Simon P Marsh Senior Lecturer – Beef Cattle Specialist & NBA Board Director & Trustee

1. International Beef Cattle Workers Meeting, 29-30 October 2013 Harper Adams Beef Unit research results & Harper Adams Beef Focus Farm Updates Simon P Marsh Senior Lecturer – Beef Cattle Specialist & NBA Board Director & Trustee

2. Harper Adams University Beef Unit • The Harper Adam Beef Unit • Effect of reducing the starch content of cereal based rations by the partial replacement of barley with soya hulls for intensively finished dairy-bred bulls • Evaluation of High (750g) or Standard (500g) levels of milk replacer on the performance of artificially reared calves to 12 weeks • Evaluation of Rosé beef and Cereal beef production for Holstein bulls and Cereal Beef Production for Angus x Holstein bulls • Teat versus bucket feeding systems for calves • Bull calf finishing results by individual sire from the 2011 calf crop at Hopping Farm. Simon Frost, Youlgreave, Derbyshire • Suckler cow efficiency – British Blue x Holstein/Friesian versus Blonde x Blue. Philip (Pip) Rogers, Upper Heath, Presteigne, Powys • Intensive finishing results for commercial Stabiliser bulls

3. Harper Adams University Beef Unit • 100 cattle intensively finished per year • Holstein & Continental x Holstein bulls • 7-10 month old suckled bulls • or steers occasionally purchased • 2 calf rearing & 2 finishing trials/year • Bulls finished at 12-15 months old • on either ad lib Cereals, Whole crop or Maize Silage & sold dead weight to ABP • 100 Angus & Hereford x Holsteins commercially finished @ 24 months old at our other farm at Telford

4. International Beef Cattle Workers Meeting, 29-30 October 2013 Effect of reducing the starch content of cereal based rations by the partial replacement of barley with soya hulls for intensively finished beef cattle SP Marsh1, DPR Harries1 & EM Vickers2 1Harper Adams University, 2EBLEX

5. Introduction • In a study by Marsh & Brown (2007) the performance of bulls fed diets with either a high (38.3% starch in DM) or low (9.3%) level of starch in a proprietary beef nut was evaluated. The bulls fed the high starch ration recorded significantly improved physical and financial performance worth at the time of the study £96 per bull • The objective of this experiment was to investigate the partial substitution of rolled barley with soya hulls to evaluate different starch contents of intensive beef finishing diets. The rations were based on rolled barley with soya and rape formulated to contain 14% CP with either zero, 10% or 20% soya hulls replacing barley • The following rations were evaluated with 42 Holstein and 6 Continental x Holstein bulls @ 299kg • HIGH STARCH - 42.9% starch in the DM (36.1% as fed) • STANDARD STARCH - 37.4% starch in the DM (31.8% as fed) • MEDIUM STARCH - 29.9% starch in the DM (25.7% as fed)

6. Results & Conclusions Animal performance - DLWG • Bulls fed the High Starch ration recorded significantly higher (P<0.05) slaughter weights • There were no differences in liver damage scores. Liver abscesses are associated with mild acidosis from feeding high starch based diets

7. Results & Conclusions Feed intakes and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) • Overall bull performance achieved EBLEX targets for cereal beef production • From this this experiment it is concluded that diets containing 42.9% (36.1% as fed) starch optimise performance with intensively finished beef cattle • The highest margin over feed was recorded with the High starch fed bulls which was increased by £17 and £13 per bull compared to the Standard and Medium Starch rations respectively

8. International Beef Cattle Workers Meeting, 29-30 October 2013 Acknowledgement Funding from EBLEX is gratefully acknowledged

9. International Beef Cattle Workers Meeting, 29-30 October 2013 Evaluation of feeding high (750g) or standard (500g) levels of milk replacer on the performance of purchased dairy-bred bull calves to 12 weeks SP Marsh, T Webb, LC Newton, M Gould & G Cox Harper Adams University

10. Introduction & Objective • Extensive work has been undertaken to look at the effects of CMR intakes on the growth of calves although these differ in methods and conclusions • However commercially artificially reared dairy-bred calves are commonly fed 500g of CMR per day usually split into two feeds per day • The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of feeding a standard (500g) or high (750g) level of CMR on calf performance to 12 weeks on a twice-a-day bucket rearing system

11. Materials & Method • 40 Holstein bull calves with a mean age of 19.6 days were fed 4 litres of milk replacer (CMR) in 2 feeds • CMR (Enerlac) mixed at 125g CMR per 875ml water to provide 500g CMR • CMR (Enerlac) mixed at 187.5g CMR per 812.5ml water to provide 750g CMR • Calves offed ad lib 18% CP early weaning concentrates, straw and water • Calves individually penned, bucket fed with a teat and weaned at 42 days. Groups housed to 12 weeks Results Calf performance – Liveweight (kg)

12. Results & Conclusions Calf performance – DLWG (g) • The calves fed 750g/day of CMR recorded significantly higher (P<0.05) DLWGs from start to 3 weeks, higher 3 week weights and gained an extra 4.8kg in weight from start to 12 weeks. • The calves fed 500g of CMR did not record compensatory growth • There were no differences in health between the treatments

13. Results & Conclusions Feed intakes (kg/calf) & FCR • Total feed intakes were increased by 8.6kg with the 750g CMR feed rate • Feed costs per calf were increased by £14.18 and by 10p/kg live weight gain with the 750g CMR based on the feed costs prevailing at the time of the study; however can this be negated by earlier slaughter of the bulls?

