Mid-season weigh-in

Beef finishers with heifers or steers out at grass are urged to weigh their animals over the coming weeks to ensure they are putting on the required amount of weight. KW Alternative Feeds Dr Richard Wynn says that the prolonged wet spell means grass alone, while plentiful, is unlikely to be able to support the growth rates which many producers will be targeting and additional concentrates may be required.

"Wet grass contains very little nutritional value, so don't be surprised if animals are lighter than anticipated," warns Dr Wynn. "Many producers have already seen cattle go backwards due to the exceptionally wet weather. If no action is taken, there are two likely outcomes: either the animal is sold for a lower value because the carcass does not hit specification, or stock have to be kept for a second winter to try and put on the extra weight or finish. Act now and both scenarios can be avoided, providing one concentrate feed material such as sugar beet feed, soyahulls or even a high performance liquid would help," Dr Wynn continues.

For spring-calving suckler herds the lack of nutritional value in the grass could see dams struggling to supply enough milk for calves to achieve optimum growth rates. But supplying a good quality creep feed will prevent future performance being compromised and ensure that sale weights are more likely to be met.

Dr Wynn advises producers to take a view on grass quality and, where practically possible, weigh their stock - even if only done once over the grazing season. Additional concentrate to boost growth may seem an expensive remedy, but it is not as expensive as having to house animals for a second winter.