Producing Optimal Carcasses

What does it take to produce an optimal carcass?This is a question that producers often ask.While there are a number of things we can do as livestock managers, I think the first step it to actually define what an optimal carcass means.

In my mind, an optimal carcass is one that meets the target specifications for weight; fatness, eating quality – MSA Index and has a high yield of saleable meat. I also think this is something that producers need to do consistently, and do so with the most efficient use of resources.  There are a few steps I think producers focused on optimal carcass production need to consider.

1. Clearly define the breeding objectives for your herd. I’ve often talked and written about the importance of defined breeding objectives. The reason being, these objectives define the type of genetics you need to use to meet your market and to breed cattle suited to your program.

2. Know what you are actually trying to achieve! Markets are well defined for weight, fatness, and eating quality. If you know what these specifications are, you can start to plan on the process of growing to meet these. Specifications are readily available from processors and from feedlots. So you need to get in touch or at least look at the specifications on company web sites and choose realistic options for your program.

3. Focus on what you can control. There are three key areas you control as a producer. These are:

• Maturity pattern: This determines the ability of your animals to meet specifications. It also impacts on productions traits such as fertility, so you need to consider both aspects in order to be productive and profitable.

• Growth rate: Your ability to choose the correct genetics, and to manage nutrition to express those genetics, has a massive impact on optimal production. Using EBVs and feedback from previous sales can help you fine tune growth rates. But you still need to manage pastures, crops and supplements to make that growth happen.

Finally, you need to manage the way you finish and sell animals:  The final stage of production, selling and transport can derail your program.  Stress, poor handling or other factors can impact on your eating quality index and cause you to miss the optimal.  So this final stage should be managed as carefully as your genetic decisions or feeding programs. 

Managing Growth

A large part of optimal carcass production is the management of growth of animals.  This actually starts with your choice of genetics.  The ability to select for growth using EBVs is an opportunity you shouldn’t overlook.  It’s well proven by many research and commercial trials that, EBVs do work and can be a very effective tool for producers.  

However, genetic potential can and is often limited by nutrition.  Growth is a function of the daily intake of energy and protein.  Ensuring your cattle have sufficient to maintain growth paths is the practical aspect of management.  

The CRC for Beef Cattle highlighted the impact growth paths have on carcass yield, fatness and eating quality.  The research showed quite markedly that slow pre weaning growth resulted in cattle that were smaller than normally grown cattle.  

However these slower grown cattle never catch up in weight, even in feedlot conditions.  The simple message being that to meet carcass weights, these cattle had to be grown longer, and this ran the risk of impacting carcass fat specifications or lowering MSA Index values.  Either way, slow pre weaning growth is not ideal

Slow post weaning growth was also researched.  It was found that slower than the optimal 0.7kg / day resulted in cattle that grow faster in finishing programs.  They tended to be a bit leaner and have less marbling.  So if this is an issue for your markets, this may also be a path to avoid.  

The CRC data really suggests we aim for 0.7kd / day for animals up to feedlot entry.  To do this, you should remember that your cattle will need to eat at least 3 – 3.5% of their live weight on a Dry Matter basis each day.  Ideally this feed would have a minimum of: 

• Energy 10.5MJ / Kg

• Crude Protein 14%

• Fibre 30 – 40% NDF

A simple rule to remember is that the faster your cattle grow, the fatter (and slightly more muscular) they will be.

Eating Quality

There are many factors that have an impact on MSA Index values.  As producers, its important to focus on the ones that have a high impact and are controllable on farm.  High impact variables include Marbling and Ossification. 

Your genetic selection and nutritional management will influence your animal’s ability to develop marbling.  It’s a trait worth considering if this can be selected for without compromising your other production traits.  Ossification, can be improved by growth rates and achieving higher weight for age. Again it’s important to balance this with other traits that matter to you, like carcass fatness and marbling.

The amount of Tropical Breed Content will impact on your MSA Index.  But you need to be realistic. If your environment is nest suited to Indicus cattle, then you should use that to your advantage. You can still select for growth, marbling and fatness and achieve MSA Index scores that are quite high if you manage these traits well.

How you sell your animals also has a huge impact on your ability to meet optimum carcass specifications, particularly for eating quality.  The work done by MSA highlights the impact that sale yard stress and handling has on eating quality.  Cattle sold through saleyards have MSA Indexes that are 5 units lower than those sold direct to processors.

Summary

Producing optimal carcasses does require some serious attention across genetics, nutrition, and turn off.  More importantly, if you don’t have a clear idea of what your optimal carcass requirements are, and utilize past feedback to fine-tune your program, you’ll find it a much harder challenge.  Having some clear objectives and using the tools that are now available is the key starting point for anyone determined to consistently hit their targets.  

It’s important to remember that if you are not entirely sure where to start, to seek advice or help to define your goals.  Its one of the services I’ve been delivering over recent years, and it's certainly something you may want to consider in your program.

Whats your attitude towards farm safety

In Australia, Farm Safety week is generally held in the third week of July.The week is an opportunity to focus on the issues surrounding farm safety and ways to reduce the risk to farm staff, farm families and visitors to farms.

Personally I don’t think a week is long enough!  Farm safety should be the priority for all us every day!  The statistics around farming accidents are quite frightening.  The National Centre for Farmer Health highlighted some of the statistics:

“In 2017, the rate of work-related injury fatalities for agriculture was 16.5 deaths per 100,000 workers. Agriculture continues to be the highest risk occupational group—with over 10 times the rate of fatality when compared to the general employed population. 27% of all work-related deaths occurred in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries”

“Workers over the age of 55 years account for over half (55%) of all fatalities, with two-thirds of all deaths occurring in sheep, beef cattle and grain farming. Children under the age of 15 years are also a high-risk group, particularly when playing or helping out with farm jobs.”

The concerning issue is that in the past 10 years or so, the level of injury and deaths on farms haven’t really changed.  So I reckon we really need to do more to reduce those risks.

So why is farming so dangerous?  I think there are many reasons.  The combination of issues associated with working with machinery and large, fast unpredictable livestock can be a risk.  I also think that when you combine stress, fatigue, weather and exposure you increase the risks.  Lastly I think there is a real risk called “attitude”.

For some reason there is an attitude towards farm safety that sees trying to be safe as being “soft”.  This week I’ve been sharing posts on Facebook about Farm Safety.  The response to these posts has been interesting.  

For instance, did you know that horses and cattle are the most deadly animals in Australia?  In the years between 2008 and 2017, horses or cattle killed 77 people. In addition the number of serous injuries was significant.  I know several people who have suffered significant injuries working with cattle.  In response to that post, I received comments such as:

“We don’t all push pencils you know. Leave the bush to the bush let us do what we got to do.”

“If it is the life style you like you will not be worried about the knocks and bruising. If you do not like the chance of being hurt find another job.”

I find this interesting.  A little research shows many of these comments come from young males.  There is a level of friction there that sees thinking about safety as being something that will stop them enjoying their job or their career.  

But will it really?  Being safe in your job is something we all have to consider. It is the law, and we have a duty to ourselves and others to look out and manage safety at work.  

Doing your job and thinking safely doesn’t mean that everything has to change. Some things are always going to be inherently dangerous.  But there are ways to make the job safer.  

I use a risk matrix for many of my jobs now.  I’ve been using this largely in response to my roles as a leader and manager of other people.  When I was a fireman the most important consideration was that none of my crew would be injured or worse.  And its no different with my clients or co-workers.  I want to look out for them.  

The matrix looks at what is the risk of an event occurring (its likelihood) and the consequences of the event happening. Now just because an event or a job is considered high risk, doesn’t mean it cant be done.  What it mean is you have to think about ways to reduce the risk. 

Can you reduce the risk by changing the way you do things?  Can you reduce the risk by a mechanical means – e.g replacing a head bale on a crush; a guard around a silo ladder; or can you remove the risk. Would some training help?  Simple changes could be the difference between an event being high risk or medium risk.

Not long ago I saw this statement

“One reason people resist change is because they focus on what they have to give up instead of what they have to gain”

I think this pretty well sums up lots of responses to farm safety.  Making a change to be safe doesn’t mean losing your ability to enjoy being on a horse, driving a tractor or doing any of the other tasks we do in agriculture.  But if you can take a few moments to assess the risk, think if there is a safer way and work to that, you will be that one step closer to coming home safe every day.

Prepare for the cold fronts!

The impact of cold weather on your livestock isn’t to be underestimated.  So far this July we have already seen several strong cold fronts sweep across southern and eastern Australia.  These fronts have been accompanied by strong winds, snow and sleet and then days of intense frosts.  

These events have a big impact on your livestock.  The demand to stay warm requires extra energy.  At present the intense drought conditions mean many livestock are low in body condition and surviving on minimal rations.  The combination of low body reserves and reduced energy intake means your stock is less able to cope with the cold, and at greater risk of dying. 

How does cold affect your cattle?

We often assume cattle can cope with cold conditions more easily than other species like sheep.  However, cattle can be just as impacted by the cold as any other species.  As a warm-blooded animal, cattle have a normal temperature of 380C. Under most circumstances cattle can cope with some temperature fluctuations without needing to expend too much extra energy.  As the season changes they grow thicker coats, and in periods of cold weather they change their grazing patterns to find shelter.  

However this behaviour can only go so far.  If temperatures fall to what is known as the ‘lower critical temperature” your cattle will start to be cold stressed.  To cope they start to require more energy to stay warm.  And in this situation they need to have more energy in their diets. 

Some research by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture in Canada identified the differing levels of lower critical temperature, depending on cattle coat thickness.  These levels do vary depending on coat thickness.

These temperatures don’t take into account the impact of wind speed.  Wind has the biggest impact on the lower critical temperature.  This can be seen below

Looking at the table, if the wind was only 8km /hour on a 40c Day, the actual air temperature is really 10C.  

This is close to the Lower Critical Level for cattle with a dry winter coat.  But a wet coat after rain means your animals are at real risk of cold stress.

Cold and wet conditions have a massive impact on sheep programs.  At greatest risk are lambs that are often unable to cope with the impact of cold weather.  Rain and moisture significantly increases the risk of mortality.  As with cattle, sheep manage to cope to some degree with cold by changing behaviour and seeking shelter.  They also have a fleece that will offer some protection.  

However its important not to overestimate how effective a fleece may be.  The table below highlights the Lower Critical Temperatures of Sheep 

As with cattle, when wind speed increases, the impact on Lower Critical Temperature is much greater. And for lambs with no fleece and a large surface area and low body mass, their energy loss is very high.  

Managing the Risk

In practical terms it's impossible to avoid cold fronts.  However we can manage for them.  The options that are available to help your stock cope with cold conditions include:

• Increasing rations ahead of the cold front: Hay is a very good option to increase a ration. It is more slowly digested and the process of digestion helps stock stay warmer as well as getting more energy. However it’s no good just offering a bit! You need to increase your rations by 10 – 20%. If your stock are light in condition or slick coated cattle I’d definitely be increasing to 20% ahead of and during the cold period.

• Provide shelter. Breaking the wind speed up can have a dramatic effect on improving conditions for your stock. Moving them to sheltered paddocks that have trees and shrubs that break up the wind will be vital. There are plenty of well proven strategies and studies that show the role shelter has in livestock survival

• Longer term, consider developing shelterbelts and wind breaks to moderate the wind across the farm. You certainly can’t grow shelter over night, so in the short term consider what other options you have to shelter your stock.

Cold fronts often only last for a few days, and with adequate warning you can prepare your stock to cope with the challenge.  It is important to make your plans happen when the fronts are forecast.  Don’t leave it to the day of the windy and snow to start doing something.  Often moving stock in those conditions makes it worse not better!  Pre preparation is everything to give your stock a chance!

Are you properly prepared to buy a new bull?

Purchasing new bulls for a program is a significant event for any producer.While many people consider the immediate cost of the bull to be the most pressing consideration, there is much more to consider than his actual cost! A bull will make a contribution to a herd that will extend for up to 15 years. So the lifetime cost of that bull in a herd is much greater than what you may pay at auction.

I spend a lot of time with producers looking at bulls before sales.  I’m often conscious that a large number of people I chat to have only a general idea of the characteristics of the bull that they want. As I wrote earlier, the question “what do I think of this bull?” is a hard one to answer. As we approach the spring bull selling season I’ve prepared a few suggestions to help producers prepare ahead of their next bull purchase.

1. Know what you want to achieve in your herd

A new bull should be the source of genetics to help move your herd closer to your goals.  So you need to be very clear on what you want to achieve.  I’d normally start by considering:

• Your current market – are your steers and heifers meeting the weight, fat and eating quality specifications?

• Your environment – are your cows the size that suits your pasture growth patterns throughout the year

• Is your herd fertility as high as it can be? Are your cows going into calf early, delivering calves easily and rearing those calves to weaning?

• Are there traits you would like to improve further or correct with genetics?

These are four key questions you should be focusing on as part of your business planning anyway.  In terms of seeking a new bull, the answers to these questions will give you a focus on the traits you should be seeking.It’s equally important not to rush this process!  You really need to take some time and review the market feedback you have, your fertility data and your paddock notes to see why you have been culling certain females from the herd.

2.  Search for bulls well before the sale

If you have identified the traits of bulls that you want bring into your herd, you should start doing some preliminary searching.  There are various ways to do this.  

• Use breed websites to search for bulls with specific EBVs that meet you criteria. This can be useful, however it may mean you need to do some additional searching to find the bulls you have identified with a particular breeder.

• I use on line sale catalogues available through the breed websites. This option will bring up the bulls listed at your chosen breeders sale. The easiest way to find the bulls that suit your criteria is to click on the option that asks if you would like to link to Breed Object. This will bring up the bulls with their EBVs and Index values, which makes searching much easier.

3.  Use the Indexes

Indexes were developed to help make selection easier in a couple of ways. The first is to remember that Indexes are developed to reflect both the short-term profit that would come from using a bull through his actual progeny.  While longer term profit is the influence his daughter have on a herd. The Indexes combine the animals EBVs for their impact on the traits that impact on a specific production and market system. 

I personally tend to find the Index that best suits a program and look at the top 5 bulls in the catalogue.  If you need to adjust a trait for a reason, one that you have identified earlier, you can then go and fine tune your selection on specific EBVs.

4.  Talk to the Breeder

Breeders have an interest in helping their clients. However you also need to make sure that the breeder you are approaching has the same focus or direction you have. Ultimately you have to be confident you are buying bulls from an operation that has the same focus and scrutiny you have for your own herd.  You need to do this well in advance of a sale.  Trying to make that decision on sale day is never a good idea!

5.  Have a physical checklist for sale day

I’ve been to hundreds of bull sales.  I know that some people find them exciting and a great day out. Some people find them over whelming and get swamped by the event. You need to go to a sale with plenty of time and a mission.  In short you need to: 

• Arrive early and spend as much time as you need looking at your chosen bulls. Don’t worry about the other bulls in the pen, or what other people like or don’t like! Your herd is your concern and the bulls you’ve identified are the ones that meet your objectives.

• Look at those bulls and have a checklist. Are the bulls structurally sound? Do they reflect your maturity pattern? What is their temperament like? Do they have the muscle pattern you need?

Ultimately you need to use your research and stick to the chosen selection. These bulls are those that fit your needs.  Don’t agonise about who is better in one trait but not another.  If they are all bulls that are in your specifications, rank them in preference, but then treat them the same!  Then in the pens use your observations to chose the best on the physical traits that you want.  If you do that you’ll have a preference list.  These and only these are the bulls you need to bid on! 

If you do this properly you’ll have time to enjoy the steak sandwich and the social catch up!  You’ll also find that when you ask me ‘what do I think of this bull?” I’ll be able to have a much more useful conversation with you!

What do I think of this bull?

One of the most frequent questions I’m asked is the simple “what do you think of this bull?”  For such a simple question, there isn’t a simple answer I can give.  Occasionally I am tempted to say “not much” but if I am stalling for time I might fall back on the standard “I haven’t really thought about him yet”.  Either way, the question is one that is a challenge and requires a little time to consider a proper response.

My greatest challenge with this question is the context it’s being asked within.  Selecting bulls is a key task for any breeding program.  The decision made to use a bull is the start of a process that will effect up to three generations of cattle and play put over 15 years.  

In that context,  decisions around bulls need a lot more time than a quick “what do you think of him”.

Ultimately I try to get the person asking me that question to share more about what they are trying to achieve at home.  In simple terms, what are they breeding for?  What are the traits that matter to them.  Are there issues in the cow herd they want to focus on.  Is there an issue with suitability to their markets or the environment.  

These are all the basics of a breeding objective.  If you know that, you can start to determine if the bull is suited to their program or not.

The other challenge is when a producer comes up to ask what do I think of a few bulls, brandishing the raw data that is provided on the bulls.  I have to be honest and respond that I need a lot more information before I give a comparison.  Quite simply I don’t find raw data all that helpful, except to provide me with a weight of each animal on the day.  Other than that, to me it doesn’t offer anything terribly helpful in determining how a bull will fit into a programs objectives.

It’s very easy to compare bulls for visual traits.  In fact I think that’s essential.  So I am very happy to assess the muscle patterns, structure and gait of a bull as he walks around the pen.  I can look at his maturity pattern and make some comparisons with his sale mates. 

And I can see what his individual temperament is like as I follow him around assessing his physical attributes. But, what I cant see and compare, is the genetic potential those bulls offer without accurate data.

Raw data that is often provided at bull sales shouldn’t be seen as an insight into the potential of the bull.  With these supplementary sheets it's important to remember that these sheets record what the bull as an individual has done to that point in time. 

So when you look at that data, or when I have it shown to me, its important to acknowledge the role that nutrition and the pedigrees have in determining a particular bulls phenotype, these are not the only two areas to consider.

There are many additional influences, ranging from the bulls age; the age of its dam; was the bull a single calf or a twin or if it was produced as a result of ET? 

These are all non genetic influences on the bull that impact over and above nutrition and genetics.  And when you are standing in a paddock looking at those bulls, it’s very difficult to know what these additional influences are or how to account for them in a selection decision.

My greatest concern is that often producers end up selecting on differences that are a result of these multiple factors, rather than for the genetic differences in animals.  Selection on raw data is further complicated by the heritability of individual traits. Highly heritable traits such as coat color can be an easy selection decision, as these traits can be easily passed on to progeny.

However, as a trait becomes less heritable it is harder to see these differences reflected on the basis of raw data alone.  Producers attempting to manipulate traits to meet breeding objectives in areas such as female fertility have a harder job to select for improvement when they are reliant on raw data and visual observation.  Its not an impossible task, however it is a much more difficult, and drawn out process over several generations.

As if this isn’t difficult enough, there’s something else to remember! That’s the relationship between the trait that has been recorded and the traits that are the focus of particular breeding decisions?  

Not all traits follow linear progressions.  A good example is scanned data for EMA.  The size of EMA at a particular point in time may not be reflective of increased muscularity, but rather a result of growth rate to that point in time.  A larger EMA may be more reflective of the growth and weight of the animal when it was scanned. 

It really concerns me when producers place all their emphasis on the raw data of animals as the basis for their selection decisions.  Without knowing the cumulative impact of the environment, feed, and other non-genetic factors, bulls are being selected more on reflection of the year’s circumstances, rather than on their genetic capability.  This often works in a counterproductive manner to selection pressure placed on the breeding group at home.

So if you are choosing bulls, you need to make this a project and allow yourself some time to make decisions based on research and preparation, rather than a comparison of animals on the day of the sale! There is tremendous value in spending time considering what you want as an objective for your herd, and looking at a range of bulls to help achieve that goal.

Breedplan figures and the search tools in Breedplan can help you find the bulls that could suit your program.  Then you can go and look at them and see if they physically have structure, the muscularity and temperament to suit your program. 

If you do that then when you ask me what do I think of these bulls, I’ll be able to have a focused and hopefully more helpful discussion with you!

Selection to Increase Saleable Meat Yield

As cattle producers, we are focused on the production of red meat that can be used to feed people.  I’m not sure that many people really know just how much red meat comes from their cattle. I think it is an important trait to consider and work on improving.  After all increasing red meat yield per animal is a more efficient way to use your feed resources and be more profitable in the long term.

When considering Red Meat Yield, its important not to be confused with Dressing Percentage.  Dressing percentage is commonly talked about by people and confused with yield.  In simplest terms, Dressing Percentage is simply the carcass weight of an animal as a percentage of its live-weight.

Dressing Percentage is a useful tool to measure and to understand, particularly for producers who are looking to market cattle direct to abattoirs. Knowing how your animal will dress and so fit a payment grid can make a big difference in receiving the grid price or suffering a discount for being over or under the weights.

It is important to remember that Dressing Percentage is influenced by factors associated with an animals live-weight.  In particular the length of time off feed and water.  A simple rule to remember is that as live-weight decreases, Dressing Percentage will increase.  Other factors that can have an impact include pregnancy status (cows and heifers) as well as grain or grass finishing programs.  

So Dressing Percentage is something that has to be considered and managed in order to achieve optimum returns when livestock are sold over a grid.  However focusing on the yield of red meat should be a major focus for producers.  

In basic terms yield is generally described as Saleable Meat Yield (SMY).  It is defined as the proportion of the carcase that can be processed and sold to the consumer. This includes all the bone-in or boneless cuts that we commonly see at retail level, plus manufacturing meat that has been trimmed to a desired fat coverage or level.

The level of Saleable Meat Yield (SMY) can vary dramatically among animals.  A real issue for processors or butchers is this variation will impact the efficiency of processing or retailing.  It basically costs the same to process a carcase into its primal and retail cuts. 

Lower yields either as a result of less muscle or over fatness, quickly become financial issues for that portion of the supply chain.  In the longer term it reflects back on the producer who may find their lower yielding cattle are purchased for lower prices or avoided all together.

As producers the challenge is to increase the amount of saleable red meat each animal produces.  There most effective methods are to focus on meeting specifications for fatness.  Over fat animals require more trimming, and this impacts on the amount of product for sale after processing.  

The second and major way is to focus on selection for muscle volume within the herd.  This can be done using both EBV’s that address meat yield, and to visually select animals for their muscle score.  

Over many years, NSW DPI has researched the impact muscle score has on saleable meat yield.  One of the key findings from this research showed that selection for muscle score was a skill that could be used in all beef herds.   

More importantly the research highlighted that for each increase in muscle score at the same live weight and fat depth, dressing percentage increased by 1.7%. 

Saleable meat yield as a percentage, increased by 1.5 to 1.7 % and lean meat yield (denuded of fatness) increased by over 2%. In lightweight steers, this equated to 10–15% increase in value.

The research looked at this over three steers that were all the same live-weight and fatness.  The additional increase in yield of saleable meat through increased muscling was a significant contributor to the value of those animals to both producers and retailers. 

In the last few weeks I’ve been working through these concepts with several producers to improve their herd’s suitability to several emerging markets.  We have also been looking at the breakdown of a beef carcase and the proportion of red meat from each primal cut.  Selection for muscle has a positive impact on increase the amount produced as well as improving the shape and appearance of these muscles when they are processed into retail cuts.

Judging steers in a show ring

Preparing and showing steers is perhaps the most common of all livestock showing in Australia. I know for many people steer competitions are the starting point in their livestock career. In my own case, showing steers with my school was an integral part of my exposure to the broader industry.

Steer competitions allow many young people the opportunity to learn a range of responsibilities and gain skills and knowledge that can be used in their future careers and in their broader lives.

Preparing a steer requires knowledge of selection, nutrition and a commitment to ensure the steer grows according to a specific end point. For young people there is the responsibility of not only feeding and caring for the animal, its also about the preparation and training.

So what brings success in a steer ring? As a judge I have some pretty clear expectations for steers. The things I consider are important not just for the show ring. I am looking for the traits that are economically and commercially relevant. Through judging I hope that people preparing steers, learn to use that experience in their approach to commercial operations, and so produce more economically valuable animals for themselves and for the clients they hope to attract.

The traits that matter

Whenever I consider a class of steers, my first thoughts are about the class specifications. Specifications for weight and fatness are essential! The processor for various reasons sets a weight. These range from;

• ensuring that the primal cuts that the carcass will be broken down into are the correct size for further fabrication into retail cuts

• efficiency of processing within a plant

• ease of processing. For example a local butcher has smaller lighter bodies both for retail purposes and for the simple reason that there isn’t enough room in a small chiller for a larger carcass!

If a steer is too heavy or too light for class specifications, I automatically discount it as a place winner. In the commercial world this discounting happens with a lower price offer from the purchaser.

There are some important lessons to consider beyond the obvious discounting for price (or points in a competition). If your steers are too heavy then they should have been entered into a different class. Or in commercial operations sold to a heavier market. 

If you don’t direct cattle into the appropriate market then not only do you receive a lower payment, you have also lost money and time growing extra weight that isn’t being financially recognised at sale. So effectively you are costing yourself more money.

My second consideration for class specifications is for the specifications for fatness. Again there are fat depths set for a reason. These include the minimum required for MSA grading (3mm on the rib) as well as to ensure an evenly covered carcass. Over fat cattle create more issues with excessive trim. 

Again the consideration is not just the discounting that occurs for over fatness, but the cost and time spent to lay down this fatness that is then wasted.

The lesson to consider is that if you are preparing steers, for competition or for the market, know your specifications! If you are failing to meet the specs, does this mean you need to consider:

• Feeding program – are you growing at the optimum daily rate for your target? If it is too slow will you fall below the minimum? Too fast and will you overshoot?

• Fatness – Consider not just your feeding but also your animals maturity patter. Is your maturity pattern correct for your target market / class specifications? Later maturity animals lay fat down later, so will you be able to meet the requirements with your maturity pattern. Similarly are you not being too ambitious with early maturity patterns?

Once I’ve considered the suitability of the steers to their class specifications, I assess each steer for its overall muscle volume. Muscle is directly related to saleable red meat, and so the more an animal has, the more saleable red meat is available and so the value of that animal increases.

I assess muscle volume using the industry accepted muscle scores. I find it useful to think about volume in the same way it is calculated for any shape. Essentially it means to consider length, depth and width.

So I look at the length of the animal. I consider its width, through the loins and rib eye, and the width of stance and through the hindquarters. Lastly I look to see how deep is the muscle volume extending from the hindquarters down to the stifle. I like to see broader, rounder, longer steers.

My final consideration is to look at the overall fatness of the steer. It’s one thing to meet specifications. However it’s another to be evenly covered across the carcass. I look and feel over the major primals and over the carcass to see if the fat appears to be evenly distributed. Sometimes you can feel the fat coverage is uneven or hasn’t quite extended across the major areas.

As a carcass judge I’ve seen many bodies that are unevenly finished. This adds to the processors level of trim and overall reduces the value of the carcass to the processor. So its something I do try and consider and provide feedback on.

Essentially I use these three key areas to judge steers. Ultimately the steers that meet specification, display the high degree of muscle and even distribution of fatness are the ones I will select to be my place winners.

I don’t spend any time worrying about what the herd is like that produced these steers. I don’t worry about the heifers in the herd or anything outside of the ring. As a judge I can only assess what I see in front of me. Just as a buyer will only consider what is in front of them at the sale and if they will suit the processors needs. Focusing on these things does provide breeders with the information they need to fine-tune their program at home.

And for young people making their way into the industry, the lesson of knowing the market specifications, choosing cattle that suit their market and selecting for yield are lessons that will take them a long way into commercial and show ring success.

Know the risks of Nitrate & Prussic Acid in your feed

Feeding stock is a task that requires some prior preparation.  While most feeds can be provided to ruminants, it doesn’t mean that you can feed them without following a few simple rules.  

The rumen is a living environment, which hosts the micro-flora, fungi and other organisms that actually work to break feed down so that it can be absorbed and used by the animal.  Sudden changes in feed type, lack or roughage and reduced water intake can all create a situation where the environment of the rumen becomes unhealthy to the micro-flora and results in digestive upsets and illness.

