Transforming a suckler herd

Dr Norman WeatherupCAFRE

International Beef Cattle Workers Group meeting 2013

Where were we?

• 100 cows, mainly Lim by-product from dairy herd (+ misfits) and later West of Ireland

• Supposed to be in 2 herds, 25 Feb, 75 June calving

• Calving continuously for 6 months

• Weaning in October and January

• Char and Lim bulls

Rotational cross breeding

• Holsteinisation and FMD scuppered replacements

• 2002 went self-contained

• Started to set up 3 breed rotation

• Herd mainly Lim, crossed with Shorthorn

• Next cross was 3 years of AA, then Lim

• Purchased SH bull spring 2013

Replacement breeder bulls

3 breed rotation cows

EBVs in sire selection

• For stock bulls top 25% milk and muscle

• Usually top 25% growth also

• AI bulls to use on heifers

• Top 25% or better for (short) gestation length, (high) easy calving and (low) birth weight

SH

Some AI straws used initially

Left big cows

SH

Major move in EBVs after purchase!!

AA

Big framed bull

Limo DJ

Limo Earl

Limo Colt

Bull selection

• Recurrent theme of poor maternal calving ease

• Patsy Houghton, Rice Pelvimeter• Only 25% of heifers pass pelvic area

criteria???• Moving maternal calving ease up the

priority list

Current mix of breeds

• Herd is now roughly equal SH, LM, AA

• In the market for AA bull

• Bulls previously had to go after 3

years, can now last much longer

Cumulative compact calvings

AI heifers• Used to AI heifers 3 or 4 times and then

run a bull to be sure!

• Now, 2 services maximum by AI, no bull

• Used CIDR + FTAI but high vet cost and poor conception rate (up to 69% pregnant after 2 services)

• Single shot prostaglandin after 5 days heat detection 80-91% pregnant after 2 services

Wall to wall heats!

AI’ing

Pelvimiter

Selecting heifers

• Heifers born early (first 2 cycles)

• Mothers OK for udder conformation and temperament

• Screen again by weaning weight

• Screen for structural soundness etc

• Weigh, frame score at turnout

• Pelvic measurements

Recent problems

• Poor conception rate in 2012/2013• Trying to move calving date – heifers

getting younger• More lim- maturity getting later• Change of technician• 2012 too wet?• 2013 too hot?

Weight targets for 2yo calving

• 1kg/d on cow – 220kg at weaning

• 0.6kg/d first winter – 330kg at turnout

• 0.85 kg/d at grass – 480kg at housing

• 0.5kg/d 2nd winter – 570kg at calving

• EASY!!

2yo heifers with Milbrook Alistair calves

2yo heifers are not stunted!!

Top and bottom 10 cows

Cow wt (kg)

Adj calf wt(kg)

Efficiency (%)

Top 10CS 3.7

579 296(1.28kg/d)

51.1

Bottom 10CS 3.9

700 219(0.91kg/d)

31.2

Top and bottom 10 cows 2012

any improvement??Cow wt

(kg)Adj calf wt

(kg)Efficiency

(%)

Top 10CS 2.4

597 316(1.36kg/d)

52.9

Bottom 10CS 3

686 213(0.87kg/d)

31.0

Where to next?

• Tesco AA scheme

• Glenarm Estates Shorthorn scheme

• Improving efficiency?

• Increasing calf weight?

• Decreasing cow weight?

• Reducing silage requirement?

Transforming a suckler herd

Dr Norman WeatherupCAFRE

International Beef Cattle Workers Group meeting 2013