Last year was a good year in terms of animal performance on most farms around the country. However, with regards to price, it was another story. Issues around slaughtering bulls with some processors led to many questioning the merits of continuing with a bull beef system.
It also posed some questions for Tullamore Farm. The bull beef system is central to the farm’s targeted high-output. No male animals grazing for the second grazing season means that cow numbers can stay around the 100 mark.
If the bull system changed to steers, it would mean dropping 20-25 cows back to 75-80 cows. Grazing a steer for the second grazing season means sheds would lie empty from April to October.
Given the nature of continental cattle, it would more than likely mean having to house a proportion of the steers at the end of the second grazing season for an indoor finishing period. This would come at the same time cows and weanlings are housed for winter months. Shed space is extremely limited on the farm and moving to this system would mean erecting a new shed to cater for these animals.
When we looked at the performance of each system, there is no comparison at current prices and killing young bulls on the grid. While there is a lot more meal input in the young bull system, steer systems can also consume over 1,000kg/head. The price premium for steer beef just isn’t in the market at the moment.
Tullamore Farm would drop 20-25 cows and kill a steer at 24 months, at a similar carcase weight to that of young bulls at 16 months. We thought about it, we even priced a burdizzo, but when the figures were crunched it wasn’t worth it.
Discussions were had with the local factory, which has killed the farm’s bulls for the last few years. The message was that if Tullamore Farm stayed within the weight limits, hit fat scores and ticked all the boxes, there wouldn’t be an issue processing the bulls in 2020.
Bull system
One of the most important aspects of an efficient under-16-month bull system is having a good cow capable of rearing a heavy calf at weaning time. At setup, Tullamore Farm began sourcing Fr/Lm cows. This was based on Teagasc research from Grange at the time.
Since 2017, more second-cross high-replacement-index replacements have been kept and they seem to be performing very well, with no negative deterioration in milk or fertility. Milk is a key driver of weight gain and weight gain is the bottom line when it comes to any beef finishing enterprise.
The average replacement index of the herd is €127, with a +10.8kg milk figure and a +12kg carcase weight figure. All sires are selected on the replacement index with the aim of generating high-replacement index heifers for sale. That’s important because it was believed that high-replacement-index cattle out of a first-cross Limousin x dairy cow would be incapable of high weight gains.
The average date of birth for the 2019-born bulls was 10 March 2019. They were grazed with cows until August, when creep-grazing started and concentrates were introduced in advance of weaning.
Bulls were weaned in October and housed in November on slats. They were fed the best-quality silage on the farm (75DMD) and 3kg of a 14% protein ration costing €255/t. This was moved up to 4kg in January and 5kg in February.
Table 1 outlines the feeding regime. Bulls were switched to a finishing ration at the beginning of March and will begin their ad-lib phase in the next few weeks.
Performance
Table 2 outlines the weight performance of the bulls ranked by sire type. Performance was high right through their lifetime to date.
It’s important that under-16-month bulls don’t have any setbacks and are kept going to maximise weight gain. All calves on the farm were weighed on 15 July 2019 and weighed 221kg, a gain of 1.38kg/day since birth. The next weighing took place on 2 October in advance of weaning. Bull weanlings weighed 341kg, having gained 1.51kg/day from 15 July to 2 October. Weanlings were weighed again on 17 January and weighed 477kg, a gain of 1.27kg/day over the winter months between 2 October and 17 January 2020.
The 2018 bulls were weighed on the same day in 2018 and the 2019 bulls came in 45kg heavier at the same age. The last weighing took place on 3 March. Bulls weighed 542kg, gaining 65kg or 1.41kg/day in the 46 days since the 17 January. The average daily gain from birth for the group is 1.38kg/day. The heaviest bull in the group was a February-born QCD bull weighing 650kg, gaining 1.57kg/day since birth.
The factory the farm deals with applies weight penalties once bulls go over 400kg dead, so bulls will be put to 700kg and then slaughtered. If the bulls’ performance continues, it will mean a number will be slaughtered at 14 months. Figure 1 compares the bulls’ weights by month of birth.
The average replacement index of cows on Tullamore farm is €127.Cows are mated to high replacement index sires with balanced terminal traits.Average date of birth of 2019 bulls is 10th March 2019.Bulls weighed 542kg on 3 March 2020 (heaviest bull was 650kg).Bulls gained 1.38kg/day since birth.Target carcase weight is 400kg at 15 months.