Mostly the rumen remains fairly stable as livestock select diets that allow the rumen micro-flora to thrive and do their job of breaking down material for absorption and digestion.  Problems start to arise when diets and rations are offered that create unhealthy rumen environments. 

As mentioned before common issues are changes in feed types, particularly to including grains that have high levels of starch.  It also occurs when fibre is lacking or if rations are less than the animal requires and as it becomes hungrier it eats plants that may contain toxins that can result in illness or death.

Poisoning is a risk that many producers have had to consider this year. Common issues have been weeds that have been eaten as hungry stock eat whatever they can chew.  It also has been an issue as new weeds arrive in drought feeds. Stock may consume plants that are poisonous simply because they have never seen them before.  

However the biggest issue has been with sorghum crops that have been grazed or cut for fodder.  The cause has been either from Nitrate poisoning or from Prussic Acid.  

What is Nitrate Poisoning?

Nitrogen is needs by plants for growth.  They absorb nitrogen through the soil and root system.  Young plants and leaves have high levels of nitrates as they are growing. However when plants are stressed or not growing at a rate that allows the nitrogen to be used, the plant stores this as nitrate.  Some plants are more prone than others to do this (they are known as ‘nitrate accumulators’), but most plants will accumulate nitrates to some degree if stressed.

The issue for livestock is that when the material is eaten that Nitrate is converted to nitrite.  This chemical change allows the nitrite to be quickly absorbed from digested feed into the blood system where it attaches to hemoglobin.  These nitrites replace oxygen cells in the blood and cause rapid impacts on the animal.  

Within 15-20 minutes symptoms like staggering, difficulty breathing, spasms and foaming at the mouth start to occur. Many affected animals will lie down while some may thrash about.  I’ve had it described to me that the cattle looked drunk.  

Its mainly sheep and cattle impacted in this way.  Horses and pigs are less affected by nitrate because they don’t convert it to nitrite. If levels are high though, the nitrate can damage the lining of their gut.

According to a number of sources, most of the species commonly grazed in Australia can cause nitrate poisoning if stressed.  These are species that include oats, sorghum, maize, sudan grass, Johnson grass, canola, lucerne, kikuyu, turnip and sugar beet tops, soybean, wheat, barley and a range of weeds.

It’s essential that you consider feed testing any fodder that you purchase to see what level of nitrate is in the feed.  Ask a few questions from the vendor?  Was it treated with a big application of fertilizer or manure?  Was it stressed before bailing?  These questions can help you decide if it is suitable to feed to livestock

Prussic Acid

Prussic acid is a major concern for producers who graze or rely on sorghum varieties for fodder.  It is present in most sorghum, although some varieties will have lower levels.   

At a chemical level within the plant, prussic acids exist as a non-poisonous chemical called Dhurrin.  This chemical can react with another plant-based material known as Emulsion.  Under the right conditions, these two materials will react and create Prussic Acid.  It’s also known as Hydrocyanic Acid.  In simplest terms this is Cyanide Poisoning!

Damage to the pant through mechanical impact, environmental stress, trampling and even insect damage results in the mixing of these materials and the release of Cyanide.  

While sometimes this can evaporate from the plant, it doesn’t all disappear.  It also means that further damage, such as harvesting, or grazing will result in more Cyanide being released. 

The concern with Prussic Acid is its high level of toxicity.  Feed Central suggests that amounts greater than 0.1 percent (1000 ppm or mg/kg) of plant dry matter is considered highly dangerous. Some levels from the Washington State University place that level even lower at 750 ppm.

The effect on animals is very similar to that of nitrate poisoning. The acid is readily absorbed into the bloodstream and it then attaches to the hemoglobin and displaces oxygen.  

Since many producers look to graze or use sorghum forage there are some basic considerations to be factored into the decision making process.  Remember that: 

• Leaf blades normally contain higher levels than leaf sheaths or stems

• Younger (upper) leaves have more prussic acid than older leaves

• Tillers and branches (“suckers”) have the highest levels, because they are more leaf than stalk

Most sorghum should be grazed when they are more mature.  Often this is over 3ft in height.  As plants mature, there are more stalks than leaves in the overall plant causing prussic acid content in the plant as a whole to decrease.

With so much drought-affected crops its important to remember levels will be much higher as the pants are mostly leaves. Sorghum grown in drought may retain high levels of prussic acid, even if made into hay or silage.

My advice to all producers thinking about using or grazing sorghum is to get it tested first!  Know the levels before you feed it out.  There may be alternative uses to this feed. 

If you do have concerns, or you want some more advice, then get in touch with me. Asking questions can save you a lot of risk and the potential of stock losses.

How long will your stock water last?

The summer of 2019 has been another very hot and dry season.  Coming off one of the hottest years on record, with low rainfall, this summer has had a big impact on most agricultural programs.  

Perhaps the biggest challenge for graziers will be access to reliable stock water.  Of all the resources available to graziers, stock water is the most vital, and generally the most limiting. Water plays a role beyond ensuring survival.  The quality of water offered will impact on feed intake levels and can restrict livestock production if it is outside acceptable ranges.

So how much do your animals consume?  Daily consumption varies with the size of your animals, their production status.  Obviously a lactating animal will require more water than a dry animal.    The feed animals are consuming and weather conditions will also determine daily consumption levels.

As can be seen in this table, consumption for livestock is often higher than many people consider.  Dry cattle for example will require between 50 – 70 litres a day depending on their size. However, hot conditions will see that level of consumption increase significantly.  

Some research presented by Future Beef noted that rises of 10ºC (e.g. from 25ºC to 35ºC) can almost double daily consumption, particularly if there is high humidity as well. Its also important to recognize that lactating cows may have a 30% higher daily water intake than dry cows.

Water quality is a key factor in livestock intake.  There are several components to water quality.  

• pH will impact on consumption and influence feed intake and rumen function. Low pH (more acid) will impact on rumen acidosis levels and suppress feed intake. While higher pH levels (more alkaline) will cause rumen upset, diarrhoea and poor feed conversion.

• Salinity levels will also determine consumption levels. Salinity tests on water assess the sum of all mineral salts in water. Salinity can impact animal health as a result of their feed, temperature and humidity and the levels of salinity in the water itself

• Algae, contaminants such as mud or debris from storm run off, and contamination from faeces are all issues that will restrict intake or cause health issues.

If you are concerned about the quality of the water your stock are accessing you can obtain water test kits from your State DPI or Agriculture Departments. (NSW DPI)(Western Australia)

How much water is in your dam?

Part of any plan regarding water is to know how much you have stored.  Most people I speak with don’t really know how much they may have in a dam or in total, which can significantly add to the stress levels people feel.  

The easiest way to work through estimating a dam’s water amount requires:

• a tape measure

• some very strong twine (like plumbers line)

• two heavy duty lead sinkers

• a dozen (or more) fishing floats.

Firstly you need to attach the sinkers to the end of the line.  Then tie a slot every metre from the end of the line. Number each float with a large number suing a colour you can read easily.

Step 1:  Measure two sides of your dam (this allows you to work out your surface area in square metres)

Step 2:  Drag your sting across the deepest part of your dam and allow the floats to bring the line to vertical.

Step 3:  Read the number of the float holding the line vertically.

Step 4:  Multiply the surface area (From Step 1) by the depth you have just measured.  

Step 5:  To allow for the shape of your dam, multiply this figure by 0.4.  This will tell you the total volume of your dam.  

Step 6:  To convert this total to mega-litres, divide the number by 1000.  

Doing this exercise once a month will give you a fairly accurate stock take of water supply.  If you calculate how many animals you have, and how much they drink each day, you will soon determine your overall levels of consumption.  

Dividing this consumption by your total water supply will give you a time period for your current water supplies.

Effective plans need to have a time frame, and if your water supplies are the most limiting issue on farm, then it’s vital to have a time estimate.  This estimate gives you the chance to make new plans and be proactive in your management, rather than responding or reacting when your options are much more limited.

When you do these evaluations, you will quickly determine that trucking water to stock is a task that can't be done effectively. The shear demand of water, let alone time and access may make the exercise extremely difficult.  For many people trucking water is an impossibility when they realistically assess their livestock demand and the resources and time they have to meet the daily demand of livestock.  Early planning will help you weigh up your options and focus you on using your limited resources as well as you possibly can.

If you need help in making plans or you require some advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.  This is a key service I provide to producers and I’m happy to help where I can.

How Can You Help Our Rural Communities?

Across Australia, the impact of the extremes of climate is playing out with disastrous consequences for hundreds of families.  Its been easy for some people in metropolitan NSW to think that the coastal rain and storms have been widespread.  In fact the NSW DPI reveals in their latest Seasonal Update that the Combined Drought Indicator (CDI) has 99.8% of NSW experiencing drought conditions.

To break that down over a third of the state (36.8%) is classified as Intense Drought, The remaining areas of the state are considered wither in drought or drought affected.  The impact of heat waves and above average temperatures, plus no rain has many producers on edge.

Of course the drought is not confined to NSW. Many parts of Queensland are now in the fifth or sixth year of drought.  Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and parts of Western Australia have all recorded below average rainfall and are in drought or rapidly approaching drought conditions.

In Tasmania this has resulted in unprecedented bushfires. While many fires have impacted wilderness areas, there have been losses of homes, buildings and farming country.

