‘It’s all about getting weight on cattle as cheaply as possible’
Success in contract rearing depends on putting weight on cattle as cheaply as possible.
That’s according to Pat Joyce, a contract rearer from north County Galway, who joined Catherine Egan, Teagasc Beef Specialist, and Charlie Devaney, Teagasc Advisor, on a recent episode of the Beef Edge podcast.
Having previously operated a suckler system selling weanlings via the local mart, he changed to contract rearing heifers from the dairy herd in 2017. This system has grown and expanded to over 100 heifers being reared in recent years on two blocks of land.
For Pat, maximising weight gain as cost effectively as possible is key, and this is achieved through grassland management and the use of a paddock system.
“The whole objective is to get weight on these heifers from grass without using much meal, if any. You are paid a daily rate, so every kilo of meal you give them is coming from your bottom line.”
To achieve this, a leader-follower system is operated, targeting pre-grazing covers of 1,400-1,500kg DM/ha. Calves spend a day in each paddock, followed by yearling heifers, and then they move on. This system is working for Pat, with yearling heifers gaining 0.9-1kg/head/day.
Following the standard Teagasc Contract Rearing template, with specifics worked out between the contract rearer and dairy farmer, Pat added: “Any nuts the cattle get come out of my pocket, so that’s a good incentive for me to have grassland management as good as I can have it so that you are not buying concentrates to get weight on cattle that way.”
Additionally, top quality silage is essential for his business, noting: “If I haven’t got quality silage, I have to feed concentrates, which when it is not included in your rate, you just couldn’t be contract rearing if you didn’t have top quality silage.”
Given this, Pat focuses on producing excellent quality silage, with cutting targeted on 15-20 May. Red clover silage swards have also been introduced to the system, from which – although requiring careful management – Pat is happy with the levels of winter gain being achieved.
With the breeding season now commencing on his farm, Pat shared some advice for farmers considering contract rearing: “It’s all about getting weight on cattle cheaply as possible. If you do thick all the boxes, you’ve good grassland management, you’ve good land, it is more profitable than suckler cows were back in 2018.”
Although the economics of suckler farming have changed considerably since Pat made the change, he noted that a major pro of contract rearing is the steady monthly cashflow it provides.
For full insights, listen to the full episode of the Beef Edge podcast below: