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DEFA Agricultural Advisory Service Welcomes you to 2011 Spring Beef Focus Meeting.

DEFA Agricultural Advisory Service Welcomes you to 2011 Spring Beef Focus Meeting. Thanks to: Geoff & Eric Taggart Marty & Milan Veterinary Practice. House Keeping. Bio-security – please use the footbaths Toilet facilities are available – please use them No smoking

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DEFA Agricultural Advisory Service Welcomes you to 2011 Spring Beef Focus Meeting.

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  1. DEFA Agricultural Advisory ServiceWelcomes you to 2011 Spring Beef Focus Meeting. Thanks to: Geoff & Eric Taggart Marty & Milan Veterinary Practice.

  2. House Keeping • Bio-security – please use the footbaths • Toilet facilities are available – please use them • No smoking • Please respect others that may be trying to listen • Mobile Phones – silent. • Careful on exiting – fast part of the road. • Hope to take no more than 20 mins per session and we aim to finish by 3pm.

  3. Agenda • Profit = (Pvolume x Pvalue) – Pcosts (P= Product.) • Grading analysis • Nutrition –rationing cattle to help meet your target weight and finish level. • EBV’s- Understanding what they mean and using them practically in the herd to your advantage • Herd Health – Marty will talk about whole herd health, pneumonia in finishing cattle and dealing with calving difficulties • Suckler herd fertility – why this is important • Understanding your costs.

  4. Grading Analysis

  5. Grading Analysis • Has this kind of information been useful? • There are weaknesses • Spec is only measured as grade and not weight • Doesn’t indicate % of value gained • Doesn’t cost out the changes – only indicates the potential income. • Developed further with the new matrix.

  6. Grading Analysis

  7. Measure Progress

  8. Grading Analysis

  9. Grading Analysis • Important – Grading analysis Indicates • May not be absolute especially with values. • Need to check your own data. • Does not guarantee improved total farm profit. • What does this mean to me? More or less £?

  10. Grading Analysis • In Conclusion: • To understand if change is needed and if so what changes are needed we must know where we stand today. • The more we know, the better the decision we can make. • Grading analysis is free, confidential, IoMMeats will be taking it forward. • In the mean time ask us for your own data.

  11. Suckler Herd Fertility • Profit = (Pvolume x Pvalue) – Pcosts (P= Product.)

  12. Suckler Cow Fertility • Why is suckler cow fertility important? • Reduce Costs (Pcosts) • Increase output (Pvolume & Pvalue) 2010 of the herds involved. • Weaning rate ranged by 24% (best to worst) • 16% less than target of 95% • Calf mortality ranged by 11% (best to worst) • 9% worse than the target.

  13. Suckler Cow Fertility • Reduce costs? • No over feeding/under feeding • Reduced labour • Reduced vet (cows & Calves) • Increased output? • More calves weaned • Heavier calves weaned – worth more? • Increased heifer selection • Improved cattle management

  14. Potential income lost? £96/cow £20/cow

  15. Calving Pattern

  16. Advantages of a Compact Calving Pattern • Labour • Less time supervising • Fewer late calvings reduces risk of more difficult calvings • Management operations on bigger batches. • Disease Reduces risk of disease spread Herd fertility Improved service rate • Weaning Weight • Calves born earlier are heavier at weaning • Marketing Even batches of cattle Sold earlier & heavier • Replacement heifers • More to select from.

  17. Reduced value of calf

  18. Are we adding this up? • 5% below 95% target weaning rate =£20 • Average calving pattern £29 • Already we’re at £49 per cow mated. • Calf mortality £36 per cow (£85 cow)

  19. Key Areas • Heifer Management • Target mating weights – 65%, 85%, 95% • Bulls • Fit, locomotion, fertility, libido • Cow Condition • Poor CS is one of the biggest issues. • Avoid Difficult Calvings • Affects oestrus, increased risk of Infection • Herd Health • Disease status of the herd.

  20. What’s involved? • Free, confidential • Forms can be down loaded from www.gov.im/daff/animals/cattle/advisory.xml • Takes an hour (approx) • Contact the DEFA Advisory Service • What’s stopping you?

  21. Conclusion • Profit = (Pvolume x Pvalue) – Pcosts • Increased volume • Increased value • Reduced costs • Understand your own performance and the reasons for it. • No one has mentioned when you should calve just that there is a benefit to improving fertility and calving in a tighter period.

  22. Managing Costs

  23. Managing Costs • The beef price needs to be higher….. • We need more…… • How much more do you need? • More. • What effect will that have on your profit margin? • It will get bigger • OK. What was your average beef price last yr? • Don’t know. • What is your profit margin Now? • Not sure, but it’s not enough!

  24. Managing Costs. • Profit = (Pvolume x Pvalue) – Pcosts Pvolume – Kg’s sold/produced Pvalue - £ sold for. Pcosts – Fixed and Variable What Influences these three P’s? Raises the Q’s – how am I doing, could I do better, what if I reduce/increase?

