How bale grazing can halve beef suckler housing costs

Bale grazing suckler beef cattle in winter can produce a financial benefit of £1.58 per head per day – and generate other benefits too, says a report.

The Economics of Bale Grazing study is part of a wider Pasture for Life and Innovative Farmers project, to quantify the impacts of bale grazing on forage quality, quantity and soil health post-bale grazing.

“We asked the farmers taking part for details of their bale grazing system, any key cost savings and wider non-financial benefits compared with housing,” says report author Emily Grant, of beef and sheep consultancy Forrit.

Lower costs

“Cost savings come [largely] from making hay rather than silage, not buying and bedding down with straw, reduced fuel and labour costs as farmers shift from using tractors to muck out to UTVs to go and move electric fences.”

Researchers found that setting out bales as soon as they are made significantly reduces handling and storage costs. Although not always easy, the alternative of leaving them in the field until later is more expensive.

“Our cost-benefit analysis on one of the farms showed a net financial benefit when bale grazing of £1.58 per head per day, which is approximately half the housing cost. But there are disadvantages too.

“Potential downsides to consider include the fact that pasture is unavailable for grazing once shut up with bales.

“There is also the loss of phosphate and potash input from imported straw and that fixed costs of machinery and buildings are difficult to drop.”

The trial was co-ordinated by Aberdeenshire farmer Nikki Yoxall, who keeps a herd of native cattle. It looked in detail at seven beef farms across the UK that have adopted bale grazing.

“The benefits of bale grazing have barely been explored in the UK, so we are delighted that not only is it working well for our animals, it is also providing a business case for this practice to be adopted by the wider farming sector.”

Out-wintering is the best option for our cattle, said Ms Yoxall, but it could create all kinds of problems for the environment, she added.

“That can put a big strain on farmers. So far, bale grazing is having a wide range of positive effects across several farm and soil types – as well as saving us money and time.”

Calf pneumonia vaccine now in 20-dose vials

Early life calf pneumonia vaccine Bovilis Intranasal Live is now available in 20-dose vials from MSD Animal Health.

Administered to calves from day one, the vaccine reduces clinical signs of respiratory disease and viral shedding from infection with Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) and Parainfluenza-3 Virus (Pi3V).

The vaccine claims to deliver the fastest on-farm protection, with an onset of immunity after administration from the day of birth onwards of six days for BRSV (five days for calves vaccinated from the age of one week onwards) and seven days for Pi3V.

“We know that early-age protection of young calves through intranasal vaccination can help prevent pneumonia and positively impact a beef or dairy calf’s productive future,” , says MSD Animal Health livestock veterinary adviser Kat Baxter-Smith.

The new 20-dose vials complement the single and five dose vials already available. Vets interested in further information about this early life calf pneumonia vaccine should contact their MSD account manager for details, says  Dr Baxter-Smith.