We are moving swiftly through our BETTER farm beef challenge review and week eight is already upon us. This week, we will take a look at the ‘meet the markets’ challenge. This challenge was designed to demonstrate the importance and value of complying with relevant carcase specifications including age, weight, fat class, conformation and breed. Thirteen farmers undertook the challenge and here we take a look at high performing farmers for each type of stock.
Wesley Browne – Monaghan
Wesley Browne.
On just over 54ha of heavy drumlin soil near Monaghan town, Wesley Browne is running a herd of almost 100 suckler cows. Cow numbers were below 80 at the start of the programme. Cow type is a mix of Limousin, Simmental and Angus, being bred to Limousin, Simmental and Angus sires.
For his male progeny, the under 16-month bull beef system is the only show in town on the farm. Significantly, Wesley is one of the few farmers in the country that manages to get all of his bulls out the gate under the 16-month-mark:
“Here, everything goes under 16 months and the best ones would even start going at 14 months,” he said. “For me, I don’t think it would suit to start letting some bulls get heavier and slaughter them under 20 months. When you take the added cost of keeping them and the lower beef price, I don’t think there’s much benefit in it. With the under 16s, they’re out of the system much quicker and easier.”
After years of practice, Wesley has the under-16-month bull down to a fine art going by his 2019 performance (see table). Average carcase weight is good at 374kg, however, his grading is most impressive with the average carcase being U+3-. In addition, 100% of carcases are graded R+ or higher. With every grade score over R= commanding 6c/kg extra on the grid, Wesley is reaping the benefits from hitting his specs, with his average bull making 24c/kg above base price. In all, the average value for 2019’s bulls was €3.94/kg.
Sean Hayes - Clare
Sean Hayes.
Sean is farming a herd of close to 70 suckler cows on 63ha of heavy-type ground on the outskirts of Ennis. The herd is split calving, with around 40 in the spring and 30 in the autumn. Cow type on the farm would be primarily continental cross cows, however, there are also some Limousin-cross cows from the dairy herd to offer extra milk. Breeding has always been one of Sean’s fortes with AI featuring heavily – Charolais, Limousin and some Simmental sires make up most of the mix.
At present, all stock are being finished except for replacement heifers – bulls are being slaughtered under 16-months and surplus heifers are being slaughtered between 22 and 26 months of age. Initially for Sean, it was a big change to move from selling weanlings and stores to finishing his own stock, but it was one that has worked out well.
The table below details the slaughter performance of his surplus heifers in 2019. These are often an aspect of a suckler farm that can be forgotten about. Farmers push their bull calves first and foremost and then look towards the heifers they are going to be keeping for breeding. The surplus heifers are often let out to grass, stored and ultimately they generate little value for the farmer.
However, these heifers have the potential to bring something to the table, particularly if breeding is good on the farm. This is something Sean has identified. While he might only be slaughtering 10 per year, he is getting the most out of them. Targeting a slaughter age of two years, in 2019 he achieved an average carcase weight of 357kg and an average grade of U+3+.
Similarly to bull beef, every grade over R= is worth 6c/kg and in a difficult beef price, like what has been experienced for the last 18 months, it can make a substantial difference. In 2019, Sean’s heifers had an average value of €4.03/kg.
John Dunne - Offaly
John Dunne.
John Dunne is farming on just over 110ha in Portarlington. In 2019, his suckler herd was sitting at 70 cows, however, John is targeting a quick expansion towards 120 cows. To get there, he retained extra heifers for breeding and now has close to 100 cows to calve this spring. The system employed on the farm is a 24- to 28-month steer- and heifer-beef system. The table below outlines the performance of his steers in 2019.
“We were happy with the performance of the bullocks in 2019,” said John. “We started getting them killed earlier, which was important. The bad year in 2018 left us with a lot of older cattle to kill.” John pointed out that for the last number of years he has been getting cattle finished earlier, referencing the extra costs associated with holding cattle for another winter. “Hitting the specifications is a no brainer really. The more cattle you can get to qualify for a better grade then you’re automatically getting yourself a better price,” he added.
John said that changes he made as part of the programme have been an integral part of having a more suitable animal at slaughter time:
“Grassland management is probably the most important aspect of hitting the specifications. Getting an animal out earlier and getting good quality grass in front of it makes the difference – especially with the bullocks.”
“I’ve been placing more emphasis on bringing through better replacements and buying better stock bulls. It takes three to five years to see benefits from better breeding, but I can finally see I have better cattle on the farm.”
