AN insight to a highly efficient suckler farm in neighbouring County Monaghan was given to members of Fermanagh Grassland Club recently.
Full-time farmer Wesley Browne, from Dunraymond, County Monaghan, was the speaker at the November meeting, outlining his farm business on his 58-hectare farm, which is divided into three blocks on what he describes as medium to heavy soil type.
He stocks 90 spring calving cows and all male progeny are finished as bulls under 16 months old. He sells heifers for breeding and has a customer base coming back annually for them.
Wesley began his presentation by outlining the timeline of the development of the farm.
He attended Enniskillen College in 1988-89 year, going on to Ballyhaise College and took over the running of the farm in 1992.
In 1995 there were 25 Angus cross heifers and 150 sheep.
The farm’s infrastructure was improved in 2009 with the construction of a new slatted shed which can house 180 head and in the following year the breeding sheep flock was sold.
In 2014, he changed to finishing the bulls.
By 2017 he had expanded the suckler herd to 90 cows and during this year became a participant in the Better Farm Programme. In 2021 he was asked to join the Teagasc Future Beef programme.
His calving report for 2022 shows he had all cows calved within 12 weeks, starting on February 21 and finishing on May 16. This calving index of 359 is well below the national average of 393 days.
The percentage of his heifers calving within 22-26 months at 81 per cent is well above the national average.
He says he achieves these targets by having the cows fit but not fat, good cow nutrition, good observation and by ensuring the calves get colostrum on time. Cameras are used at calving time and he will only intervene when needed.
Wesley is adamant that cows and new-born calves are turned out to grass the day after they are born into sheltered paddocks in small groups with Magnesium lick buckets provided.
He will have finished his first round of grazing by April 1.
The 42 paddocks get good use of slurry and protected urea is used capitalising on the PH of 6.5.
Wesley has been measuring grass growth since 2017 and sees the benefit of it.
For breeding he uses Salers, Limousin and Simmental bulls with the emphasis on maternal figures as his priority is selling high quality breeding heifers. Of the first 71 cows scanned, four were not in calf and any cow with no calf at foot is culled and not given a second chance.
Bulls averaged 350kgs at housing with heifers around 300kgs by mid-October. Weanlings are fed on 75 DMD silage and two kgs of meal. Weaning takes place in mid-November.
Heifers are fed up to 1.5kgs daily with bulls pushed on to 4-5kgs by the end of December and up to 7-8kgs by January.
Bulls at slaughter averaged 393kgs and graded U3 – and will have eaten 1.4t of meal in their lifetime, killing out at around 59 per cent with an average lifetime gain of 1.42kgs.
Wesley has found that a good supply of silage in the bulls’ diets will leave better fat cover.
Wesley’s farm is part of the Teagasc Signpost Programme for sustainability with the aim of reducing gas emissions. The only action he is not currently doing is incorporating clover in his grassland but aims to begin this during the 2023 year.
Farm details
Wesley farms full-time in Leagh, Dunraymond, County Monaghan.
He is farming 65.7ha in four blocks: 7.3ha planted forestry 2016 and 58.39ha grassland. Soil type is heavy drumlin, which is typical of the area.
He is stocked at 167kgs N/HA. Wesley runs a spring calving suckler herd. All male progeny are finished as <16 month bulls, and the suitable high index females retained or sold to repeat customers for breeding, with all other heifers slaughtered at 23-24 months.
He is passionate about breeding, and has been looking at replacement and terminal indexes when selecting stock bulls for several years.
There are currently three five star stock bulls on the farm; Limousin, Simmental and Saler. The current Saler and Limousin bulls are five stars for both replacement and terminal traits across breeds.
The farm is split into approximately 45 grazing divisions using a combination of permanent and temporary electric fencing and a good water access, which facilitates grazing 3-4 grazing groups.
Wesley is measuring grass and using PBI.
There is good housng on the farm but he is considering building a new calving shed.
His Teagasc Advisor is Conal Murnaghan.
Breeding Performance
Number of cows: 84
Cow replacement index: 113
Heifer replacement index: 135
Calves per cow per year: 1.0
Wesley’s plan
Wesley is happy with his current system and cow numbers, and hopes to maintain his breeding performance and continue to build on his breeding values. He has also invested in building soil fertility and soil pH over the past number of years, and is keen to resample land and update his NMP.
Wesley would also like to look at ways of improving his environmental impact, such as adoption of LESS, use of protected urea and the option of incorporating clover and/or multi species leys.
He is interested in promoting areas of biodiversity on his farm.
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