Suckler cow management. Dai Grove-White.

Suckler cow management. Dai Grove-White.

Where is suckler beef going? Biological efficiency Suckler VS dairy beef Carbon foot-printing & land use Poorer quality land Mass-market or niche market

Output = Suckled calf & cull cow. Chief input is food. Cheapest food is grass.

Fertility is the single most important factor influencing the profitability of suckled calf production. Calving spread is the most sensitive measure of cow performance. Lowman 1991

How much more profitable is the tight calving herd? 8 week V 15 week + 50 Kg liveweight gain per cow/calf 100 per cow (at 2/Kg L.W.) Early born calves are heavier Herd with 15 week calving spread First calf borne is 1.0 (LWG) X 105 (d) =105 Kg heavier than last calf born

Late born calves are more likely to die. Nos. cows calved Nos.calved died % Calves died 0 8 weeks 9 15 weeks 95 14 6 6 6.3 % 43 % 109 cow herd with 15 week calving spread

Culling rate is less since cows are more fertile in a tight calving herd.

Fertility targets in the beef suckler herd. Calving Index of 365 days. Tight calving spread 9-12 weeks. Conception rate of 60-80%

Factors to consider: First service CR 1st oestrus (35 days) 20% 3rd oestrus (60-80 days) 80% Nutritional status. should be GAINING condition

Management aims. Allow cows to have a period of 6-8 weeks of sexual rest after calving Early calvers - likely to get adequate rest - bull is absent from herd when she calves. Late calvers - no rest - bull is in the herd when she calves.

Conception rate and service period needed to get 90% of cows in calf and subsequent calving spread. Conception rate (%) Service period (days) Calving spread (days) Cows calving in 1 st month (%) 30 245 260 12 40 140 155 28 50 100 110 41 60 70 85 54

Effect of tight calving pattern on longevity high conception rate Large % of cows calve in 1st month. so Large % of cows have a long rest before service so.. Large % of cows get pregnant to calve early in season next year and so on 7 9 calves in a profitable lifetime

Factors affecting suckler herd fertility. Herd policy. what you decide to do Cow condition and nutrition. Heifer management.

Herd Policy. Length of time bull is with cows. Should be 9-12 weeks only. Time of calving Autumn V Spring Fertility: Autumn V Spring Service before spring turn-out Poor fertility likely since cows likely to be in poorest condition

Cow condition and nutrition. Condition score at mating is crucial. C.S. at mating - should be gaining weight. Better times are coming.

Target condition scores for suckler cows (Lowman).

Feeding the suckler cow. Cheap food Silage, hay, straw, barley, by-products. Autumn calver. Feed barley after calving until 6 weeks after bull is taken out (1-2 Kg daily). Spring calver. Turn out to good pasture.

The effect of a long winter on cow condition score. 3 2 1 Usual turnout CS in normal year Late turnout

Manipulation of cow condition. Supplementary feeding at mating. Must continue till six weeks after end of mating period. Ensures implantation proceeds OK. Early weaning weaning one month early is equal to gain of 0.5 1.0 CS. == 50Kg (1500 MJ) 2 bales of silage!! 150 200Kg of Barley

Heifer management. Require extra food for growth (+ 10 %). bad calvings (dystokia)

Dystokia. The effect of using a continental bull on heifers. Pregnancy. Average calving index (months). 1-2 15 2-3 14 3-4 13 4-5 12 Three month slip in calving index at first calving. takes 3-4 years to catch up and regain profitability.

Heifer management. Age at calving. 2y V 3y? Calve heifers down 14 days before rest of herd. Six week service period. Bull selection - dystokia. Wean heifers one month early.

Aims of heifer management. to produce a second calver calving down at start of the calving season This will ensure she calves at this time each year for the rest of her life.

So why do we have so many long calving patterns? Too hard on heifers. Retain old cows too long. Nutrition.

How to achieve a tight calving pattern (and keep it). Cull late calvers and replace with heifers calving at start of calving period. Split herd into spring and autumn calving herds Correct feeding and use of target condition scores. Early weaning of heifers and thin cows. Good heifer management.

Bull selection and E.B.V. Compares animal to breed average +ve -ve Birthweight 200 day weight 400 day weight

Suckler calf health. Neonatal scours Pneumonia.

Neonatal scours. Colostrum Pathogen ( bugs ) load

Pathogen load Environment hygiene 50 litres faeces/cow/day Other calves Pathogen Multipliers Older calves Poor colostral status calves Scouring calves REMOVE AS SOON AS SEEN!