Read more
Beef price update: trade stuck in low gear
Monday management: time to weigh up winter performance in cattle
ICSA calls for factories to increase prices
We are moving swiftly through our BETTER farm beef challenge review and week eight is already upon us. This week, we will take a look at the ‘meet the markets’ challenge. This challenge was designed to demonstrate the importance and value of complying with relevant carcase specifications including age, weight, fat class, conformation and breed. Thirteen farmers undertook the challenge and here we take a look at high performing farmers for each type of stock.
Wesley Browne – Monaghan
Wesley Browne.
On just over 54ha of heavy drumlin soil near Monaghan town, Wesley Browne is running a herd of almost 100 suckler cows. Cow numbers were below 80 at the start of the programme. Cow type is a mix of Limousin, Simmental and Angus, being bred to Limousin, Simmental and Angus sires.
For his male progeny, the under 16-month bull beef system is the only show in town on the farm. Significantly, Wesley is one of the few farmers in the country that manages to get all of his bulls out the gate under the 16-month-mark:
“Here, everything goes under 16 months and the best ones would even start going at 14 months,” he said. “For me, I don’t think it would suit to start letting some bulls get heavier and slaughter them under 20 months. When you take the added cost of keeping them and the lower beef price, I don’t think there’s much benefit in it. With the under 16s, they’re out of the system much quicker and easier.”
After years of practice, Wesley has the under-16-month bull down to a fine art going by his 2019 performance (see table). Average carcase weight is good at 374kg, however, his grading is most impressive with the average carcase being U+3-. In addition, 100% of carcases are graded R+ or higher. With every grade score over R= commanding 6c/kg extra on the grid, Wesley is reaping the benefits from hitting his specs, with his average bull making 24c/kg above base price. In all, the average value for 2019’s bulls was €3.94/kg.
Sean Hayes - Clare
Sean Hayes.
Sean is farming a herd of close to 70 suckler cows on 63ha of heavy-type ground on the outskirts of Ennis. The herd is split calving, with around 40 in the spring and 30 in the autumn. Cow type on the farm would be primarily continental cross cows, however, there are also some Limousin-cross cows from the dairy herd to offer extra milk. Breeding has always been one of Sean’s fortes with AI featuring heavily – Charolais, Limousin and some Simmental sires make up most of the mix.
At present, all stock are being finished except for replacement heifers – bulls are being slaughtered under 16-months and surplus heifers are being slaughtered between 22 and 26 months of age. Initially for Sean, it was a big change to move from selling weanlings and stores to finishing his own stock, but it was one that has worked out well.
The table below details the slaughter performance of his surplus heifers in 2019. These are often an aspect of a suckler farm that can be forgotten about. Farmers push their bull calves first and foremost and then look towards the heifers they are going to be keeping for breeding. The surplus heifers are often let out to grass, stored and ultimately they generate little value for the farmer.
However, these heifers have the potential to bring something to the table, particularly if breeding is good on the farm. This is something Sean has identified. While he might only be slaughtering 10 per year, he is getting the most out of them. Targeting a slaughter age of two years, in 2019 he achieved an average carcase weight of 357kg and an average grade of U+3+.
Similarly to bull beef, every grade over R= is worth 6c/kg and in a difficult beef price, like what has been experienced for the last 18 months, it can make a substantial difference. In 2019, Sean’s heifers had an average value of €4.03/kg.
John Dunne - Offaly
John Dunne.
John Dunne is farming on just over 110ha in Portarlington. In 2019, his suckler herd was sitting at 70 cows, however, John is targeting a quick expansion towards 120 cows. To get there, he retained extra heifers for breeding and now has close to 100 cows to calve this spring. The system employed on the farm is a 24- to 28-month steer- and heifer-beef system. The table below outlines the performance of his steers in 2019.
“We were happy with the performance of the bullocks in 2019,” said John. “We started getting them killed earlier, which was important. The bad year in 2018 left us with a lot of older cattle to kill.” John pointed out that for the last number of years he has been getting cattle finished earlier, referencing the extra costs associated with holding cattle for another winter. “Hitting the specifications is a no brainer really. The more cattle you can get to qualify for a better grade then you’re automatically getting yourself a better price,” he added.
John said that changes he made as part of the programme have been an integral part of having a more suitable animal at slaughter time:
“Grassland management is probably the most important aspect of hitting the specifications. Getting an animal out earlier and getting good quality grass in front of it makes the difference – especially with the bullocks.”
“I’ve been placing more emphasis on bringing through better replacements and buying better stock bulls. It takes three to five years to see benefits from better breeding, but I can finally see I have better cattle on the farm.”
Read more
Beef price update: trade stuck in low gear
Monday management: time to weigh up winter performance in cattle
ICSA calls for factories to increase prices
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