Green Acres Update – 25 June 2021
Key Management tips
- Weigh all stock mid season, best practice is to weigh each category of stock on the one day so as to get a group average for performance
- Spraying for weeds- Mid summer is the ideal time to spray weeds such as docks, rushes, buttercup and thistles. Ensure to follow manufacturers guidelines when spraying and to spray at the correct stage of growth for maximum efficiency
- Introduce meal to finishing stock. 3-4 kg of a high energy concentrate may be introduced to finishing stock at grass to ensure adequate fat score
- Grassland management- take out surplus paddocks. Some paddocks may need to be topped post grazing to improve quality
Targets for third season cattle
Carrying animals for a third season and slaughtering directly of grass in May/June may be a viable production system for some farms. This is particularly the case where sufficient space is not available to carry all calves at once during the rearing period or where cash flow is targeted during the summer months. With this system, output on a per hectare basis is somewhat limited and instead a focus must be placed on maximising individual animal performance.
26-month early-maturing steers
- Suited to late (March/April spring born bull calves.
- Finished off grass during the third grazing season in June.
- Carcass target weight of 320kg at O+3+.
- Lifetime daily gain of 0.75kg required.
- Typical lifetime concentrate input of 450kg.
- Must gain 120kg in the 3-4 month window post-turnout in the third grazing season.
- Grazed grass, silage and concentrates account for 52%, 26% and 22% respectively of the animals overall diet.
28-month Holstein Friesian steers
- Suited to early born Holstein Friesian steers (January/February).
- Steers are returned to grass for a third grazing season where daily gains of 1.2kg are targeted from turnout to slaughter.
- A carcass weight of 350kg is targeted.
- Lifetime concentrate input for animals produced under this system is 500kg.
- Grazed grass, silage and concentrates account for 65%, 26% and 9% respectively of the animal’s overall diet.