GR003 Farm Performance Measurement

Project No. 5 for Farms with Suckler herds

Project Title: Interpreting Suckler Herd – ICBF Data & Breeding indices

Learner Name

Name of Benchmark or visited farmer

______

Date of Visit: ______

Mark Awarded (15% max) ______

/
Funded by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013


Contents Page

Instructions: Complete pages relevant to your farm

Section / Page / Available Marks / Mark
1 / Overview of Enterprise Performance / 1 / 10
2 / Details of Suckler Enterprise / 2 / 10
Culling / 3 / 10
3 / Breeding Management / 4 / 20
4 / Beef Calving Report / 7 / 20
5 / Suckler Cow Report / 6 / 20
6 / €urostar Index / 7 / 20
7 / Interpret your Group Calving Report / 8 / 20
8 / Breeding Strategy for home farm / 9 / 20
Total Marks for Benchmark Exercise (150 Max) / 150
Total marks for this project ÷ 10
9 / Discussion Report (40 marks Max) / 10 / 40
Total marks for this discussion group meeting participation and report÷ 10 / 4

Section 1 Overview of Enterprise Performance

Identify where your farm sits in comparison to the benchmark farm

Complete the following:

Benchmark Farm / Own Farm
All Cows - Maternal Index**(€)
Females > 12 Mts. Maternal Index (€)
Females 0–12 Mts. Maternal Index (€)
Average weaning wt (kg).
Culling %
Replacement Rate %
Calving interval (days)

List some areas that need to be improved in your herd to achieve an overall improvement in herd’s current figures:

1.  ______

2.  ______

3.  ______

4.  ______

** Note:

  1. The current €uro-Star figures can be found by logging on to HerdPlus using your User Name and Password Select “€URO-STAR”.
  2. Select “€uro-star Report”.
  3. Scroll down to the “Commercial Summary”.


You will be required to carry out the following activities as part of the project:

Activity / Suggested / Completion Date/Days
Analyse the Calving Report
Analyse the Suckler Report
Analyse the €star Report

Section 2 Details of Suckler Enterprise

Benchmark / visited farm / Given/ home farm
System of Production
(spring / autumn calving, selling stores, weanlings, stores, finishing) / ______
______
______ / ______
______
______
No. Suckler Cows
Stocking Rate
Calving start date
Calving finish date
Calving spread
Estimated average daily weight gain in grazing period
Birth to weaning (kg/day)
Yearlings (march to October)
Estimated average daily weight gain over winter period
Weanlings (kg/day)
Finishing (kg/day)
Average age and weights at sale
Benchmark / visited farm / Home / given farm
Weanling Bulls
Store Bulls
Finished Bulls
Weanling steers
Store steers
Finished steers
Weanling heifers
Store heifers
Finished heifers

Cow Culling

Benchmark / visited farm / Home / given farm
No. culled annually
Market outlet
Average value
Replacement rate
Reasons for culling 1 / ______
______
______ / ______
______
______
Reason for culling 2 / ______
______
______ / ______
______
______
Reason for culling 3 / ______
______
______ / ______
______
______


Section 3 Breeding Management

Breeding management
Benchmark / visited farm / Home / given farm
AI / Natural service used
Breeds of cow(s) in herd / ______
______
______ / ______
______
______
Breeds of bull(s) in herd / ______
______
______ / ______
______
______
Breeds of replacement heifers / ______
______
______ / ______
______
______
Sourcing of heifers (purchased/ homebred)


Section 4 Beef Calving Report

Print off your Beef Calving Report and insert it into section 9.

From your report, fill in the table below and answer the questions

Calving interval / National average / Benchmark/ visited farm / Home / given farm
Mortality % (dead at birth)
Mortality % (dead at 28 days)
Females not calved in the period
Calves per cow per year

Comment briefly on the calving pattern of your herd and that of the benchmark / visit farm.

Compare current year’s figures with previous year and the national average.

______

______

______

______

______

______

Suggest improvements for your herd

______

______

______

______

______


Section 5 Suckler Cow Report

1.  Select the cow with the most calves or highest rating for your farm and that of the benchmark / visited farm.

2.  Fill in the table and answer the questions following.

3.  Print off the report and insert it into section 9.

Benchmark / visited farm / Home / given farm
What is the breed of the cow and who was her father? / ______
______ / ______
______
What is the maternal star rating (within breed)
What is the terminal star rating (within breed)
What is the calving difficulty rating of the cow (within breed)
How did the cow score for calving when you look at her individual calvings?
What % of your herd has a maternal beef value of less than €100?
What % of your herd has a terminal beef value of less than €100?

Comment on your herd figures:

______

______

______

______

______

______

Section 6 €urostar index

Average maternal index of all cows
Average terminal index of all cows
Reliability of figures
Highest suckler maternal index among cows
Breed of cow with highest suckler index
Who was the father of the highest ranking cow?

Comment on the following:

Reliability of your figures

______

______

______

What breed was the cow with the highest figures in your herd? Do you think the breed has any influence on this figure?

______

______

______


Section 7 Interpreting your Group Calving Report

The group Beef Calving Report will be presented during discussion group meetings

Attach this report to section 9 and answer the following:

Beef Calving Report:

How does your herd calving interval compare with the group members?

______

______

______

______

What are the main reasons for best calving interval in the group?

______

______

______

______


Section 8 Outline a breeding strategy for your home/ given farm under the following headings

Calving Pattern

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

Cow output (calves/cow/year)

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

Mortality

______

______

______

______

______


Section 9 Attach ICBF Reports

Generate the following reports on ICBF and paste in here

Beef Calving report

Suckler Cow Report

€urostar Index

Section 10 Results from Discussion Day : Date ______

A.  Items/topics discussed at the meeting:

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

5. ______

B.  Lessons learned from each item discussed:

1. ______

______

______

2. ______

______

______

3. ______

______

______

4. ______

______

______

5. ______

______

______

C.  Changes that I will consider/make to our farming practice as a result of this discussion meeting (to be completed before the next meeting if possible):

1.  ______

______

______

______

______

2.  ______

______

______

______

______

3.  ______

______

______

______

______

12