A top price of 2,700gns was achieved and 12 lots sold for 2,000gns or more when the Goostrey herd of Holsteins and Ayrshires was dispersed for Griffiths Farming, Cheshire.Nuffield: Maximising performance to secure a strong future
THE experiences of 29 scholars were recounted at the annual Nuffield Farming Conference at the Queen’s Hotel, Chester. More than 200 delegates at the two-day event listened to what farming’s future may hold. Danusia Osiowy reports.
There is a strong future for suckler cow beef production in upland areas, thanks to a growing demand for global beef production.
But in order for new opportunities to prosper in the UK, the performance of the suckler herd must be addressed and maximised by farmers wishing to pursue production.
That was the message delivered by beef producer, Nick Davies, who farms a 280-hectare (692-acre) upland beef and sheep unit in Mid Wales.
Mr Davies identified five key areas he had implemented on his farm following his Scholarship, which covered calving intervals, performance recording, handling and housing, herd health planning and co-operation.
Figures giving an average of calving interval of 413 days for UK suckler herds indicate how far the UK has to go to improve this key performance indicator, said Mr Davies, who has introduced tighter calving patterns on his own Aberdeen-Angus cross Welsh Black herd.
“Producers should be aiming for each cow to calve as close to 365 days as possible,” he said. “Work out current calving intervals, barren cow rates and calf mortality and set realistic targets to improve these,” he advised.
“Calving patterns are key to easing management input because you are dealing with one group rather than lots of individuals.
“This requires close attention to cow nutrition levels before and after calving to minimise the risk of calving difficulties, and post calving problems can have a delaying effect on a cow’s ability to conceive.”
He also believes performance recording and benchmarking are the areas British farmers needs to improve the most when compared to countries such as New Zealand and Australia.
He suggested recording growth rates to see the effects of genetics, diet and other management practices would be beneficial to farmers as it allows cost to be compared to returns.
“Benchmarking is become more popular in this country as farmers realise the importance of knowing their production costs and comparing ideas with other producers.”
Honest figures
He warned of the importance of using a facilitator who understands how figures are collated and who is able to explain this to farmers in an accessible way.
“Be honest when benchmarking. If you do not put in accurate figures, decisions are based on inaccurate information and worst of all, you are being true to yourself.”
Mr Davies debated the differences between housing or out-wintering and suggested a major disadvantage of the former was outdated building designs that were unable to provide
adequate ventilation or good air-flow, which in turn could lead to higher disease levels as well as reduced cattle performance.
To overcome this, he recommended farmers ensure the greatest levels of efficiency are achieved in winter-housing ventilation and, if necessary, to seek professional advice on how it can be improved.
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