Don't let fertility slip as costs rise

摘要

This year's sky-high feed prices are squeezing beef margins to their limits, but couple this with reduced fertility rates and finances could be even more challenged. According to beef and sheep adviser Brian Hanthorn of the Northern Ireland Departmentof Agriculture and Rural Affairs (DARD), many beef farmers focus on producing a top-quality calf, but ignore the costs associated with slipping fertility. "The cost of not getting a cow in calf is about 2.44 a cow a day for every day open. For a herd achieving a calving interval of 398 days this is an added cost of 80 a cow, compared to the target interval of 365 days." And in a herd averaging 40 cows, this equates to a loss of 3200. However, by assessing and tackling fertility performance, farmers have the potential to make significant cost savings. "Fertility Challenge" is a DARD scheme aiming to provide beef producers with farm-specific information to tackle herd fertility. The beauty of the programme is that it uses information farmers automatically record in the Animal Public Health Information System (APHIS).