  25. Product Volume • Influences? • Stocking rate • Volume of Feed grown and utilised • Grass/feed/purchased feed Pcosts • Weaning rate • fertility • Growth Rate • Daily live-weight gains (DLWG). • Time to slaughter

  26. Product Value • Influences? • Market – volatile

  27. Product Value • Timing of Supply • Target seasonal trends • Contract & fix a price • Hitting Market Requirements • Even batches (store) • Health Status

  28. P Costs • Costs can be larger than Pvolume x Pvalue • Income (value) does not always keep up with increasing costs.

  29. NI 2007/8 (ranked by net profit) £0.10 per kg £1.24 per kg 300kg carcass =£372

  30. NI 2007/8 £450 per cow.

  31. Choice or Chance? • What Else? • IoM Meat • DEFA & CCS £ • Weather Options: • Carry on regardless • Carry on knowing we are doing OK • Change • ?

  32. In Conclusion • Profit = Pvolume x Pvalue – Pcosts • Profit – Choice or Chance? • Manage what we can control • Understand current performance and ask “what does this mean for me?” • We are here to help. 685835.

  33. Improved Margins Through Breeding • The breeding, or genetic merit of beef cattle will significantly affect the way that: • 1. the animal is born • 2. the animal grows • 3. the animal goes to market • Anything that affects all of these things will also affect profitability

  34. Improved Margins Through Breeding • Cow herd genetics are relatively set, and slow to change • Fastest improvement in genetics of herd through sires • Bull/sires are 50% of herds – what is that worth? • Using “eye” only - educated guesswork • Using “eye” and EBV’s – more informed choice

  35. Improved Margins Through Breeding • EBV = Estimated Breeding Value • Uses recorded figures for whole family and predicts the animal’s genetic merit for that trait • Pick the traits that best suit your herd, your farm, and your intended markets • EBV’s help identify within breed differences in potential

  36. Improved Margins Through Breeding • 1. the animal is born • EBV’s which will help predict the way a beef animal is born • Calving ease – high positive scores (%) means more calves out alive and less assisted calvings • Gestation length – (days) negative scores mean shorter gestations, and easier calvings • Birth weight – lower values (Kg) indicates calves which are lighter at birth, and likely easier calvings

  37. Improved Margins Through Breeding • 2. the animal grows • EBV’s which help predict how the animal will grow • 200 day weight (Kg) – early growth potential • 400 day weight (Kg) – yearling weight potential • 600 day weight(Kg) – animal’s growth beyond yearling and towards finished age

  38. Improved Margins Through Breeding • 3. the animal goes to market • EBV’s which help predict how an animal will kill out • Carcase weight – genetic difference in carcase weight (Kg) at standardised age 650 days • Eye muscle area – more positive figures indicate better muscling on a 300Kg dressed carcase • Rib fat – higher positive figures suggest an animal with more subcutaneous fat and earlier maturity • Retail beef yield – boned out meat yield as a % of boned out 300Kg dressed carcase. Higher positive figures suggest higher percentage yield

  39. Improved Margins Through Breeding • “So what, EBV’s been around for a long time, it won’t make that much difference anyway” • Maybe not before, but now could easily be 30p/Kg DW (£90 per head on a 300Kg carcase) or more difference between in and out of spec • New proposed pricing grid, using EBLEX prices for week ended 16th March 2011 (All steer price 154.27p/Kg LW)

  40. Improved Margins Through Breeding

  41. Improved Margins Through Breeding • It’s only a few %, why worry?1. – it’s what’s in the long term interest of your business by supplying what the customer requires • 2. – it’s a much stronger pricing signal than before, with bigger rewards and bigger deductions for being in, or out, of specification • Old deduction for fat class 2 vs. fat class 3 = 3p/Kg = 1% of 255p/Kg base price

  42. Improved Margins Through Breeding

  43. Improved Margins Through Breeding • Use EBV’s to pick the best traits within a breed to suit your needs – herd, farm and markets • Keep it simple • 1. the animal is born • 2. the animal grows • 3. the animal goes to market

  44. Improved Margins Through Nutrition • What you feed to beef cows and beef cattle will have a major effect on the way that: • 1. the animal is born • 2. the animal grows • 3. the animal goes to market

  45. Improved Margins Through Nutrition • Questions to ask: • Know what you’re feeding • Know why you’re feeding it • Know how much it’s costing you to feed it

  46. Improved Margins Through Nutrition • 1. the animal is born • The way in which the cow is fed from pre-mating, and throughout pregnancy will have a significant effect on the number of calves born, the difficulty of calving and the early life viability of the calf • Know what you’re feeding, why you’re feeding it, and how much it’s costing.

  47. Improved Margins Through Nutrition • Analyse all of your forages, and USE those analyses to make up rations to suit what the animals require

  48. Improved Margins Through Nutrition • 2. the animal grows • The most influence, in the shortest period of time, on weight and grade of beef cattle will come through nutrition • Start planning BEFORE weaning • Manage heifer calves and steer/bull calves in separate groups BEFORE weaning

  49. Improved Margins Through Nutrition • Example of manipulating weight and grade in growing period through nutrition planning: • Common issue – underweight, overfat heifers • Time to address it – NOT in finishing period, have to tackle earlier • Separate cows into heifer and bull calf management groups, limit amount of creep feed to heifers • Formulate post weaning ration to limit growth rates, maximise growth of lean tissue and bone, minimise fat deposition until at least 10 months/320Kg liveweight

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