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One of the main tasks on Newford Farm in the last week was administering a fluke and worm dose to weanlings, while weighing also took place to allow performance to be monitored over the winter.
Most of the weanlings are housed on slats, with a small number housed on straw bedding until the remaining finishing steers and cull cows are drafted.
They are being offered ad-lib high-quality baled silage which was saved from surplus paddocks on the Newford block and from first-cut silage and surplus paddocks on Tuohy’s outfarm. Silage tested from 75% DMD to 77% DMD, with a protein content ranging from 13.3% to 16.4%.
Concentrates
Weanlings are also being supplemented with 2kg concentrates daily. The high quality of silage would allow for a lower level of concentrate supplementation but performance was well below target last winter (in the region of 0.22kg to 0.3kg daily liveweight gain) and as such the focus is on ensuring a repeat of this does not occur.
Performance will be monitored closely and feeding levels can be easily cut back in the new year if weanlings are meeting or exceeding a target of 0.7kg daily liveweight gain.
The concentrate selected contains 55% rolled barley, 21.5% soya bean meal, 14% soya hulls, 7% molasses and 2.5% minerals. It has a UFV value of 0.95 and a crude protein content of 18%. It is costing €256/t delivered in bulk form.
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