Restocking your herd -act quickly for an earlier payback

摘要

With so many factors to consider-finance, logistics and sheer hard work - a full herd restock has never been a lightly made decision. What of the rewards? This article gives an overview of the financial advantages producers can realistically expect and shows that, with today's rising feed prices, now could be the most rewarding time to act. There are, no doubt, purely practical factors to be considered, but let us first address the financial incentive. As herds get older, their disease burden increases and, because fighting disease takes energy, feed conversion ratios are depressed, giving slower growth, resulting in longer finishing times or lower market weights. Veterinary advice normally suggests that units should be depopulated, cleaned and restocked every seven years.