DairyBeef 500 Newsletter December
Red clover silage | Winter weanling management | Finishing supplementation | Winter dosing | Spanish beef
Red clover silage in Roscommon
Martin Connolly farms part time just outside the village of Castleplunket, Co. Roscommon, where he operates a calf to bull beef system. The farm consists of 60ha of grassland, which is divided in four main blocks within a three-mile radius of the yard. The land itself can be described as a heavy type soil, which would be typical of the area. Approximately 140 Holstein Friesian male calves are reared annually – all of which are slaughtered as bulls at approximately 21 months. One of Martin’s main aims over recent years has been improving animal performance without increasing the levels of concentrate input. Improvements in grassland management and silage quality have paid dividends, resulting in increased animal performance. Carcass weights in the bulls slaughtered to date this year are on average 334kg – an increase of 13kg from the 321kg average recorded for the same period in 2021, while the average age has reduced by 20 days.
Why red clover?
With input costs increasing drastically this year, Martin explored various cost saving options that would not only cut costs but also maintain high levels of animal performance. From researching red clover, Martin was impressed with its enhanced ability over grass-only swards to maintain high levels of herbage production and animal performance from significantly lower levels of chemical nitrogen fertiliser. In early June the decision was made to reseed 10ac of grass to a red clover sward to see if these benefits could be obtained in his system. In preparation for tilling, any weeds and grasses were burned off with 2L/ac of glyphosate. 10 days post spraying, 10t/ac of farmyard yard manure was spread on the ground and was subsequently ploughed in. After ploughing, the ground was given two passes of a power harrow to ensure a firm and fine seedbed. On the second pass, 16kg/acre of seed was sown. The reseed received three bags of 10-10-20 per acre to provide adequate N, P and K for growth and root development, as well as lime to neutralise the acids created during trash decay. A clover-safe, post-emergence spray, was applied five weeks post sowing to control weeds.
Results to date
To date, the red clover sward has performed exceptionally well. It delivered two high-quality cuts of silage with Table 1 illustrating the analysis. The first cut, which yielded 4.8 bales per acre, was harvested on August 8. Subsequently 2000 gallons/ac of cattle slurry was then applied for the second cut. Cut on September 25, it yielded 4.5 bales per acre. At this stage the majority of the first cut of red clover has been fed out and overall Martin is satisfied. One concern though – given the climate and the land type for the area – is the ability to graze any covers that grow in the autumn. The high temperatures this autumn has meant growth rates have remained high and Martin has found this to be particularly evident in the red clover sward where growth has been exceptional. To date, over 5ac of the red clover has been grazed, but the wet weather has stalled grazing, as Martin was fearful of causing any damage to the crown of the red clover plant that would result in reduced persistency. Aware of the importance of cleaning the sward to allow light to the base of the sward to ensure persistence of clover, Martin will monitor the situation and if the opportunity arises a light grazing will be given.
Table 1: Analysis of red clover silage on Martin Connolly’s farm
| Unit of measure | First cut | Second cut |
|---|---|---|
| Dry matter (%) | 33.3 | 25 |
| pH | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Ammonia – N (% N) | 6.3 | 5.3 |
| NDF (% DM) | 42.7 | 44.9 |
| DMD (%) | 73.6 | 75.4 |
| ME (MJ/kg DM) | 10.6 | 10.9 |
| UFV/UFL (unit/kg DM) | 0.92 | 0.95 |
| Crude protein (% DM) | 13.93 | 15.4 |
| Ash (% DM) | 9.82 | 8.8 |
Managing dairy-beef weanlings over the winter months
With the winter here, it is important that dairy calf to beef producers have a feeding plan in place for the coming months. At this stage, the quantity and quality of the silage that you have in your yard can’t be changed. However, a plan needs to be drawn up to take into account the amount of forage available on the farm, the forage quality and required performance of animals. Too often the winter period is often an area where many calf to beef producers struggle to hit the average daily gain (ADG) targets that are required. The management of these weanlings over the winter is a very important factor in achieving a margin from this enterprise as unnecessary costs or a lack of performance when it comes to the finishing stage for these animals will occur. This may lead to either longer finishing periods or the production of lighter carcasses – both of which will have negative impacts on the potential profitability of the system.
