Housing

Housing continues to take place across the country as ground conditions deteriorate. Keep a close eye on stock for a few days after housing. This is a stressful time and cattle are prone to pneumonia with the change to surroundings.

Leave doors of sheds open if you can to increase ventilation. Front load meal to make sure cattle are getting enough energy for first few weeks. Underfed cattle will be more prone to illness.

Ration composition

This week we have a special concentrate feeding focus. Check out pages 49-52 for more detail on feeding strategies and ration composition. Meal prices have come back this year, so it’s important to seek out good value when making your purchases.

The cheapest isn’t always the best value, and it’s important to take a look at rations and what’s in them. Meal companies are not required to publish the energy content of their rations but are required by law to list ingredients in descending order on inclusion rate.

If purchasing a ration, look for an inclusion rate of the different ingredients to make sure you are getting good value. Keep things as simple as you can with a good energy source, a good protein source and some fibre.

Suckler Marts Roadshow

The Irish Farmers Journal in association with Progressive Genetics are launching a suckler marts roadshow this week.

The Irish Farmers Journal livestock team is taking a look at important schemes and deadlines to be aware of over the next couple of weeks to make sure there are no delays in payments during the month of December.

We will also give a market outlook for the beef trade and the weanling trade for the rest of 2024, and what the market prospects look like for 2025.

The next part of the evening will focus on animal health, where a local vet will outline some important points in relation to keeping animals healthy this winter.

What products to use when dosing for liver fluke and when to use them, dosing for worms and keeping cattle free of lice will all be covered.

Feeding weanlings will also be covered, including what levels of feeding are required to hot target weight gains during the housing period.

Each evening, there will be a live suckler cow and calf demonstration and discussion showcasing suckler animals, including cow and calf pairs and high-quality weanlings, giving a firsthand look at how the sires are performing on-farm.

Admission is free, and tea/coffee and refreshments will be served after each event.