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It will be impossible to keep everyone happy when it comes to divvying out the €100m Brexit fund. I’m not sure what we stand to gain from the BEAM scheme as there’s different noises coming from the various farm organisations about it.
Given the collapse in beef price since its announcement, BEAM tranche might be a more appropriate title.
TB testing is out of the way for another year, fingers crossed. I had hoped the young bulls would have gone before testing, but it wasn’t to be and the remaining six meant testing took longer. To save time, dung samples were taken the first morning of the test.
The results showed very low worm egg counts so instead of blanket dosing all the calves and cattle under two, eight of the first-calvers and three maiden heifers that were in poorer condition got a worm dose. The situation will be reappraised ahead of scanning, which will hopefully be the next time the cattle are back in the yards.
Breeding
Breeding is now heading for the home straight. The bull with the heifers was moved to the main cow group to tidy up anything missed by AI. His new status as bull to the mature cows has gone to his head, and he’s become far more cocky and vocal since arriving back from the out farm. Perhaps he didn’t have to show off in front of the heifers, as they were his peers from the 2018 calves. But he’s more than making up for it now.
After another two weeks he will be removed from the cows and go for finishing. He’s a bit too nervous and I don’t want that trait around the place. A replacement bull calf has been identified for next year and we’re considering different purchasing options for an out cross.
Last month’s bull lameness means cows will get 10 weeks with a bull this year, instead of seven. After getting all the calving wrapped up at the end of April, I’ll have to accept a few May 2020 calves.
Phenomenal grass growth
In terms of grass, it’s been a phenomenal year so far. More silage was made on the farm this year than any other year and all of it came in less than a 10-week window. There was an opportunity to make more if we wanted, but having discussed the options and recalling last year, we decided to hold tough. The standard grazing rules were thrown out and in recent weeks the cows have grazed heavier covers than recommended. It’s slowed down the rotation and there’s the cushion of having bales if required. The finishing heifers are probably the only group eating their way through the standard covers. Aside from paddocks cut for silage, there was 10ac topped, so it’s up to the cows to get through the rest.
Heifers on holiday
The out farm is near Dad, so the heifers and young cows are under his care for the summer. An in-house contract-rearing system, you could say. With plenty of grass available over there; a reel, a roll of poly-wire and 10 steel posts were purchased, instead of baling more and spreading extra fertiliser. As if there weren’t enough reels already, but there’s a serious return on them. Dad’s plan is to back fence the heifers, and let the cows tidy up anything too strong. The calves are creep grazing at their own steam so they’ll get the type of grass best suited to them. We’ll know at weighing time how they’ve done compared to other years.
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