Key management tips | Weight gain targets | 2021 slaughter performance

Key management tips

• Complete a cashflow budget for the year ahead, including budgeted fertiliser and concentrate spend
• Walk the farm and begin the 2022 grazing season if conditions allow
• Create a spring rotation plan and prioritise grazing with lighter stock
• Record turnout weights to evaluate winter performance and to monitor weight gains over the season ahead
• Focus on calf rearing; mix and feed milk consistently and be vigilant for signs of calf ill health
• Make a plan for silage in 2022; evaluate feed supplies remaining in the yard and prepare a budget for next winter
• Monitor the performance of finishing stock and draft regularly

Weight gain targets

Challenging weather conditions over the past week have delayed grazing on many of the farms enrolled in the Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef Programme. Before the grazing season gets underway, there’s an opportunity to refocus the mind on the target weights required from animals between now and housing next winter.

A failure to reach the desired levels of liveweight gain over the grazing season for yearling animals will result in additional feed – both silage and concentrate – to bring dairy-beef animals to market. And, regardless of the production system employed at farm level, rising input prices will leave no wiggle room for underperforming animals this year. Remember, a loss in performance at grazed grass will result in an additional spend on hard feeds.

Various production systems are employed by calf-to-beef farmers nationally. Below, the target daily weight gains over the second year on farm are presented on the basis of early-maturing (Angus and Hereford) and Holstein Friesian males.

Early-maturing weight gain targets

Angus and Hereford early-maturing animals play an important role in dairy-beef systems due to their ease of finishing. These animals represent ~35% of all births to dairy dams annually. Given the easy-finishing abilities of early-maturing heifers and their limited carcass weight potential at older ages, 19-21 month slaughtering before the second winter is the preferred finishing option. For this to occur at farm level, a daily weight gain of 0.9kg/head/day is required over the second season on farm.

With early-maturing steers, there’s an opportunity to market some of these animals off grass before the need to house. Achieved with concentrate inputs of approximately 180-240kg, offered over 60 days, research has shown these animals have the capacity to produce a 280kg carcass at 21 months. However, to achieve this, a daily weight gain of 0.9kg/head/day is required between turnout and slaughter.

Table 1: Second season weight gain targets for early-maturing heifers and steers

System	19-month heifer	21-month heifer	21-month steer	23-month steer
Calf DOB	April 1	February 1	February 1	February 1
Turnout weight (kg)	250	290	310	310
Target ADG (kg/head/day)	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.85

Holstein Friesian steer weight gain targets

Holstein Friesian steers are the most numerous animal available from the dairy herd for beef production. Approximately 350,000 are available annually, with 75% of these finished as steers.

The three main finishing strategies for these animals are 21, 24 and 28-month steers. Given that Holstein Friesian genetics tend to dominate early inseminations, these animals tend to be older at turnout and are typically February born.

Depending on the system undertaken at farm level, the daily weight gain target varies – with 0.9kg/head/day targeted for the 24 and 28-month steer systems, while 21-month steers should average 1kg/head/day from turnout through to slaughter.

To achieve this target for the latter category of animal, a 60-day feeding period – commencing in September at a liveweight of 490kg – is required. Concentrate input over this period with be approximately 390-400kg/head.

Table 2: Second season weight gain targets for Holstein Friesian steers

System	21-month steer	24-month steer	28-month steer
Calf DOB	February	February	February
Turnout weight (kg)	320	320	320
Target ADG (kg/head/day)	1.0	0.9	0.9

2021 slaughter performance

2021 marked the third year of demonstration farmer involvement in phase 2 of the Teagasc Green Acres Programme. Over that period, noticeable changes have been witnessed at farm level in terms of the production systems being implemented – both in the type of system and the way in which improved animal performance has resulted in changes to slaughter age at farm level. The four predominant animal categories of which slaughter data was available are Holstein Friesian steers, Holstein Friesian bulls, early-maturing steers and early-maturing heifers. Throughput of these animals totalled 1,055 head in 2021.

The below table provides a summary of the slaughter performance of these animals over the past four years. Holstein Friesian steers were the predominant animal type produced on farm in 2021. Accounting for 52% of total throughput, these animals achieved an average carcass weight of 317kg at 26 months, at an average carcass conformation of O- and a fat score of 3=. In terms of the Holstein Friesian bulls, totalling 222 in 2021, an average carcass weight of 305kg, carcass grade of O-/O= and a fat score of 2+, was achieved at an average of 20 months.

Noticeable improvements have been witnessed in terms of the early-maturing heifers being produced by the demonstration farmers. Prior to enrolling, there was a tendency to let this animals return to a third grazing season at farm level. However, given the limited capabilities of these animals to carry a heavy carcass at an older age, it was resulting in relatively light carcasses being produced. Last year, the early-maturing heifers sold by the Teagasc Green Acres farmers produced an average carcass weight of 261kg at 22 months – up from 259kg at 25 months in 2018 – while carcass grading remained relatively consistent at O=/O+. In terms of their steer counterparts, these animals achieved an average carcass weight of 310kg at 26 months, with carcass grading of O=/O+.

Table 3: Changes in slaughter performance on Teagasc Green Acres farms

System	Year	Age (months)	Avg. weight (kg)	Avg. carcass grade	Avg. carcass fat
Early-maturing steers	2021	26	310	O=/O+	3+
	2020	25	318	O=/O+	3+
	2019	26	312	O=/O+	3+
	2018	28	324	O=/O+	3+
Early-maturing heifers	2021	22	261	O=/O+	3+
	2020	23	263	O=/O+	4-
	2019	24	259	O=/O+	4-
	2018	25	259	O=/O+	3+
Holstein Friesian steers	2021	26	317	O-	3=
	2020	27	325	O-	3=
	2019	26	317	O-	3+
	2018	27	302	O-	3=
Holstein Friesian bulls	2021	20	305	O-/O=	2+
	2020	22	320	O=	2+
	2019	21	320	O-/O=	2+/3-
	2018	22	331	O=	2+