Prevention of scours. Cow nutrition ensure good colostrum. Feed spring calvers pre-calving? Vaccine Hygiene outdoor calving.

Outdoor calving. Flow system. Fresh cows. Calving area. Nursing area. (hospital). Sandhill system. Avoids contact between at-risk and older calves

Concept #1 Dr Dave Smith University of Nebraska Agents of calf scours Diarrhea-causing organisms are widespread in cattle populations including herds without scours problems.

Concept #2 Age specificity of calf scours Calves at highest risk for scours at 1-2 weeks of age And to begin shedding Frequency histogram age of calves at death scours agents Count 25 20 15 10 5 0 5 0 10 15 20 25 More 6 11 16 21 26 Age at death (days)

Concept #3 The level of pathogen exposure is a function of TIME and: ANIMAL DENSITY (crowding -rapid environmental contamination) MULTIPLIER EFFECT Cows carry, shed diarrhea-causing organisms at low levels. Calves are exposed, shed at high levels, serve as multipliers.

Sandhills Calf Scours Project Frequency of births Prevent contacts Segregate calves by age to prevent the multiplier effect Move pregnant cows to new calving pastures to minimize dose-load and contact time Count Percent 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 5/1 5/8 5/2 5/1 5/8 5/2 5/15 5/9 5/15 5/9 5/22 5/16 5/29 5/23 6/5 5/30 Date Probability of death by week of birth 5/22 5/16 5/29 5/23 6/5 5/30 6/12 6/6 6/12 6/6 6/19 6/13 6/19 6/13 6/26 6/20 6/26 6/20 7/3 More 6/27 7/4 7/3 6/27 More 7/4 Date

Sandhills Calf Scours Project Prevent contacts Segregate calves by age to prevent the multiplier effect Move pregnant cows to new calving pastures to minimize dose-load and contact time Enough Theory! Let s put it to work...

Sandhills Calving System Week 1&2 Calving Pasture

Sandhills Calving System Week 3 1-2 week old Pairs Calving Pasture

Sandhills Calving System Week 4 2-3 week old pairs 1 week old pairs Calving Pasture

Sandhills Calving System Week 5 2 week old pairs 1 week old pairs Calving Pasture

Sandhills Calving System Week 6 Calving Pasture 2 week old pairs 1 week old pairs

Sandhills Calving System Week 7 Calving Pasture 1 week old pairs 2 week old pairs

Sandhills Calving System Week 8 Calving 1 week old 2 week old Pasture pairs pairs

Sandhills Calving System Week 9 Calving Pasture -Finish out 1 week old pairs 2 week old pairs Groups commingled after youngest calf is 4 weeks of age

Case Herd 1 800-900 March-calving calving cows paired out from calving lot Mortality due to scours 14% 1995 6.5% 1996 55-120 dead calves every year attributed to scours 8.2% 1999 (similar losses in 97 and 98) Treatment expenses $3114 /yr ( 95-99)

Case Herd 1 Sandhills Calving System in 00, 01, 02 Greatly reduced morbidity and mortality 4 calves treated for scours (2000) No deaths due to neonatal calf diarrhea (p<0.01) $128.83 /yr in veterinary expenses a 24-fold reduction (p<0.01)

Can we apply the Sandhills concept in the UK? Land Farmer resistance but e.g. Get accurate calving dates Calve inside then immediately move out New pasture for each 10 14d block of cows

Calving management. Dystokia major risk factor for: Death. Injury. Poor colostrum intake & absorbtion. Use bulls with ve EBV for birthweight. TIMELY intervention!

Weaning. Major stress period. Predisposes to pneumonia.

Weaning stresses. Psychological loses mum & meets bullies! Sero-conversion viruses, BVD Nutritional Loses milk = 50 % of food intake Meets new foods silage & cake SARA Housing ventilation

Other factors in pneumonia. Transport. Buying in. Trace elements. Etc etc

Pneumonia control. Good housing and ventilation. Minimise weaning stress. trace element nutrition.

Minimise weaning stress. Introduce creep feeding outside 4 6 weeks prior to weaning. Wean outside prior to housing. Avoid castration & dehorning at housing.

Vaccines. Useful tools? Define your anticipated outcomes Viral and bacterial components. complete the course 2 weeks before expected risk 1 st dose 6 weeks before housing 2 nd dose 2 weeks before housing