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Doubling cow numbers over the past four years has been the main driver of profitability on Jonathan Blair’s farm, lifting gross margin per hectare from £62 in 2016 to £749 in 2019.
Hosting a virtual farm walk last week, Jonathan outlined the factors that enabled his suckler herd to double and how herd management has evolved to cope with increased numbers.
“The key thing to increasing the cow numbers on our farm has been improving grassland management. We are growing more grass and able to utilise it much better through our paddock system, which lets us carry more stock on the same land base” said Jonathan.
Background
Jonathan farms alongside his father, Joe. The farm traditionally carried 40 Limousin-cross cows bred back to a Limousin or Angus stock bull. Cattle were sold both as stores and taken through to slaughter.
Surplus heifers and cull cows are finished, along with 50% of male progeny finished as young bulls, with the remainder killed as steers
Since joining the programme, Jonathan has introduced a lot more Stabiliser breeding, as well as retaining Angus genetics.
Cow numbers now stand at 98 breeding females scanned in-calf this autumn. Surplus heifers and cull cows are finished, along with 50% of male progeny finished as young bulls, with the remainder killed as steers.
Breeding
“Our target is to calve down 90 cows and replacements in the spring. We served 34 homebred heifers to AI using the Moocall system to pick up heats.
“I also watch cows for signs of heat. Heifers were served over a 12-week period with 30 animals scanned in-calf this autumn.
“Of the empty animals, one heifer had a cyst, one had small ovaries and one had poor temperament. Overall, I am happy with the scanning results.
It is easier on labour compared to bringing in cows with calves for inseminating
“There are 68 cows settled in-calf from 73 animals put to the Angus and Stabiliser stock bulls over a 10-week period.
“We have used AI on some of the top cows before, but have decided on natural service from now on.
“It is easier on labour compared to bringing in cows with calves for inseminating. Heifers will still be served to AI as they are easier to move.
“Heifers graze in three paddocks, split in 10 allocations, next to the handling unit. They move every few days and are quiet, which helps with conception as animals are not stressed,” said Jonathan.
With increased cow numbers, and such a compact calving block, there is greater emphasis on herd health.
Jonathan works closely with his farm vet Craig Campbell, from Drumahoe Veterinary Clinic.
Parasites are dynamic, so treatment dates cannot be set in stone
During the webinar, Craig spoke about the preventative approach to herd health planning on the farm. The farm no longer follows a routine, calendar approach to parasite control. Instead, worm and fluke control is based on faecal samples.
“Parasites are dynamic, so treatment dates cannot be set in stone. Faecal egg counts (FEC) are used to determine when to dose,” said Craig. “The same applies to other problems. For example, this year, dung samples showed that coccidiosis materialised much later than other years, so treatment was delayed. If Jonathan had treated animals at the same times as other years, it would have been a waste of money and there would have been ineffective cover when the problem did arise.”
When to sample
When taking FEC samples, Craig said it should coincide with noticeable changes in animal’s body condition, lack of gut fill and poor weight gains when weighing.“Take fresh samples from 10% to 20% of the main herd, or around five animals from a group of 15 to 20 animals. Collect at least 10g per animal and keep samples as uniform as possible. Don’t just take samples from animals with noticeable scouring, collect sample from animals with no symptoms also.”
Benefits
Craig sits down with Jonathan and Joe every year and reviews the areas that need addressing. Craig said: “The benefit of reviewing herd health is getting away from the fire brigade approach of trying to limit the damage diseases cause. Going back five years, the herd had issues with Lepto. Too many cows held cleanings and there was also a lot of early embryonic death.
Overall, I am doing far less calls to treat sick animals on the farm
“Cows are now vaccinated for BVD and Lepto and this has rectified the problem. Overall, I am doing far less calls to treat sick animals on the farm. Any calls are generally for scanning and a problem at calving time.”
The herd has a comprehensive vaccine programme that covers BVD, Lepto, IBR and pneumonia at a combined cost of £33/cow.
Cattle performance
Herd fertility has also benefited from good health planning, as well as having a high percentage of young cows in the herd.
Calving interval in 2020 was 365 days, 361 days in 2019 and 362 days in 2018. Combining proactive herd health with better genetics has increased cattle performance. Bulls finished in 2020 averaged 0.88kg/day of carcase gain from birth to slaughter, up from 0.86kg/day in 2019 and level with 0.88kg/day in 2018.
Bullocks
The 2019 born bullocks did experience a set back from mid-June to August. These animals weighed 320kg when turned out on 3 April.
By mid-June, the group had averaged 1.2kg/day at grass. However, weight gains fell back to 0.3kg/day by August.
Parasite burdens
FEC samples showed a high level of gut worms, along with liver and rumen fluke, after a wet spell during warm conditions.
After treatment, bullocks started thriving again and weight gains increased to 1.1kg/day before housing on 14 September.
Overall, the group gained 0.9kg/day at grass. But animals are lighter than planned going into the shed, which will delay finishing date next spring.
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