Last week a huge part of North Queensland, some 20,000KM2 (almost the entire size of Kenya) was swamped by monsoon rain.  This event has inundated stations, roads, railways and swept away 100’s of thousands of cattle.  So many people in this region are struggling to start assessing the scale of their losses let alone even to consider rebuilding.

So what can you do to help?  It’s a good question.  The Australian way is to offer help and to want to look after those people doing it tough. I know that I feel that way myself. 

The reality is, these events are huge.  They will have an ongoing impact that will last for much longer than the news cycle or the next trend on Facebook.  It extends across farms to impact businesses, towns and communities.  

So any help that you would like to offer should be something that reflects the scale of the events and can be useful.  

If you would like to offer or donate money, the Country Women’s Association have appeals that are directly focussed on communities.  The CWA are community driven and have a long commitment of helping their community. In Qld, the QCWA Public Crisis Fund has been established to provide direct support in the event of disasters such as floods and fires. In NSW the CWA has established a fund specifically for drought aid.  Alternatively the Australian Red Cross and St Vincent De Paul are charities that I have worked with and are focussed on direct assistance.

However, there are two other things you can do.

Go and visit these communities for a holiday.

When the worst of this is over, and communities start to rebuild, the money your visit brings in is essential.  Small towns in the Huon Valley depend on tourism.  In the Central West of NSW or the Far West, the difference your visit can make to a café, motel, and service station is just as important to a community as anything else you can do.  And this is something you can do and make a difference in a real way over a longer term.

Support regional businesses. 

It can be as easy as having an extra beef or lamb meal each week!  However there are lots of small regional businesses that provide products and trade on line.  Many of these support faming families with a little extra income.  These little businesses are important to families, and communities so any support for them will have a direct benefit to people who need your help.

As communities recover over the coming months and years, don’t forget to check in on people you know.  Keep visiting, keep supporting communities in these simple and practical ways.  It will take a while to recover, so these are ways you can help for a longer time than just in the immediate aftermath of the disasters we are seeing right now.

Think safe in the heat!

This week I was talking with a colleague from the south west of the state. The topic of conversation was the recent heat waves and how they have been coping with it.  One of the points they mentioned was the decision to postpone a sheep sale to avoid the worst of the heat, and then to start subsequent ones earlier in the day.

I thought that was a great move.  Apparently while there was general support, there were still some people who were critical of the move!  I’ve been scratching my head about that for a few days now!  

All I can put that criticism down to is that there are just some people who like to criticise. However, it does expose the school of thought that does seem to prevail with some people that unless you are uncomfortable, you aren’t working hard enough!

I really struggle with that idea. I don’t think its helpful and often leads people to make decisions that can actually be dangerous. I think we tend to underestimate the impact that heat has on us. I know that I have often failed to consider the impact that heat and manual work will have on me. It's important to remember that there is a big difference between being hot, and overheating.  Overheating can have some pretty serious impacts that if not addressed can lead to death. 

Heat Exhaustion is something many people have experienced.  It's often characterized by sings like headaches; increased thirst; dizziness and nausea.  However if it's ignored it could continue to show itself with poor coordination, anxiety and poor decision making.

Heat exhaustion can be pretty debilitating and requires some immediate attention. Ideally you should lie down in some air conditioning or shade; drink plenty of water.  If you are very hot, then cooling your body with a cold shower or bath can also help. 

As a firefighter, we often had to cool down on protracted incidents.  Not having access to showers or baths, we would take off as much clothing as we could (down to shirts and pants) and then we would often rest our forearms in buckets of water or in chairs that had arm rests which we filled with water before putting our hands and arms in the water.

As a firefighter, we often had to cool down on protracted incidents.  Not having access to showers or baths, we would take off as much clothing as we could (down to shirts and pants) and then we would often rest our forearms in buckets of water or in chairs that had arm rests which we filled with water before putting our hands and arms in the water.

There is some neat research that shows immersing your arms and hands in water and sitting in the shade cools your core temperate down much more quickly than simply resting in the shade.  

If you don’t address the signs of heat exhaustion, you risk the more drastic impact of heat stroke.  Heatstroke occurs when a persons temperature is greater than 40°C.  As a result they may then experience confusion, convulsions, or  coma.

As with the symptoms of heat exhaustion, heatstroke could see a person have: 

• headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and confusion

• having flushed, hot and unusually dry skin

• being extremely thirsty

• having a dry, swollen tongue

• having a sudden rise in body temperature to more than 40°C

• being disoriented or delirious

• slurred speech

• being aggressive or behaving strangely

• convulsions, seizures or coma.

• may be sweating and skin may feel deceptively cool

• rapid pulse

Heat stroke is not to be taken lightly! If you notice any of the above signs of heatstroke in yourself or others, call 000 immediately for an ambulance. If you don’t treat heat stroke it can lead to permanent damage to vital organs or even death.

Heat can effect people very quickly.  Its vital not to think that you can’t be impacted or that you can get used to it!  While we think about the impact of heat, the time it takes to get over a case of exhaustion can see you recovering for a few days.   

Given the risks that heat poses, I reckon any plan to postpone work until its cooler is a sensible option.  There’s nothing so important it cant wait for a bit!

Using Scrub as a Livestock Feed

The search for roughage during a drought challenges many producers.  Over many years, scrub and some native trees have become a ‘go to’ for producers seeking an alternative and cheap source of feed.  

Many people have used scrub very successfully as part of their drought programs. However there are equally many occasions where results have been disappointing or have actually increased problems within the livestock program.

Image: ABC New England

So, just how good is scrub?  I know many people will swear to the value of species such as Kurrajongs, Wilga or Native Apple.  Mulga is an important species in the inland parts of the country.  

However as with any feeding program, it’s never really that simple!

As can be seen in the table above, there is a fair bit of variation in the nutritional ranges of commonly fed species.  Most species have an energy range of 7.5 MJ / Kg to 10.5MJ /kg. However in general the average is around 8.5MJ.  In general its fair to say that the best-case scenario for scrub is that it is the equivalent of average quality hay.  At these levels you really only expect scrub to provide maintenance levels of energy, provided your animals can eat enough each day!

The limitation for many scrub feeds is the level of Crude Protein (CP%). Many of the feeds that have been tested only provide enough CP to meet the maintenance requirements for dry animals. In practice this really means that if you are feeding to animals that are growing, pregnant or lactating, you will have to use a suitable protein supplement to meet these animals daily needs.

Not all stock will take to scrub.  And not all scrub is as palatable as you might expect.  It is important to use some local knowledge when looking at including scrub in your rations.

If you do start to use scrub, there are a few things to remember.  Its important to try to use scrub that has a fair bit of leaf.  Increasing twigs and small branches reduces animals overall intake of energy and protein. It also leads to risks of rumen impaction.

When working with producers who have had scrub in their programs, I’ve seen some useful tips.  To educate your stock to scrub, start with small amounts close to watering points and stock camps.  If needed you can spray a water molasses mix (2 parts molasses to 1 part water) onto the scrub.  

When the stock recognize the sound of the saw, you should move away from these area and use trees and stands furthest from water.  That way you can preserve the trees closer to water sources for when its hotter or if animals are weaker and won’t browse as far.

Impaction can be a real issue, particularly if there is not enough leaf material in the diet.  Twigs can be an issue.  Feeding molasses in troughs can help reduce this risk.  Its also worth providing a supplement of ground limestone in the molasses mix at 1.5%.  This will help maintain animals intakes of calcium.  

Signs such as depressed appetite, no cud chewing or discomfort, often characterize impaction.  You might notice animals groaning or even kicking their bellies.  

Providing a protein supplement can also reduce the risk of impaction.  A supplement will help stimulate rumen function and ensure material is digested more effectively.  Suitable choices could be molasses and cottonseed meal (fortified molasses mix) or white cottonseed.  

If you are cutting scrub, remember if you don’t cut enough, animals will be forced to eat more twigs and small branches.  This can also increase the risk of impaction.

The final important consideration when feeding scrub is access to sufficient water.  Stock must be able to access enough water each day.  Reduced water intake can rapidly increase the risk of impaction, so water sources need to be clean as well as reliable.

Finally a couple of tips.  Try to use only one species at a time.  Otherwise stock might waste feed by choosing one species over the other.  In hot weather you might have to feed more frequently than a typical 2-3 day program.  Daily cutting might help avoid leaf loss as scrub dries out in the heat and becomes inaccessible to stock.

It is important to consider the way you cut and lop scrub.  For regrowth its essential that you try not to cut too heavily, particularly preserving the trunk and major braches.  Some foliage should be left to help the tree recover, ideally above stock browsing height.  You should also really only lop a tree once a season to allow it to recover, although depending on the length of the drought, this period may be much longer.

Your own safety is vital!  Climbing trees and using chainsaws are dangerous undertakings.  When you are hot, tired or stressed the risk of injury is much greater. So consider ways to be safe.  Can you do it early when its cool and you are not tired?  Can you access a cheery picker or other method that means you don’t need to climb trees.  

Keep thinking is there a SAFER way!

Finally after a few months, stock will lose their appetite for scrub.  So I reckon it is important that your plan takes this into account.  If you don’t know what the next phases might be, then why don’t you get in touch with me and we can work a plan out together.

Understanding your feed test results

How good is the feed you are offering to your livestock?I think this is a tricky question to ask.I know that in 90% of the instances that I’ve asked a farmer this question, their response is generally “Oh its pretty good!”Sometimes the qualification is offered that someone they knew grew it, or that it cost a lot to buy!

