The oscillating thud of the plate meter has returned to Ciáran Lenehan’s farm once again as he prepares fields for grazing. Yesterday I rubbed the dust from the plate meter, which will hopefully become a vital tool for us, before embarking on a farm walk.
The land surrounding the yard will initially be used for the fresh calvers. They’re easily monitored here. These fields will then carry the smaller of two suckler breeding groups during the summer, probably the late calvers.
Our weanling heifers have been pulled back to once-daily feeding in prep for turnout, which isn’t far away. The replacements in this group have yet to be earmarked, which matters little. Beef and breeding animals will remain side-by-side right through ‘till September.
To the semi-trained eye, a figure for the group’s average weight would be in the region of 360kg; right where they need to be in terms of live weight. There will be 22 heifers going to grass, 12 of which will be bred based on visual appearance and genetic make-up closer to the start of breeding season.
The average cover on the block of land measured was 700 kgDM/ha, which is promising. However, as expected, there is an obvious layer of fibrous, yellow material at the bottom of the sward. Never has the term ‘nipped in the bud’ been more suitable. If not grazed tight, which as we all know isn’t easy so early on, this dead material will persist.
I noticed a curious spectator peering over the hedge as I walked the fields. She was out walking her dog and had obviously heard the clanging from the meter. I’ll put the perplexed look on her face down to the amount of dead-material at the bottom of the sward. She must’ve noticed it too…
Growth, in this part of the world, should be kicking off around now. Walking the land for the next couple of weeks will enable us to put a figure on it and adjust nutrient outputs accordingly.
Beef prices
The European beef-pricing league table makes for interesting reading. Irish beef is now more expensive than that of any of the big-players on the continent.
Some of Ciaran Lenehan’s Calves
A promising stat… or is it?
Nearly half of the beef Ireland produces is destined for the region. Exports drive the industry, accounting for 90% of what is produced. Irish beef remains an attractive product from a British point of view, but what about Germany, Italy, France and the likes? They must now fork out more for our fillets. Can we expect a diminished European demand to weaken our factory prices in the near future? Perhaps an economist could enlighten us?
(Source – Irish Farmers Journal – Ciaran Lenehan – 16/02/2015)