The primary aim of the winter housing period on calf to beef farms is to ensure weanlings are ready to thrive at grass next spring. So the ideal target weight gain for weanlings over the winter is 0.6kg/head/day. Over a 120 day winter, this amounts to 72kg of weight gain. There is no evidence that having a higher ADG over the first winter will lead to earlier finishing or heavier carcass weights, as compensatory growth will occur when cattle get to grass in the spring. However, if silage quality is poor and meal supplementation is not adjusted accordingly, animals coming out of the sheds next spring will be too far behind the target weight to avail of compensatory growth and consequently will not reach target weights later on in life.
In the below video, Teagasc DairyBeef 500 advisor Fergal Maguire highlights some of the key factors to consider.
Dry matter digestibility (DMD) is the primary factor influencing the nutritive value of grass silage and consequently the performance of cattle. Target animal growth rates during the first winter can be achieved on grass silage supplemented with concentrates as outlined in Table 2. Low DMD silage means higher levels of concentrate supplementation have to be used to achieve the same growth rates; this highlights the importance of having good silage ‘quality’ for growing cattle. Without carrying out a silage analysis, you are likely to be losing money through either overfeeding unnecessary expensive concentrates (70+ DMD silage scenario) or missing out on weight gain targets (60 DMD silage scenario)
Table 2: Average daily gains from different silage qualities and meal
|
Silage quality (DMD) |
ADG on silage alone (kg/day) |
Meal needed (kg/day) to gain 0.6kg ADG |
Meal feeding cost (120 days) (€/head at €440/t)
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | +0.5 | 0.5 | €26 |
| 70 | +0.35 | 1.5 | €79 |
| 65 | +0.2 | 2 | €105 |
| 60 | 0 | 3 | €132 |
Typically weanlings require 13–14% crude protein in their diet. If your grass silage analysis comes back at less than 12% protein, it then needs to be balanced with concentrates with a 15-16% crude protein content. However, if the silage analysis is greater than 12% for crude protein than a 14% ration is adequate. What is often forgotten is that energy is the most important nutrient required by growing cattle. Concentrates fed should be medium to high in energy (0.90-0.96UFL). Concentrates that have high levels of cereals, pulps and soya are ideal for weanlings.
Shed considerations
Careful attention should be paid to the size of the shed available, as overcrowding can lead to a significant reduction in animal performance. Many farmers undervalue the critical role that good ventilation in their cattle housing plays in achieving good animal performance. A good movement of air throughout the shed will help keep cattle healthy, which allows them to thrive. Don’t overstock sheds and ensure ventilation is sufficient. The two space requirements that need consideration are floor space and feeding space (Table 3).
Table 3: Floor space and feeding space requirements
| Floor space requirements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Slatted housing | Straw bedded housing | |
| Cattle >275kg | 2 – 2.5 m2/animal | 4m2/animal |
| Cattle <275kg | 1.2 – 1.5m2/animal | 2.4 – 3m2/animal |
| Feeding space requirements | ||
| Ad-lib roughage | 225 – 300 mm/head | |
| Restricted roughage | 400-500mm/head | |
| Concentrate supplementation | 400-500mm/head | |
Concentrate supplementation for finishing stock
While the cost of gaining weight indoors on a forage and concentrate diet is much higher than at grass, if correct levels of thrive are achieved on finishing stock they should come close to covering their costs in most years. For dairy-bred steers, a target of 1.0-1.05kg/day should be achieved on top quality silage and 5-6 kg concentrates. Dairy-bred heifers should achieve around 0.85-0.9kg/day indoors to finish on top quality silage plus 3-4 kg of concentrates. All finishing cattle should be weighed at housing and again mid-way through the finishing period to assess performance. If cattle are not hitting weight gain targets, changes may be needed to some aspect of the finishing regime on the farm be it concentrate type or rate fed, space allowance, parasite control or water quality and quantity. Changes made early on can avoid extra expense later in the winter.