Unfortunately cost isn’t actually an indicator of the feed value! 

Feed value is actually determined by levels of energy; crude protein; digestibility, fibre and the amount of moisture contained in the feed.  All these components contribute to the usefulness a particular feed has in meeting animals nutritional needs as well as impacting on the amount the animal can physically consume each day.

It’s actually pretty difficult to tell any of these things from a visual inspection.  And while looking at a hay, or silage you might be able to have a guess it the digestibility of the plant when it was cut and the general moisture content, its only ever going to be a guess.  

Over the past few months, many people have been full feeding their animals as the drought restricts paddock feed.  A lot of these rations have been well planned and meet the various needs of the stock.  However there are still plenty of rations put together on the basis of guess work!  And by guessing some classes of stock are being underfed.

Obtaining a feed test is the most reliable way to determine the value of a feed. Its also is essential if you want to develop a ration that actually meets the needs of your stock.

Feed tests kits can be obtained through private companies or state departments of agriculture.  Pretty much any feed can be tested.  The kits will provide instructions regarding the amount you nee to collect to send away. 

There are various levels of testing that you can request.  For most situations, a standard evaluation is enough to give you the information that will help you know how useful your feed really is.

The things I look for include the following key components:

DRY MATTER (DM):  All feeds contain some amount of moisture.  This moisture has no nutritional value.  When you prepare a ration, you need to allow for the water in the feed, and in many cases you will actually have to increase the physical or ‘as fed’ amount per animal to account for the moisture.  If you don’t, your rations may end up being lower than what your stock need each day.  Over a period of time, this can lead to significant underfeeding!

DRY MATTER DIGESTIBILITY:  This explains as a percentage, how much of a feed your animals will be able to digest. Digestibility and energy are positively related, so having high levels of digestibility not only means your animals can use more of a feed, it also means that the energy levels of the feed are at a level that will meet their needs. 

DRY ORGANIC MATTER DIGESTIBILITY:  A further measure of digestibility is made on the organic matter of the feed.  It is expressed as a percentage and again the higher the percentage, the higher value of the feed for animal production. 

CRUDE PROTEIN:  Crude Protein is expressed as a % of the Dry Matter.  Crude Protein is essential for rumen function.  Low levels will reduce the ability of a rumen population to effectively use a feed.  For maintenance cattle require Crude Protein to be a minimum of 8%.  Lower values may mean that you will need to add a protein source to your ration.

FIBRE:  Fibre is an important part of a diet.  Low levels of fibre can lead to digestive upsets.  More commonly, in rations I’ve seen recently, fibre is often very high. High fibre not only lowers digestibility (and energy) but it will also reduce the amount of feed an animal will actually eat.  

Fibre is measured by either; Acid Detergent Fibre (ADF) or Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF). Acid Detergent Fibre (ADF) is a measurement of cellulose and lignin while 

Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF)is a measurement of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin.  Its possible to calculate how much of a feedstuff will be consumed by an animal by dividing 120 by the NDF.  

Lower NDF figures will see your animals eat more, and so potentially achieve their needs more easily each day.

METABOLISABLE ENERGY (ME): The energy that an animal can actually use in its daily needs is refereed to as Metabolisable Energy (ME).  It is expressed as Megajoules (MJ ME / kg of Dry matter).  To maintain cattle the ME of a feed must be at least 8MJ.  If a feed is below this level, you will need to add an energy source in order to achieve your stock requirements.

Knowing the levels of nutrient in your feed places you in a pretty powerful position!  This knowledge will determine if the feed is suitable for the stock you are planning on feeding.  

It will also help you determine the amount you need to feed. This information not only allows you to manage your animals more effectively.  

It also means you will be using your feed more efficiently and getting the best return on the money you’ve spent to purchase it and feed it out!

Don't forget, you don't have to work these things out on your own.  I'm always available to assist you with your feed tests, developing your rations or helping plan your strategies.  If you want a hand, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me!

Are you feeding enough?

Feeding livestock has become the primary task for many producers across eastern states.  As the drought continues to extend across the country, some producers have been feeding stock for over eight or nine months.

In the past few weeks, I have been travelling across Central and Northern NSW talking to producers, and discussing their feeding programs.As part of these visits and discussions I am seeing a developing trend that is concerning.

Quite simply most rations are well below the daily requirements for the livestock people are choosing to feed.

The results of underfeeding have varied from significant weight loss, poor calf and lamb growth and unfortunately in some cases, weight loss has been so severe animals have had to be euthanized.

There are two issues around feeding that have been contributing to this situation.The first is the choice of ration ingredients.And the second is quite simply the physical amount offered to stock.Some people have wildly overestimated the amount of feed they are actually providing and in doing so have created problems in their program.

I wanted to offer a few comments that are important to consider when determining how much you should feed.

CLASS OF STOCK

The stage of production determines how much feed your animals need to eat each day.A dry cow will require lower amounts of physical feed, than a lactating cow needs.At the same time an animal with higher production demands, like lactation or joining not only needs more feed, that feed must have higher levels of energy and crude protein.

Quite simply, some feeds are not of good enough quality to meet your animal’s requirements.And when these feeds fail to meet those levels, your animals will lose weight.In many cases, if weight loss is prolonged production losses are not restricted to lower milk yields or weight loss. Over a longer period animals may die.

INTAKE LEVELS

Intake levels do vary significantly each day, not only as a result of the production status of your animals. It is possible to calculate intake based on a percentage of body weight for each production class, it’s not the only factor to consider.

The amount of fibre in a feedstuff will also determine intake.If fibre content is too low, it can lead to rumen upset and low intake.High fibre levels restrict the voluntary intake of animals.Quite simply, they can’t eat enough each day.

It’s equally important to recognize that some feeds have fibre levels that are too high for pregnant cows but would be acceptable for dry animals.The reason has to do with bulk fill and the internal capacity of a cow to consume and digest the feed while carrying a calf as well!

The other important factor is the moisture content of feed.All feeds have some moisture.However as moisture has no nutritional value, the amount you actually feed each day needs to reflect the water contained in that feed.

In simplest terms, the higher moisture content of a feed, the more you will physically need to supply to your animals each day.

HOW MUCH ARE YOU FEEDING?

Perhaps one of the biggest limitations to livestock intake is the amount of feed that is actually fed out!

I’ve asked a lot of people, how much are they feeding.The range of answers is quite surprising.Most are based on a guess, or a rough idea.Very few people have actually taken the time to weight out how much they need to feed.

The risk with this approach, besides underfeeding, is that if you need to add other ingredients to your ration, such as limestone or bentonite, your additions will be out.So your ration may be even less effective than you expected, and your cattle’s daily needs continue to be compromised.

At the very least, weigh your rations and make sure you are physically providing enough for daily intake.Check the value of the feed, and if you’re not sure get a feed test done.  And if you are still not sure, give me a ring and I’ll come and help you put the rations in place for your stock.

Have you really considered what you are feeding?

NSW is now categorized as 100% drought affected.  As the state emerges from winter and looks towards a hotter drier spring and summer, there are many producers considering what options they have available.  

For many the decisions include choosing to continue destocking, with the goal of retaining a core group to focus on.Other producers have spoken to me about their plans to keep feeding and maintain numbers.For a large portion of people the decision is a mix of selling and feeding.

None of these decisions are easy.Having spent close on the last 12 months advising producers on strategies, I know how hard choices can be.However, regardless of the difficulty, you must make decisions, and build a plan to help manage the direction you want to take.

Perhaps the hardest part of this process has been for producers who are choosing to feed, and have started to draw on uncommon feeds to support their herds.

By uncommon feeds, I mean choosing options outside of the usual products that include grains, hay, silage, plant based meals and prepared products like pellets.

As these feeds become more difficult to source, or more expensive to source, producers have looked to alternatives. In the past few weeks I’ve spoken to producers feeding products that have included;

Scrub cut on farm

Pumpkins

Potatoes

Grape Marc

Bread

Orange Pulp

I’m sure there are plenty of other things being fed to cattle and sheep.These are just the ones I’ve come across lately.

While these options can be useful feeds, its essential you use them after considering the risks associated with these feeds.Not all of these feeds are as useful or as good as they might be made out to be.

The important things you must consider are:

Residues:  Chemical residues are one of the great risks in feeding unusual feeds.  Many products from the horticultural sector may have been treated with chemicals for pest control or grown in soil that has a chemical risk.  These products might be fine for use on horticultural products, but in meat these same chemicals may be prohibited.

You need to consider if there is a risk with products that may have been treated or grown in soil.Products like potatoes, pumpkins, and sugar cane tops can contain soil which may lead to a residue issue.So its important to ask a few questions about the background of the product before you feed it to stock.

Dry Matter:  All products contain some water.  However the amount of water will vary considerably.  If a product is 50% Dry Matter (DM) that means half its actual weight is made up of water. 

The implications are that in transporting that feed, half the weight in the load is water, so you wont get as much as you were expecting to be delivered!

Secondly it means that the amount you actually feed out will be twice the amount of product.In simple terms, if your co requires 10kg/ DM/ day you would need to feed 20kg of feed to meet those requirements.

Often variations in Dry Matter mean ration amounts are not meeting livestock requirements and causing nutritional issues for stock.