Last year was a good year in terms of animal performance on most farms around the country. However, with regards to price, it was another story. Issues around slaughtering bulls with some processors led to many questioning the merits of continuing with a bull beef system.
It also posed some questions for Tullamore Farm. The bull beef system is central to the farm’s targeted high-output. No male animals grazing for the second grazing season means that cow numbers can stay around the 100 mark.
If the bull system changed to steers, it would mean dropping 20-25 cows back to 75-80 cows. Grazing a steer for the second grazing season means sheds would lie empty from April to October.
Given the nature of continental cattle, it would more than likely mean having to house a proportion of the steers at the end of the second grazing season for an indoor finishing period. This would come at the same time cows and weanlings are housed for winter months. Shed space is extremely limited on the farm and moving to this system would mean erecting a new shed to cater for these animals.
When we looked at the performance of each system, there is no comparison at current prices and killing young bulls on the grid. While there is a lot more meal input in the young bull system, steer systems can also consume over 1,000kg/head. The price premium for steer beef just isn’t in the market at the moment.
Tullamore Farm would drop 20-25 cows and kill a steer at 24 months, at a similar carcase weight to that of young bulls at 16 months. We thought about it, we even priced a burdizzo, but when the figures were crunched it wasn’t worth it.
Discussions were had with the local factory, which has killed the farm’s bulls for the last few years. The message was that if Tullamore Farm stayed within the weight limits, hit fat scores and ticked all the boxes, there wouldn’t be an issue processing the bulls in 2020.
Bull system
One of the most important aspects of an efficient under-16-month bull system is having a good cow capable of rearing a heavy calf at weaning time. At setup, Tullamore Farm began sourcing Fr/Lm cows. This was based on Teagasc research from Grange at the time.
Since 2017, more second-cross high-replacement-index replacements have been kept and they seem to be performing very well, with no negative deterioration in milk or fertility. Milk is a key driver of weight gain and weight gain is the bottom line when it comes to any beef finishing enterprise.
The average replacement index of the herd is €127, with a +10.8kg milk figure and a +12kg carcase weight figure. All sires are selected on the replacement index with the aim of generating high-replacement index heifers for sale. That’s important because it was believed that high-replacement-index cattle out of a first-cross Limousin x dairy cow would be incapable of high weight gains.
The average date of birth for the 2019-born bulls was 10 March 2019. They were grazed with cows until August, when creep-grazing started and concentrates were introduced in advance of weaning.
Bulls were weaned in October and housed in November on slats. They were fed the best-quality silage on the farm (75DMD) and 3kg of a 14% protein ration costing €255/t. This was moved up to 4kg in January and 5kg in February.
Table 1 outlines the feeding regime. Bulls were switched to a finishing ration at the beginning of March and will begin their ad-lib phase in the next few weeks.
Performance
Table 2 outlines the weight performance of the bulls ranked by sire type. Performance was high right through their lifetime to date.
It’s important that under-16-month bulls don’t have any setbacks and are kept going to maximise weight gain. All calves on the farm were weighed on 15 July 2019 and weighed 221kg, a gain of 1.38kg/day since birth. The next weighing took place on 2 October in advance of weaning. Bull weanlings weighed 341kg, having gained 1.51kg/day from 15 July to 2 October. Weanlings were weighed again on 17 January and weighed 477kg, a gain of 1.27kg/day over the winter months between 2 October and 17 January 2020.
The 2018 bulls were weighed on the same day in 2018 and the 2019 bulls came in 45kg heavier at the same age. The last weighing took place on 3 March. Bulls weighed 542kg, gaining 65kg or 1.41kg/day in the 46 days since the 17 January. The average daily gain from birth for the group is 1.38kg/day. The heaviest bull in the group was a February-born QCD bull weighing 650kg, gaining 1.57kg/day since birth.
The factory the farm deals with applies weight penalties once bulls go over 400kg dead, so bulls will be put to 700kg and then slaughtered. If the bulls’ performance continues, it will mean a number will be slaughtered at 14 months. Figure 1 compares the bulls’ weights by month of birth.
The average replacement index of cows on Tullamore farm is €127.Cows are mated to high replacement index sires with balanced terminal traits.Average date of birth of 2019 bulls is 10th March 2019.Bulls weighed 542kg on 3 March 2020 (heaviest bull was 650kg).Bulls gained 1.38kg/day since birth.Target carcase weight is 400kg at 15 months. 
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