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Store cattle and spring-born weanlings should now be settled in the shed and have adapted to the winter diet.
Therefore, it is a good time to weigh these cattle and get a handle on liveweight during the early stage of the housing period.
Weighing cattle every six to 10 weeks - depending on the handling set-up, time pressure and availability of help - will give a good handle on animal performance.
Using this data, the diet can be tweaked by altering the level of meal fed or even changing the ration if necessary. Weighing will also flag up any underlying health issues or over-stocking in the shed.
Prioritise
Cattle to prioritise for weighing includes stores that will finish out of the shed next spring, stores and weanlings that will be sold live in spring 2024 and maiden heifers retained for breeding.
Weighing heifers is recommended, as it will help keep animals on track to hit their target breeding weight.
Even if stores are going back to grass, it is still good practice to weigh cattle shortly after housing, midway through the housing period and again at turnout.
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