Variable Feed Quality:  In a drought we are really aiming to provide the energy (Mega Joules – MJ) that animals require for their daily intake.  This needs to be balanced with an appropriate level of Crude Protein (CP%) for their production needs.  In addition the amount of fibre in the feed will impact both on energy levels and the amount an animal can physically eat each day.

Some unusual feeds can be reasonable in their energy levels, but very low in protein.Others may have reasonable levels of protein but it is unavailable to the animal as the protein is tied up in tannins within the feed.

Protecting Yourself

For many people these unusual feeds help keep their program in place.There’s noting wrong in using these feeds.

However you need to use them in the full knowledge of the risks they may have.

If you are going to use them, there are some things you must absolutely do.These are:

Request a Commodity Vendor Declaration.The Commodity Vendor Declaration or (CVD) outlines the product source, the chemicals it may have been treated with and its suitability for feeding to livestock in regards to exposure to restricted animal materials (RAM).

If you cannot obtain a CVD you must record the feed stuff, where it came from, the amount, the date your received it, when you started feeding it and to what stock you fed it to.This is all part of the standard records required for your LPA accreditation anyway.I also tell my clients to keep copies of the invoice and supplier details.

Get a Feed Test Done:  A feed test will tell you the quality of the feed you are intending to use.  If it has sufficient energy, protein and fibre.  The results of a test will help you decide if it is product that can be fed on its own, or if it requires something else blended to balance the ration for your stock. 

Either way, once you know, you can then decide how best to use it.

There are other practical considerations.For example, feeding scrub is a commonly used source of roughage.However you need to consider how you will feed it.Don’t forget your own safety in cutting scrub!We are not all NINJA warriors able to leap around trees lopping limbs!So you need to be realistic as well.

Other products sue to their bulky nature, water content or size may pose limitations to how much your animals can physically eat, and therefore reduce the usefulness of the feed source.

If you are thinking of going down the path of using unusual feeds, then do some research.Consider the risks and evaluate the true value of the feed and its usefulness to your program.  Remember one size doesn’t fit all! If you do want to talk through your options, please feel free to get in touch 

Dont rush to judge during this drought

I’ve been working as an extension officer for both the NSW DPI and privately for almost a quarter of a century.  I actually didn’t think it has been such a long time. However one of the benefits, if you can call it that, is I’ve seen and worked with producers through quite a few droughts.

Unlike other natural disasters that occur rapidly, drought is an insidious creeping event. And in my experience, droughts are a different type of disaster.  Each drought impacts people in different ways and at different rates. 

The onset of drought is one thing.  How individuals respond to the onset will often determine how rapidly the drought has an impact on them. 

To be fair, its important to remember that not all places, businesses and locations are the same.  So some locations enter drought more quickly because of the combination of regional weather, soil, topography and time since the last drought.

As an advisor, I have worked with many producers to prepare for droughts.  We have strategies and plans.  There are business models we have developed to balance stocking rates with country.  We have diversified and implemented development strategies to store feed and fodder and maintain or capture run off.

But there comes a point where even as well planned as you would hope to be, the drought catches up.  And when that happens the focus isn’t on preparation, its on response and survival. 

Almost all of my work now is in response and survival.  

My difficulty is not response and survival, although that is a challenge.  I’m actually struggling to deal more with the people who like to play the “I told you so” game. 

In the past few weeks, I’ve seen three separate responses to drought that have left me a little dismayed.  The first was from a corporate manager of a farm portfolio I consult to.  Over the past 8 months the portfolio has responded with a strategy and with plans that have worked really well.  

But like many other producers, this drought has gone beyond all forecasts and expectations.  So now the plans need to be redrawn.  And in the corporate world, despite regular briefings, the response I’ve had was that the drought can’t be blamed for poor farm performance this year and that the feed prices being paid should have been forecast.

Its taken the front page of the Sunday Telegraph to finally convince the corporation to appreciate the drought isn’t being made up.

At them same time I saw feedback from a farm business manager criticizing producers and the media for demanding a better response from the state government.  This individual stated farming is a business and that this drought should be managed by businesses and not bailed out by taxes.  

My final straw came this week.  A Facebook post I shared was used by an individual to criticize producer’s drought strategies.  My post, which was written to encourage producers to ask for help, to look for external input and to take care of themselves used an old image I had of cows being fed hay.  Despite not knowing who the producer was, where it was taken or why the cows were being fed, the comments launched into a debate about stocking rates and drought preparedness.

I’ve been pretty shocked to have seen and experienced now this range of criticism and to a great extent lack of understanding about where things are now at for most producers. 

The trouble is, these experiences are happening to lots of producers.  So I wanted to share a response with you, and to remind you of a few things:

• Your plans were based on the advice, information and experiences you had access to.

• You’ve made responsible choices and decided to follow a plan

• You are a business person who has made choices appropriate to your position, skills and attitude to risk

The drought we are all facing is now unprecedented.  So now the next steps are to re-evaluate and re-plan.  Your plans will all be different and individual.  

Finally I think sharing your stories are important.  Don’t forget to share how you prepared for this, what you did to manage and minimize the impact.  Awareness is the first step in understanding.  And for people not living in drought, or who are quick to criticize, maybe its just they aren’t aware. 

As I wrote at the start, this drought has impacted people in different ways and at different times.  So don’t let the comments of the “I told you so” brigade impact on you.  Instead reflect on what you’ve done and share what you will do. 

Don’t forget to keep looking after yourself and your family.  Drop over and see the neighbors.  And try and take a little break away.  Even a weekend away can be a huge boost.  Lastly don’t judge. We are all doing this one together.

Critical decisions for your cows

Drought conditions continue to extend across eastern Australia. Unlike many other events, droughts are progressive.Not all properties enter drought in the same way or at the same time. At the same time, recovery from drought is often variable, depending on the strategies and the management of individuals throughout the drought.

Drought plans need to be responsive and change to adapt to the conditions. There are some important things in a drought plan. These are the critical dates of events – be it calving or lambing; shearing and joining for next year. There are also some critical trigger points. These can be the amount of water available; feed reserves; and importantly the enterprise budget. How much money should you use to feed vs. a decision to sell and buy back in later on?

Right now, many herds have commenced calving. This is a critical time in the annual calendar of any herd. In drought conditions, it is one of the most critical events.

When cows calve, their energy requirements double. This energy is needed to produce sufficient milk to support their calf. However in many instances, cows cannot eat enough energy to meet those needs. So cows will often lose weight in early lactation.

The flow on effect of weight loss is a delay in the return to oestrus. Cows in an average fat score (Fat Score 3) take on average 50 days to return to oestrus.In an ideal world this allows the cow to heat cycles to rejoin and so meet a production target of a calf produced every 12 months.

However if fat scores are lower than average (Fat Score 2) and below, the length of time to return to oestrus extends.T his sees calving spread out beyond 12 months.

In drought, most cows are already in low condition scores. The on going risk is these cows will struggle to join successfully in spring, without the added pressure of high-energy demands from raising a calf.

Over the long term recovery from drought is dependent on cash flow and resuming normal operations as soon as possible.For many beef producers lower fertility levels that are a direct result of cow condition during the drought period often compromise this recovery.

So what are the practical things producers can do? Here are a few strategies that could be considered in most drought plans.

Ensure your feeding program matches your cows needs and paddock conditions:  Almost all feeding programs are now taking place where paddock feed is less than 1000kg DM/Ha.  In these situations, protein supplements like roller drums are not only ineffective but a waste of money and time for you.  More significantly these supplements do not address the limiting requirement of energy! 

Draft cows into similar groups based on Fat Score; Weight and Production Status:  Cow intake is driven by their liveweight and production status.  So drafting cattle into mobs based on these factors will allow you to feed them more appropriate levels of an energy based supplement. 

Dry cows will eat less than lactating cows, so it’s worth considering drafting lactating cows into their own groups so they can achieve the nutritional levels they require.

Plan ahead to early wean:  For many people talking about weaning even before calving has ended might be a crazy suggestion!  However if the season doesn’t improve, early weaning could be a very good strategy to reduce feeding levels of the cow herd.  In other words dry cows need less feed, and you could feed them at a lower level.  At the same time early weaning would allow you to manage your calf growth and keep them on track for market targets rather than suffering low growth from low levels of milk production.  Successful early weaning needs to be planned, as you need to consider rations, space in yards and on going health programs.

Ultimately now is a critical time that needs you to refocus your efforts and make sure you are getting the most effective use from your available resources.If you are not sure or want a hand, you can always ask me to come out and help you draw up a new focus to your program.

Some drought feeding tips

When I was commencing my agricultural degree, one of the subjects we were required to study was agricultural paradox.  The best description I have seen of a paradox involves contradictory yet interrelated elements that exist simultaneously and persist over time.  I guess we see that a lot in agriculture.  Situations that are incredibly important for one sector of the industry are detrimental to another. 

I think drought feeding is a paradox that many producers are grappling with right now.  In the first instance the greatest challenge for most producers who have chosen to feed stock is affording and sourcing feed in sufficient quantities for their stock.  There’s no doubt this is a huge challenge and an increasingly difficult one.

On the other hand, I think full hand feeding is much less complicated than supplementary feeding to address quality gaps.

Why do I think it is less complicated?  Supplementary feeding involves addressing a specific deficiency in pasture.  Generally it’s about “topping up” protein to stimulate rumen activity. This leads to increased intake and may require a ration readjustment to add in energy as feed is consumed.  To carry out a supplementary feeding program effectively requires constant monitoring and adjustment to meet changes in pasture and livestock needs and matching those to feed suitability. 