Balancing diets on silage quality
It is unlikely you will be able to finish animals on grass silage alone, even with very good quality (high dry matter digestibility) silage. Some concentrate supplementation will be needed, however the better the quality of silage offered (in excess of 72 DMD), the less concentrates required to finish animals. When feeding a fixed total quantity of supplementary concentrates over a set finishing period, it doesn’t make any difference to performance whether you feed it at a flat rate, at a stepped increasing rate or ad-lib towards the end of the finishing period. There are no animal performance or feed efficiency benefits from feeding the same quantities of silage and concentrates as a total mixed ration or separately. In the below video, DairyBeef 500 Campaign Manager gives an overview of the key factors to consider with winter finishing.
Additional meal supplementation will be required to improve the overall energy/protein density of the diet where silage quality is sub-optimal. Growing and finishing animals have varying requirements for energy and protein – one concentrate will not do both. This can create practical issues for farmers finishing smaller numbers where one meal bin is used on farm. Ensure animals are adequately provided with minerals, either through the concentrate or additional supplementation.
How much meal is required over the winter?
Table 4 below outlines how much concentrate is required based on various silage qualities. A silage test carried out by a lab is essential to establish the quality of silage you are feeding.
Table 4: Guideline daily feeding rates based on silage quality (DMD)
| Animal type | ADG | 66DMD | 68DMD | 70DMD | 72DMD | 74DMD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finishing steer | 1kg/day | 7kg | 6kg | 5.5kg | 5.0kg | 4.0kg |
| Finishing heifer | 0.9kg/day | 7kg* | 6kg | 5.5kg | 5.0kg | 4.0kg |
Ration spec for finishing cattle
Energy is typically the most limiting factor in beef diets. In terms of rations, >0.92UFV is necessary for finishing rations. After energy, protein is the next limiting factor in the winter diet of dairy-beef animals. Always balance the protein content of the concentrate with the protein content of silage. 11-14% is needed for finishing rations. Minerals need to be provided in the ration or separately. The percentage of different ingredients in your ration will dictate the level of energy and protein. Some farmers buy a ration based purely on the protein content, when in fact they should be buying it based firstly on the level of energy, and then on the percentage of protein. Both are critical for liveweight gain over the winter. Feedstuffs in Ireland are assigned two net energy values – UFL (for lactating animals) and UFV (for maintenance and weight gain in finishing animals). One UFL is equal to the energy content of 1kg of air dried barley and all feed ingredients are expressed relative to barley. Table 5 shows that some ingredients have lower levels of energy than others, e.g., palm kernel has only 85% of the energy of barley and wheat feed has only 75%, even though in both cases they have a higher protein value. Every farmer should know what ingredients are in their ration. If you look at the label on the bag or the delivery docket, it will list the ingredients in descending order, i.e., highest inclusion rates to lowest inclusion rates. Most compounders bind rations together with molasses at 2-5% inclusion rates, so any ingredients listed after molasses are at very low levels. Minerals and vitamins are also a key component of any ration and will be included at rates of 2% in most rations.
Table 5: Ingredient value and function
| Ingredient | UFV | Crude protein % | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barley | 1.0 | 9.7 | Energy |
| Maize grain | 1.04 | 8.7 | Energy |
| Wheat | 1.0 | 9.7 | Energy |
| Soya bean meal | 1.02 | 48 | Protein |
| Distillers grain | 1.00 | 26.6 | Protein |
| Corn gluten | 0.86 | 20.6 | Protein |
| Citrus pulp | 0.92 | 6 | Digestible fibre |
| Soya hulls | 0.87 | 10.5 | Digestible fibre |
| Palm kernel | 0.84 | 14.6 | Digestible fibre |
Winter dosing
Like all livestock production systems, animal health is one of the main factors that underpin animal performance in dairy-beef systems. An important factor in maintaining animal health is keeping them free from both internal and external parasites. Parasites can have a significant impact on animal performance, therefore it is imperative that stock are free from burdens to prevent any impact in performance over the costly indoor phase.
