing or even better taking a faecal sample from a few to see if it is required.

Applications close for the 2024 Beef Welfare Scheme on 24 September, and applications can be made through the agfood.ie portal.

Buying weanlings

While numbers are small at weanling sales, cattle are starting to come out, and there have been a few special weanling sales already around the country.

Trade is good, particularly at the top end of the market, but there is value out there – especially in lighter more average quality weanlings.

I saw a few Aberdeen Angus heifer weanlings sell for just over €2/kg in the last week, which would be ideal for grazing out fields in the back end.

Buying weanlings in early is a big advantage if you can graze them outdoors for the next few months. Allowing animals to settle before the stressful housing period also has major advantages.

Buying a 350kg weanling now as opposed to buying a 350kg weaning in October means you could have a weanling going into the shed 60kg heavier at minimum cost.

Grazing a 400kg weanling on grass will cost €1/day as opposed to costing over €2.50/day indoors, that’s a saving of €90 on feed costs and could be the difference in a positive or negative margin. If buying weanlings, try and look for store animals not pumped on meal.

First Calving heifers

First calved cows or heifers which have calved at 24 months for the first time need preferential treatment around this time of year, as they are still growing animals and need to be treated accordingly.

These animals should be weaned first to allow them regain some condition before housing. Trying to put on condition indoors will cost more, and calving problems can occur where you do this too close to calving.

Where these heifers are very thin with a condition score less than two, they should get 2-3kgs of concentrates and good quality grass to allow them pick up again.