Upper Nisbet makes the most of modern feeding

As one of 35 Agri-Epi Centre Satellite Farms, in the UK and one monitoring beef and arable production in the area, Robert is able to take advantage of some of the most innovative technology and hi-tech machinery and equipment, which includes a Keenan Mech-fibre feed wagon kitted up with the latest ‘In-touch’ smart feeding.

Already a fan of Keenan feed wagons, the added In-touch package collects, stores and sends information on the rations produced via the ‘cloud’ back to the company’s head-quarters at Keenan/Alltech, in Ireland. In doing so, the system is able to monitor the feed content of any ration fed to each group of animals.

Furthermore, it also determines the best way to mix the ration in terms of the correct number of revolutions to reduce the amount of sorting and feed wastage.

“It’s certainly a lot easier to feed cattle with the new system – anyone can load it,” Robert told delegates attending a recent Keenan/ Alltech open day.

“The machine stops once it has done the correct number of revolutions and it automatically adjusts the amounts of feed ingredients required if you add or reduce the number of cattle to be fed in a lot,” he said, pointing out that there is no complicated mental arithmetic to do with the new system which reduces waste.

Alltech InTouch feed specialist, Stephen Ball, added that the system allows producers to maximise the use of home-grown feeds with the In-touch element highlighting the actual ration being fed in terms of nutrient efficiency within the rumen, compared to what it should be providing.

“In-touch technology allows producers to consistently produce the same chemical and physical mixture time, after time, after time,” he said.

Stephen Ball

“It also prevents over and under mixing, which causes havoc within the rumen and ends up costing you money. Over mixing and overreduction in particle size results in a drop in rumen pH, excessive intakes and poor feed utilisation.

“The more we can get cattle to cud, the more they are getting out of the feed, so by consistently providing the exact same feed, in the correct manner, animals are able to make more out of the feed. Farmers are being told they have to increase the performance of their cattle and by improving the efficiency of the feeds in the way they are fed within the ration, the more they will save,” said Mr Ball.

The machine can mix more than 100 rations for various uses and one of the key mixes for Robert’s finishing unit for young bulls (scaling 500-550kg liveweight) comprises 5kg of home-grown 70 D-value grass silage, 0.5kg of barley straw for the all important ‘scratch’ factor; 0.5kg of pot ale syrup; 8.75kg of Maxammon barley which increases the protein content of the ration and 100g of Harbro’s RumiTech Beef Max, a supplement that aims to increase efficiency.

While there is little evidence of improved performance on beef units at present, dairy farmers have told Keenan/Alltech, that providing a consistent feed ration is worth 30p per cow per day, which in turn is worth £109.50 per year, or £6570 per cow per year to a 200-cow dairy unit.

The new smart feeding system appears to be worth a pretty penny to the Neill’s too – Robert and Jac and their two sons, Andrew (18) and Harry (16) – as it is assisting them to provide top quality finished beef animals on a regular basis to the local live market at St Boswells and to the abattoir at ABP, Perth.

“People eat beef every week of the year, so there is a need to supply a regular amount of finished beef cattle 52 weeks of the year, which in turn suits us as it provides a regular income,” said Robert.

And, such is the quality and demand for beef produced from Upper Nisbet, its prime Limousin cross cattle regularly top the sales at St Boswells and recently produced the lead priced animal per kg – a Limousin cross heifer that scaled 562kg and sold for 263p per kg, which narrowly beat the champion that made 262p.

Limousin cross yearling steers are fed a Keenan TMR

Similarly, cattle sold deadweight also make their mark, with one of the latest batch of young bulls from Upper Nisbet hitting a top grade of E2+ for a 419.6kg carcase that killed out at 61%. 

“There is more money to be made selling cattle through the live ring, but there are also a lot more costs involved. I know markets are being crucified by rates, but farmers are being told they need to streamline their businesses and markets need to do the same,” said Robert.

Over the past 20 years, the Neill’s have not only become experts in producing top quality beef but also squeezing costs of production, with the result being that the vast majority of the progeny from their 320 Limousin cross Friesian cow herd – with the exception of a small number of heifers retained for breeding – are finished within a shorter space of time. Furthermore, all cattle are finished within the spec’ required by the market.

On average young bulls gain 1.5-1.6kg per day to finish within 13-14 months, while heifers and steers from the herd are sold every week with weight gains of 1.3-1.4kg within the remaining 10 months, thereby ensuring a regular supply.

Regular weighing is paramount to ensuring cattle are not over or under fat when sold and with a good cattle handling system and weigh scales already in place, Robert found his own weighing system is more effective than the automatic drinking troughs he trialled.

“Automatic weighing drinking troughs weigh an animal every time it goes in, so you can have eight different weights for the same animal in one day, which can be quite confusing. We find weighing cattle every two or three weeks is far more effective,” he said.

Key to this enterprise is a conjoined large arable acreage, which allows the business to produce all home-grown forages and cereals, thereby keeping feed costs to a minimum. Located in one of the drier areas of the country, the majority of cattle can be outwintered on cereal stubbles until calving at the end of March, when they are then brought inside to straw-bedded courts for calving.

In contrast to many producers who look to calve heifers at two years of age, the Neill’s are happy enough to bring theirs into the herd at three and have no aspirations to reduce their calving period from three to four months down to the recommended six to nine weeks.

Females are bulled to easy calving Limousin sires to calve in the spring

“If we calved all our cows in the first two cycles, we’d be rushed off our feet. Plus the fact we need to provide finished beef cattle 52 weeks of the year, so it makes sense to stagger calving,” added Robert.

With the majority of replacement females being Limousin cross Friesians from Robert’s brother’s hi-health dairy farm, disease and lack of milk is never a problem. Add to that the fact that bulls are selected on appearance, 400-day weights, temperament and calving ease, and calving issues are kept to a minimum too – “I’d far rather have a living mouse, than a dead elephant,” he joked.

Robert’s breeding and feeding policy is obviously workingtoo as last year, 94% of the scanned calf crop reached weaning and this year, only six cows out of 320 were scanned yeld.

“I believe our females last that bit longer because they’re calved at three years. I also make sure our cows never get too lean. I have no worries calving cows at condition score 3, as a fat cow will always come to the bull. It’s the lean cows that cause the problems,” he concluded.