What a difference a year makes for cattle winter finishers
This question has been prompted by the price of cereals dropping, and with some farms still being very tight for fodder.
This time last year, a different question was being asked, as meal prices spiralled.
Twelve months ago, many are considering housing forward animals soon, in order to stretch grass for remaining stock.
Meanwhile, trading continues to be very strong for forward cattle of all types, particularly heifers.
Performance requirements
The first thing to do with finishing cattle is to set out your goals for them.
Firstly, you need to establish what is their current live weight.
What market are you targeting for your stock?
What carcass weight is required?
What conformation is required?
Breed and sex will determine their potential weight gain.
What housing type will they be accommodated in.
When do you want, or need, to slaughter them?
Aim for a fast finish rather than a long drawn-out finish. Cattle go stale if they are on feeding for too long.
Above all, make sure that you set realistic performance goals for your cattle.
What is forage quality like?
You really need to test your silage. As I have often mentioned here, your silage quality will determine your feeding and management strategy for all stock this winter.
Some beef producers have discovered that the silage they have is not as good as they expected, but is still miles ahead of 2012 quality.
Your animal’s ability to consume silage in large volumes will be the first factor to consider.
All silage analyses now have an intake figure which will give you an indication of the amount of dry matter which can be eaten by particular types of stock.
Maize silage looks like producing a bumper crop this year, and its feed value will be excellent.
What other feeds are available to you?
Beet yields around the country also look huge. If you are buying beet or have grown your own beet, work out your tonnage available, and again, spread it out over the entire feeding season. There is nothing worse than running out of beet in finishing diets. Cattle will get very upset, and intakes often collapse, resulting in delayed slaughter.
Alternative feeds such as brewers and distillers seem to be available at present, and are excellent feeds to promote intakes, and they also provide a source of protein for finishing stock.
Feeds such as bread and biscuits have been available in the past to beef finishers in this country. They are very high in energy, and great for putting cover on cattle. Care should be taken to prevent digestive upsets by over-feeding these products.
Liquid feeds are a commonly used product on many farms over the last few years, and undoubtedly will enhance palatability and forage intake. The liquid feeds provide high energy, mostly from sugar sources and some also provide high levels of protein.
Cereal based diets
Many producers are attempting to finish cattle on rolled cereals alone. This is very difficult to achieve because not enough protein will be supplied to the animals.
Remember that meat is protein, and it can’t be deposited on animals if the dietary protein is insufficient.
Cereals preserved using ammonia will in most instances provide sufficient protein for finishers.
Providing fibre
Fibre is an essential element in all ruminant diets. For ad-lib feeding, it is crucial that clean, dry and palatable straw is provided at all times.
Minerals
Basic mineral elements such as calcium, phosphorous and sodium are essential for basic functions such as saliva production for rumen buffering.
Minerals and vitamins help to manufacture vital enzymes which aid thorough feed digestion and influence animal performance and feed efficiency.
Compound feeding
When purchasing compound feed for finishing stock, it is important that it has high energy.
Ask your supplier to give you a list of ingredients and get the UFL or ME value of the mix before purchasing.
The higher the energy, the quicker the finish.
