Gareth Peoples, participant in the Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Campaign and Signpost Programme, takes time out to reflect on the year just gone – focusing on grass growth and animal performance.

Farming rarely gives you a perfect run, but all in all last year was a good year on our farm, particularly in terms of weather, grass growth, animal performance and how cattle ultimately performed at slaughter in recent weeks.

Weather-wise, we were luckier than many seasons gone by. Spring was slow enough, but kind enough to allow a reasonably early turnout, which made a big difference from the start. Getting cattle out on time took pressure off housing and silage stocks and gave grass a chance to get motoring. Once stock were out, ground conditions held up well for most of the year, even during wetter spells. That meant less damage to ground, fewer setbacks and cattle staying at grass longer than usual.

Grass

Grass growth was probably the biggest positive of the year. Growth was steady throughout the season, which resulted in high-quality grass being kept in front of stock for the majority of the grazing period. The work done in recent years on soil fertility and reseeding really showed this year, and it’s encouraging when you can see a return from that effort. When grass got ahead of us, we were able to take out surplus bales. This ensured quality grass was maintained in front of stock, while also producing some high-quality silage bales that will be very welcome later in the spring.

The favourable weather also gave us the opportunity to get some reseeding done and to top up lime where required. These are jobs that can often be delayed or pushed back, so getting them done in good conditions should stand to us in the years ahead and help drive grass growth and utilisation into the future.

Good grass nearly always leads to good animal performance, and this year was no different. Cattle performed very well at grass, with daily liveweight gains remaining strong throughout the season. Calves performed strongly, growing consistently without any major checks.

Animal performance

From a finishing point of view, slaughter performance was another area that went well, and at the end of the day it is the final piece of the jigsaw. Animals were presented at the factory in good condition, meeting target weights and fat scores without being overdone. This was reflected in solid kill-out percentages and a consistent performance across the group. To date this year, steers have averaged a carcass weight of 326kg at just over 24 months of age, which is a result of steady performance throughout their lifetime rather than any last-minute push.

Keeping slaughter age as low as practically possible is something we have improved in recent years and is an area we will aim to make further improvements in, not just from a cost point of view but also from an environmental perspective. Every extra day an animal is on the farm adds to its overall carbon footprint, so consistent growth and avoiding unnecessary delays in slaughter are key.

There were still challenges along the way. There always are but overall it was a year to be thankful for. As the winter progresses, the focus will be on holding onto the gains made this year and carrying those lessons forward. If we can continue to get grass right and keep cattle performing, it puts the farm in a much stronger position to face whatever the next season brings.

The above article first appeared in the Farming Independent as part of a Signpost Programme update.

Find out more about the Teagasc Signpost Programme here.

Keep up to date with the latest happenings from the Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Campaign here.