14. International Beef Cattle Workers Meeting, 29-30 October 2013 Acknowledgement Funding from ‘Volac International Ltd’ is gratefully acknowledged

15. International Beef Cattle Workers Meeting, 29-30 October 2013 Farmers Weekly/Harper Adams Beef Focus Farm Simon Frost, Hopping Farm, Youlgeave Bull calf finishing results by individual sire from the 2011 calf crop at Hopping Farm S P Marsh Harper Adams University

16. S Frost- Intensively finishing bulls

17. S Frost- intensively finishing bulls

18. S Frost- Intensively finishing bulls

19. Performance of S Frost’s suckled bulls - 2012 In 2011 a bull calf sired by Clifford was slaughtered at a carcase wt of 471kg grading E3 at 365 days old with a DCG from birth of 1.22kg (2.04 kg DLWG) – a world record?

20. Bull calf finishing results by individual sire from the 2011 calf crop at Hopping Farm The results ‘mirror’ the EBVs of the bulls (see next slide)

21. Charolais sire EBVs and Terminal Indexes at Hopping Farm compared to the breed average Clifford is not a ‘curve-bender’ bull. When he was purchased his Calving Ease Direct was +0.5kg with a Birth Weight of +3.1kg

22. International Beef Cattle Workers Meeting, 29-30 October 2013 Farmers Weekly/Harper Adams Beef Focus Farm Simon Frost, Hopping Farm, Youlgeave Bull calf finishing results by individual sire from the 2011 calf crop at Hopping Farm S P Marsh Harper Adams University

23. International Beef Cattle Workers Meeting, 29-30 October 2013 Harper Adams Beef Focus Farm Pip Rogers, Upper Heath, Presteigne Suckler cow efficiency – Blue x Holstein-Friesian versus Blonde x Blue cows S P Marsh Harper Adams University

24. Pip Rogers, Upper Heath, Presteigne • 430 acre lowland farm (inc 190 acres rented) @ 500ft asl with 30” rainfall. Soil type clay/loam grade 4 land. 155 acres in permanent pasture with rest in cereals • 95 Commercial Suckler cows, 12 Pedigree Blondes & 200 NE Mules put to Texel x Beltex tups • Spring calving British Blue x Holstein-Friesian & home-bred Blonde x Blue cows put to Blonde d’Aquitaine bulls • Current herd sires include: • Bridge Cracker Jack & Ffin Gorgo Pip Rogers Bridge Cracker Jack Ffin Gorgo

25. Pip Rogers, Upper Heath, Presteigne • Herd replacements used to be sourced from markets as calves • British Blue x Holstein-Friesian breeding = ‘cows with milk’! • Replacements served by AI to a Blonde d’Aquitaine (Bridge Elmo – Cogent) to start calving on the 25th of January three weeks before the main herd • Replacements now home-bred Blonde x Blues • Herd replacement rate is 15.4% • Best bull calves sold as show calves. The rest are intensively finished Bridge Elmo

26. October 2013 Calves

27. October 2013 Calves

28. Suckler cow efficiency – Blue x Holstein-Friesian versus Blonde x Blue cows • Compared to the Blue x Holstein cows the Blonde x Blue cows • Were 46kg heavier thus increases maintenance requirements • In higher condition score • Their calves recorded a lower DLWG (-0.17kg) • The calf 200 days weights were 26kg lower (worth approx £78/calf) • Have reduced hybrid vigour • However the benefits of the Blonde x Blue cows are • Calves will have improved conformation • High cull values • Improved biosecurity with a closed herd

29. Performance of P Roger’s suckled bulls - 2012 The above results exclude the best bull calves that were sold at weaning

30. Suckler cow performance & efficiency – Blue x Holstein-Friesian versus Blonde x Blue cows 2013

31. Suckler cow performance & efficiency – Blue x Holstein-Friesian versus Blonde x Blue cows 2013

32. International Beef Cattle Workers Meeting, 29-30 October 2013 Harper Adams Beef Focus Farm Pip Rogers, Upper Heath, Presteigne Suckler cow efficiency – Blue x Holstein-Friesian versus Blonde x Blue cows S P Marsh Harper Adams University