Silage turbo-charges weaning program

The introduction of a silage-based weaner feeding program over the past five years is helping Queensland beef producers, Sandy and Jamie McCartney, to ensure their brahman cattle attain feedlot entry weights at less than 24 months of age.

The introduction of a silage-based weaner feeding program over the past five years means their high-grade Bos indicus cattle routinely achieve feedlot entry weights at less than 24 months of age. Upon feedlot entry, the bunk-trained cattle are recording significantly higher feed intake, growth rates and carcase quality than previously achieved.

Sandy and Jamie run about 3,000 high-grade Brahman cattle across 10,000 hectares of owned and leased land based around ‘Bucca Station’, 25 km north of Bundaberg. Their enterprise turns off about 1,000 steers, surplus heifers and cull cows for the EU and MSA-graded domestic markets each year.

In 2019, the McCartneys began to explore silage-based feeding systems in response to the crippling drought then gripping much of northern Australia. “At the time, we were doing the usual stuff – MU8, pellets and hay – but we weren’t getting the results and it was expensive,” Sandy says.

“We got in touch with Lallemand Animal Nutrition Technical Services Manager, Jordan Minniecon, who put us in touch with (Tansey based) silage contractors, Allan and Renita Anderson, who in turn, put us in touch with (Brisbane-based) ruminant nutritionist, Iain Hannah.

“The Andersons helped us every step of the way from planting through to harvesting and storage; Jordan helped us with the design of the pits and yards, and sealing systems; while Iain set up our rations and feeding program.”

The McCartneys utilise about 2,500 tonnes of home and contract grown corn, grain sorghum and cereal silage in their weaning and feeding program each year. Silage used in the weaning program is stored in two above-ground ‘bun’ stacks, while a further 1000 tonnes are stored in two pits for long-term drought mitigation.

“With silage, we can wean and finish our steers and heifers whenever we want,” Sandy says. “It’s like having another property except you don’t have to worry about fences, rates or the bank manager.”

The McCartneys’ weaning program aim to reduce the stress and nutritional set-backs associated with early weaning and to facilitate rumen development and function before the weaners return to a grass-based diet.

Calves are weaned at 160 to 240 kg liveweight, ear-tagged, drenched, vaccinated and then drafted into three weight groups: <180 kg, 180–240 kg and >240 kg. The weaners are introduced to hay and then progressively to a balanced, silage-based ration in feeding pens adjacent to the silage stacks and commodity shed. Heavier animals are fed in nearby containment pens.

Each ration typically comprises 85–90% silage, along with M8U, protein meal, a mineral premix and probiotics. “We want to make weaning as least stressful as possible and to produce happy, healthy animals that have fully developed rumens and are ready to go back to the paddock,” Sandy says.

“It’s about learning good habits – how to eat and getting used to silage, humans, horses and dogs. They get used to seeing that red mixer wagon and they know it’s full of something they like eating.

Some people say that feeding weaners makes them fat and they don’t do as well when they go back to the paddock but we’ve found they just take off.

“Because they’re bigger, they seem to handle the ticks and worms better and they don’t look back. If we stuck them out in the paddock without feeding them, they’re only going to have longer tail and a bigger head in 12 months’ time.”

The weaners are supplementary fed between four and eight weeks until the steers reach 270 kg and the heifers reach 250 kg, equating to an average growth rate of about 1.17 kg/day.

The average ration cost is $1.81/day based on a daily feed intake of 12.25 kg/day as-fed.

“We’re pretty flexible – there have been years where it has not rained and we just feed them a bit less but for longer,” Sandy says. “Alternatively, if it rains, we just cover the pit back up.”

Weaners are then grown out to feedlot weights in the paddock.

Last year, the McCartneys custom-fed a group of steers at Sapphire Feedlot, Goondiwindi. The feedlot manager reported that the steers went onto feed 7–10 days faster and recorded a higher daily feed intake, average growth rates and total weight gain compared with other cattle in the feedlot.

The steers had an average liveweight of 416 kg upon entry and recorded an average daily gain of 2.23 kg/day over 113 days. Upon slaughter, they had an average carcase weight of 370.5 kg. All of the steers had 0 or 2 teeth dentition and achieved MSA grades.

“We’ve been custom feeding for six or seven years with fairly mixed results,” Sandy says.

“When we started, we were flat out getting 1.2 kg a day and there were lots of non-eaters.

“Now we’ve got cattle that are bunk-trained and ready to eat from the moment they get there. We’re getting almost twice the growth rates and getting them into profitable markets at 24 to 30 months of age. Every kilo you can put on, that’s an extra $3 in your pocket.”

All told, the McCarthys spent about $250,000 on earthworks and the purchase of a loader, mixer wagon, tractor and yards. “Anyone can do this,” Sandy says.

“It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. All it takes is a couple of phone calls and the will to change what you’re doing. Sealing the stacks and pits is the hardest bit about producing silage – but it’s one day of pain for a whole lot of gain.”