Worms
Worms can be an issue in dairy calf to beef systems and especially in younger stock. Stomach and gut worm levels can be monitored using dung sampling and, if detected, dosing is recommended. Likewise dung sampling a few weeks after treatment is good practice to ensure the product used gave an effective treatment. When choosing a product, it is important that all stages of stomach worms are treated; if larvae are not treated, they can become dormant over the winter and then reappear as type II ostertagiosis in the spring and these can cause severe disease in animals. Yellow drenches derived from the active ingredient levamisole are not effective in treating these larvae, whereas clear drenches (macrocyclic lactone) and certain white drenches (benzimidazoles) will provide effective treatment. In the case of lungworm, monitoring for clinical signs such as a husky cough or difficult breathing is the best way to identify if there is an issue. Heavy infestations can lead to respiratory disease, therefore a pre-housing treatment is recommended to ensure animals are clean of any burden before housing. As regards treatment and control, most available anthelminthics are effective against larval and adult lungworms. Levamisole and white drenches will take out what parasites are there on the day of treatment, but will have no residual affect. Macrocyclic Lactones such as ivermectins will give longer protection.
Liver fluke
With the high levels of rainfall and mild temperatures this autumn having provided the ideal conditions for fluke to thrive in, farmers across the country need to assess the situation on their farm and take action to deal with any potential issue. Lack of thrive, poor appetite and reduced weight gain are all ill effects of liver fluke infestations, therefore farmers need to act early to prevent any issue. Once eaten, fluke start to feed and grow. It takes approximately twelve weeks for fluke to reach adult stage. At this point they commence producing eggs. These eggs pass out in the faeces of the animal and – when conditions are suitable – they hatch and use the mud snail to continue the life cycle. During this twelve week period, the fluke are classified according to their stage of development:
- First 5-6 weeks – early immature fluke
- Weeks 6-10/11 – Immatue fluke
- Week 11+ – adult fluke
Faecal sampling can be used as an aid in monitoring liver fluke but, as eggs are only shed by mature fluke, farmers need to be cautious in waiting that long if there is issue on their farm. The Beef HealthCheck Programme, available on ICBF Herdplus, contains useful information of previous animals slaughtered on the farm and if any issues arose. There are a number of different flukicides on the market, but certain products are only effective against certain stages. Some of the flukicides are only effective against the adult stage, therefore careful thought needs to be given when deciding what product to use and the timing of the treatment. If using a product that only treats adult fluke, stock need to be in at least 11 weeks to ensure an effective treatment. In areas where burdens are high and farmers need to intervene quickly, triclabendazole-based products – which cover all three stages can be given a few weeks post housing. There is some known resistance to this product in certain parts of the county so precaution is advised. In other cases, there are a number of products that are also effective against mature and immature stages and these will give an effective treatment if administered six weeks after housing. When selecting a product examine the product label to check the stages treated. Table 6 outlines examples of actives useful in control of liver fluke in cattle and the stages treated.
Table 6: Active ingredients and stages treated
| Active ingredient | Early immature | Immature | Mature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triclabendazole | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Closantel | Yes | Yes | |
| Clorsulon | Yes | ||
| Oxyclozanide | Yes | ||
| Nitroxynil | Yes | Yes | |
| Rafoxanide | Yes | Yes | |
| Albendazole | Yes |
Rumen fluke
Rumen fluke is generally not as severe an issue in dairy-beef systems. In faecal tests, the majority of animals may show low levels of rumen fluke present, but treatment is not required unless clinical signs such as scouring and weight loss are evident. Oxyclozanide-based products are the only drug effective in the treatment of rumen fluke, therefore correct use is required to prevent resistance issues.
How do Spanish beef farms compare to Ireland?
DairyBeef 500 advisor, Sean Cummins, was on a recent episode of the Beef Edge podcast with interesting insights into the recent DairyBeef 500 farmer study trip to Spain. Over the course of the trip they visited a number of farms in the Catalonia region in the north-east of Spain, with the two main enterprises being calf to beef and suckler to beef. Listen to the podcast below.