Throughout all three phases of the BETTER Farm NI programme, calving heifers at 24 months of age has been demonstrated to be the most profitable option for rearing replacements.
The programme has also shown that homebred heifers reduce disease risks and extend the longevity of breeding females, as opposed to buying in replacements with an unknown history.
Margins in suckler beef production are tight. Therefore, the sooner heifers come into production, the sooner they start generating income with a saleable calf.
Hitting these targets reduces the risk of animals being stunted
Just over 20% of suckler replacements calve down at 24 months of age. One of the big barriers to calving heifers at 24 old is having animals well developed in terms of size and weight.
As a rule of thumb, getting heifers to a minimum breeding weight of 420kg at 15 months of age is crucial to calve replacements at 24 months.
This equates to around 60% of mature cow weight, with the second target to have heifers calving down at 90% of mature cow weight. Hitting these targets reduces the risk of animals being stunted and increases the chances of getting heifers back in-calf again.
Key period
For spring calving herds aiming to calve heifers at 24 months, the winter period is crucial in terms of management.
All too often, weight gains are too low, meaning heifers are too light for breeding when they go back to grass.
Take a March/April calving herd with heifer calves housed on 1 November at 280kg.
If the aim is to put heifers to the bull on 1 June at 15 months of age and 420kg liveweight, they have to gain 140kg in 212 days.
Weight gain
This equates to an average daily gain of 0.66kg/day over the outlined period, which does not appear excessive.
However, where winter feed programmes are based on average quality silage, along with 1kg to 2kg/day of concentrate, weight gains will be closer to 0.4kg/day during the housing period.
At a turnout date of 1 April, heifers gaining 0.4kg/day will weigh 350kg, compared to 399kg for animals gaining 0.66kg day.
Allowing for a short period for heifers to adjust to the grazing diet and the challenge of hitting target breeding weight becomes a real issue for animals at the lower weight gain.
Rearing costs
Table 1 compares the basic costs of rearing heifer replacements to calve at 24 and 36 months of age.
The example outlined is based on spring-born heifers with an average date of birth on 1 March with a target calving date also in early March.
From the costs outlined, there is a net benefit of £197 by calving 12 months earlier. The example excludes the potential sale value from selling a calf one year earlier with 24 month calving.
A cost of £750 is included as a starting point to cover the cost of keeping the cow and calf unit from birth to weaning on 1 October.
The example is also a good reference point to consider the merits of buying in replacements compared to home-bred animals.
Separate heifers for priority managementSeparating potential replacements now allows them to receive priority management and feeding over winter. Target high quality silage and concentrates to this group to achieve weight gains of 0.6kg to 0.7kg/day, depending on target breeding weight.
Weigh regularlyWeighing heifers every four to six weeks will allow for close monitoring of performance. If calves are falling below their target weight gain, it is easier to take early action to address the problem through feeding or increasing housing space.
Healthy cattleTo optimise animal performance, ensure they have been treated for all internal and external parasites such as fluke and lice. Clipping cattle before applying a pour-on product will increase how effective the treatment is.
Early turnoutEar mark replacement heifers for early grazing next spring, to boost weight gains from grass. As the heifers will be lighter than cows, they are better suited to early grazing as soon as ground conditions permit. Keep replacements on high quality grass throughout the summer to maintain high weight gains before housing next autumn.
Use easy calving siresUsing an easy calving stock bull or an AI sire that is proven for calving ease is recommended for heifers that will calve down at 24 months of age. Where heifers experience less calving difficulty, they are more likely to come back in heat and settle in-calf again.
Read more
World meat production to fall for first time in 20 years
Newford update: slaughter performance of 2018-born progeny
Throughout all three phases of the BETTER Farm NI programme, calving heifers at 24 months of age has been demonstrated to be the most profitable option for rearing replacements.
The programme has also shown that homebred heifers reduce disease risks and extend the longevity of breeding females, as opposed to buying in replacements with an unknown history.
Margins in suckler beef production are tight. Therefore, the sooner heifers come into production, the sooner they start generating income with a saleable calf.
Hitting these targets reduces the risk of animals being stunted
Just over 20% of suckler replacements calve down at 24 months of age. One of the big barriers to calving heifers at 24 old is having animals well developed in terms of size and weight.
As a rule of thumb, getting heifers to a minimum breeding weight of 420kg at 15 months of age is crucial to calve replacements at 24 months.
This equates to around 60% of mature cow weight, with the second target to have heifers calving down at 90% of mature cow weight. Hitting these targets reduces the risk of animals being stunted and increases the chances of getting heifers back in-calf again.
Key period
For spring calving herds aiming to calve heifers at 24 months, the winter period is crucial in terms of management.
All too often, weight gains are too low, meaning heifers are too light for breeding when they go back to grass.
Take a March/April calving herd with heifer calves housed on 1 November at 280kg.
If the aim is to put heifers to the bull on 1 June at 15 months of age and 420kg liveweight, they have to gain 140kg in 212 days.
Weight gain
This equates to an average daily gain of 0.66kg/day over the outlined period, which does not appear excessive.
However, where winter feed programmes are based on average quality silage, along with 1kg to 2kg/day of concentrate, weight gains will be closer to 0.4kg/day during the housing period.
At a turnout date of 1 April, heifers gaining 0.4kg/day will weigh 350kg, compared to 399kg for animals gaining 0.66kg day.
Allowing for a short period for heifers to adjust to the grazing diet and the challenge of hitting target breeding weight becomes a real issue for animals at the lower weight gain.
Rearing costs
Table 1 compares the basic costs of rearing heifer replacements to calve at 24 and 36 months of age.
The example outlined is based on spring-born heifers with an average date of birth on 1 March with a target calving date also in early March.
From the costs outlined, there is a net benefit of £197 by calving 12 months earlier. The example excludes the potential sale value from selling a calf one year earlier with 24 month calving.
A cost of £750 is included as a starting point to cover the cost of keeping the cow and calf unit from birth to weaning on 1 October.
The example is also a good reference point to consider the merits of buying in replacements compared to home-bred animals.
Separate heifers for priority managementSeparating potential replacements now allows them to receive priority management and feeding over winter. Target high quality silage and concentrates to this group to achieve weight gains of 0.6kg to 0.7kg/day, depending on target breeding weight.
Weigh regularlyWeighing heifers every four to six weeks will allow for close monitoring of performance. If calves are falling below their target weight gain, it is easier to take early action to address the problem through feeding or increasing housing space.
Healthy cattleTo optimise animal performance, ensure they have been treated for all internal and external parasites such as fluke and lice. Clipping cattle before applying a pour-on product will increase how effective the treatment is.
Early turnoutEar mark replacement heifers for early grazing next spring, to boost weight gains from grass. As the heifers will be lighter than cows, they are better suited to early grazing as soon as ground conditions permit. Keep replacements on high quality grass throughout the summer to maintain high weight gains before housing next autumn.
Use easy calving siresUsing an easy calving stock bull or an AI sire that is proven for calving ease is recommended for heifers that will calve down at 24 months of age. Where heifers experience less calving difficulty, they are more likely to come back in heat and settle in-calf again.
Read more
World meat production to fall for first time in 20 years
Newford update: slaughter performance of 2018-born progeny
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