Beef management: ration formulation and autumn breeding

Ration formulation

With animals being housed across the country, many farmers are looking to winter feed purchases. 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.

Energy is the most important feed value when feeding finishing cattle, with protein and energy important when feeding autumn-calved cows, sucking calves and weanlings. The table below lists some commonly used ingredients.

Cereals will be highest in energy while soya bean meal and rapeseed meal and maize distillers are all good sources of protein. 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.

Autumn breeding

Many autumn-calving herds have started breeding in the last week. Cows bred this week will calve in mid-August 2019. While a good deal of autumn herds will have used stock bulls when cows were outdoors, as cows are housed, it could be an opportunity to try some AI.

Using a highly reliable, high-replacement index bull may give the option of keeping some heifer calves as replacements next year from highly proven AI bulls. If using AI sires, use a number of sires as this will increase the overall reliability of the team of bulls.

The key point in achieving high conception rates to AI is achieving high heat detection rates. Cows will not express heat as well indoors, especially on slippery surfaces. Heat activity will increase were cows have access to a straw bedded area or open yard. Heat detection aids like tail-paint or the use of a vasectomised bull are also very important.

Check cows a couple of times a day if you can. Be safety conscious when moving cows from slatted pens to the crush and yard area. Best conception rates will be achieved by inseminating cows 12-18 hours after standing heat.