Drought feeding, or full hand feeding is less complicated in many ways as the focus is on providing a complete ration.  So the choice is really down to providing energy for daily animal needs, balanced with protein to ensure adequate rumen function.  When there is no pasture left, full hand feeding can focus entirely on these issues and it is much more straightforward to manage.

Most of my work in the last month has been to provide advice to producers who are now implementing full drought feeding.  There are a few common themes emerging that are important to share.

• Full feeding is about energy first. Energy has to be balanced with protein. Feeds should be chosen on the basis of energy. The more energy described as Metabolisable Energy (ME) per kilogram of feed the more efficient it will be to feed livestock.

• Protein supplements such as dry licks; blocks and roller drums are not designed for drought feeding. These products are designed to provide protein in situations of abundant dry feed. Quite simply these products can’t provide the energy your stock need each day. If there is little or no paddock feed then you are wasting money

• Feed should be compared on ME / kg / Dry Matter. Not all feeds are the same. If you are feeding products with low ME values, or low Dry Matter (DM) values, you will have to provide higher total daily amounts to achieve the same outcome compared to higher ME valued feeds or feeds with different DM levels.

• Test all feeds before you use them! Feed values vary enormously. A feed test is a very quick way to check the energy levels, protein levels and fibre of a product. All of these will determine how much you need to provide to each animal. Never assume that something is the same as the last load! And don’t rely on your nose or fingers! I don’t think its possible to smell energy or protein!

• Don’t guess how much to feed! There are easy ways to determine how much your animals need to eat every day. If you want help please ask me, or your own advisor. Make your calculations on those amounts. Then weigh out that amount so you know. A shovel full varies from place to place!! And don’t get me started on a bucket size! If you are going to feed at least be accurate.

• Check your feed choice is actually suitable for your stock! I’ve seen recommendations lately from some sources that are incorrect and could lead to animal deaths. There are well-published guides on feeding animals products that range from grain, to hay, silage and white cottonseed. If you haven’t used a product before, do some homework.

• Get advice from qualified experts. Not everyone really knows how to feed stock. What was acceptable in the drought of the 1960s may no longer be relevant, safe or even available now!

• Lastly don’t waste your feed! I’ve seen paddocks where stock have been fed hay and cattle and sheep are trampling on it, sleeping on it and covering it with dung. We know this level of waste can be about 30 – 35% of your daily feeding amount. So can you really afford to waste that much feed?

Droughts test your resilience and it’s important that you make sure to stop and reassess your position.  Good plans need reevaluation.  While drought feeding is straight forward, you need to check your feeds and amounts are correct for your stock.  This is vital as animals go through production changes such as calving or when the season changes.  Wet cold winter weather can have a huge impact and you need to be prepared.

Finally, if you think you need some advice, don’t hesitate to ask for it.  I’ve been working with producers across NSW and into QLD over recent months. So while I am out and about its very easy to for me to come and spend some time looking at what you are doing and then talk through ideas and offer some reassurance and the chance to make sure you are doing ok.  

Using fat scores on farm

Fat scoring is one of the most valuable skills you can learn as a producer.  The fatness of your cattle determines not just their suitability to market specifications.  Within a breed herd, fatness is a key indicator on the herds ability to meet key production goals such as joining, calving and weaning.

There are six fat scores used to describe the level of fat on an animal.  These scores are based on the depth of fat between the animals hide and the muscle or bone beneath the skin.  Fatness is assessed at both the 12th rib of the animal and at the P8 site.

The P8 site is quite a specific point, and many producers often ask me where it actually is on an animal.  If you draw a line from the high bone of the animal – the third sacral vertebrae down until it intersects with a line drawn at right angles from the pin bone, that is where you find the P8 site.

When most people think of using fat scores, its often in terms of deciding if cattle have sufficient fat for market requirements. 

However in a breeding herd, fat scores are also a really useful tool.  In the first instance, fat score at calving time will influence how long it will take a cow to recommence cycling after calving.  The higher the fat score, the more likely it will be that the cow will return to oestrus within the minimum time frame to achieve a calf every year. 

We know that it normally takes a Fat Score 3 cow about 50 days to return to oestrus.  Where as a cow that is Fat Score 2 will take another 20 days.  So when you do the maths of pregnancy at 282 days, plus a period to return to oestrus, you’ll work out you don’t have a big window of opportunity to have fat Score 2 cows successfully delivering a calf every 12 months.

In practical terms, fat scoring is a useful way to draft your cattle into management groups.  I actually think your cow management groups need to be constantly reviewed.  If you can draft your cows into groups based on size, weight and fat score, you will be better positioned to efficiently meet their feed requirements.

Drafting cows into groups based on these factors, means you will have the opportunity to adjust nutrition to lower fat score animals if you need to with the use of supplements.  Or if you are planning on selling a group of cattle, these can often be the easiest and most readily identified group of cattle to sell.

I reckon its also important to recognize that as Fat Scores drop, you have to be prepared to action some immediate strategies to prevent significant weight loss and to avoid compromising animal welfare.  Once your animals approach a Fat Score 2 level, they are starting to metabolise body reserves of muscle and are losing weight. 

If you can recognize this in your cows you can move to correct their nutrition, or make decisions about decreasing stock numbers before weight loss becomes significant.

Once a beef animal falls into the category of Fat Score 1, they are considered to be AT RISK from a welfare perspective.  This means you have to commence a program of management to address their condition through feeding programs.  You would be looking at ensuring calves are weaned off – to allow the cow to use all the energy she consumes for herself and not have to produce milk. 

Calves should be weaned onto a ration that allows them to grow correctly and without setbacks that are lily if there was no intervention.

Cows that are AT RISK (Fat Score 1) should be drafted into a separate group and managed so that all animals are able to achieve their daily intake requirements. This also means it will be easier to monitor these animals as a group and provide other treatments if required such as parasite controls.

Over the last few weeks as drought conditions extend further across NSW, I’ve been visiting a number of farms to help draft cows into groups ad develop specific management strategies for these groups. 

One of the key things I’ve learnt is that producers have been looking at their cows for so long, they don’t notice the variation in the herd, until we’ve drafted them up.  Once they are drafted and plans set in place, its rewarding to see the pressure ease on producers and a clear plan of action taking place. 

So if you are unsure about how you can use fat scores properly, or you’ve been looking at your cows for too long, perhaps its time to as for some help.  I’m more than happy to come out and work a plan out with you and draft the cows into groups with you.  Don’t forget I’m only a phone call away!

What’s the point of recording that?

This week I was tagged on Facebook under a comment regarding data collection.  The comment referred to a practice of recording the ratio of weaning weight against dam weight.  This is a comparison often used in the U.S. 

I have to be honest; my initial reaction was to be a bit surprised.  Not by being asked if it was a method I used or recommended.  Rather, my surprise stemmed from this data itself.

I’m not saying this data isn’t useful.  For some people I’m sure it could be a useful piece of data.  However, for me, and for most of my clients, its not the first thing I’d be looking at when I’m analyzing a business.

In previous blogs I’ve talked about focusing on the important traits within a herd, and on the importance of using data to drive innovation.  I’m still not sure that many producers are doing either of these as well as they could be.

I’m a very strong believer that making the most of your resources and investments to date is the first thing you should focus on.  Too often I see producers chasing fads, pursuing new options without ever realizing the potential of their current program. 

The only way you will ever realize your programs potential is to measure it and compare it over time.  The measurements have to be relevant!  There has to be a point in recording it. 

The point of recording is to establish where you are, and then to set some plans in place to maintain or improve your position.  So the whole point of recording is to focus on the resource you have! 

My second strong belief is you should always grab the big wins first!  To me, weaning ratio against mature cow weight isn’t a big win for most people.  Its something you may choose to focus on when you’ve ticked all the big-ticket items off.

So what are those big ticket items?  I know I’ve written about them before.  However for a breeding program they are:

• Conception rate (number of cows pregnant / number joined x 100)

• Weaning rate (number of calves weaned / number joined x 100)

There is an important point to this.  Weaning rate isn’t the number of calves weaned from the total number of pregnant cows.  It’s against your total breeders joined.

There is an additional big ticket item, which is calving percentage (number of calves / number joined X 100).  Again it has to be measured against total joinings.

The point of this?  Well it helps you identify fertility rate in your herd.  It assists you to clarify calving losses and weaning losses against your total numbers. 

I’ve come across many issues that happen post preg testing. These range from mid term abortion losses to dystocia and predation.  Having data helped focus problem solving onto those issues that were costing the program in a big way.

My additional big ticket items?  Well I like to know the numbers of cows calving at the start, middle and end of a set calving period.  If the numbers indicate a trend towards the middle and end, that highlights a real risk that cows are going into calf late.  If it isn’t addressed, those cows run a risk of falling out of a 12 month calving interval. 

In turn that lets me ask about weaning weights and perhaps then I may start looking at ratios.  But by then I reckon we have gotten the big ticket items sorted, and now we can start selecting on individual performance. 

So my question to you is what’s the point of the data you’re collecting?  Is it able to be used to fix the big-ticket items?  Can you use it to maximize the resources and investments you have?  If it can’t, then maybe you need to re-evaluate your collection.  And if you think you have the big tickets sorted, now you might be ready to fine-tune your program further with more targeted individual data.

And if you’re not really sure and you want to have a fresh set of eyes have a look, maybe its time to give me a call and get the independent assessment your business needs!