What are the levers for competitiveness in beef suckler herds?

The competitiveness of beef farms mainly depends on export prices. The purchase price of weanlings is crucial in this regard. Yet, when it is efficiently managed, a suckler herd can also generate substantial income. Here is Techna Group feed experts’ advice for optimising the profitability of suckler farms.

For many suckler herds, November marks the beginning of the winter calving season. Here are a few facts and figures: out of the 800,000 cattle raised for meat production in France each year, Italy buys between 75% and 80% of them.
Weanling prices are therefore mainly influenced by export markets. Nowadays, the Italian market is shifting towards cheaper animals for purchase and more precocious breeds.
These types of animals, produced abroad, are beginning to compete with French weanlings.

Pre-calving management

Good management of the pre-calving phase can make calving easier and ensure a good start in lactation. A cow's pre-calving diet should meet maintenance requirements, support fetal growth, and ensure the production of high-quality colostrum. A cow will have more difficulty calving if she’s overweight or excessively thin.
If she’s properly fed, the cow will be in optimal shape for parturition. Difficult calvings also require that farmers interfere manually. They therefore have a negative impact on reproduction in the medium term. When the calving condition shifts from easy to difficult, it results in an average increase of 10 days between two calving events. When calving ends up being very difficult, C.I.can be extended by 41 days compared to a relatively easy calving. 

Assisting dairy production

It is also advised to support the cow’s milk production. After calving, the cow’s diet should cover her maintenance and production needs (milk) but also promote a prompt return to estrus. This means that her energy and protein requirements must be fulfilled, as well as her mineralization requirements. Post-calving diet should also promote milk quality and quantity and improve calf breastfeeding. It is always more useful to feed the cow well so that she can produce quality milk rather than giving the calf a starter feed in order to compensate for deficient milk production (in quantity and quality). The risk of feeding the cows insufficiently can lead to a 20% reduction in their reproductive performance.