T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E B E T T E R R E T U R N S P R O G R A M M E

In this issue• Understandingsheep deaths• Calvesatgrass• Injectionsitelesions

BulletinSummer 2016

The new Recommended Grass and Clover Lists (RGCL), published this spring, are included with this summer bulletin. This booklet is the ideal place to check that the mixtures being sown contain grasses and clovers with the best genetics and that they are the right types for the job in hand.

AHDB Beef & Lamb has been involved with the RGCL for nearly ten years, as it feels it is important for producers to have access to independent data to select grass and clover varieties. This means they can produce more home-grown forages to reduce input costs and optimise animal performance.

There is a significant amount of work that goes on to put the RGCL together, most of which is funded by grass breeders.

The first stage is to have new varieties placed onto the National List. Before a new grass can be registered and sold to producers, it needs to pass DUS (distinctness, uniformity and stability) and VCU (value for cultivation and use) testing.

Better characteristicsValue for cultivation and use testing usually takes two to three years. A new variety has a value for cultivation and use if the examination shows it presents an advantage over already registered varieties in its main characteristics. Depending on success rates in the trials and approval by the Regional Crop Committee, varieties will be placed on the National List on a provisional basis.

Before grass and clover varieties can be entered onto the RGCL, an additional three years worth of data on yield, persistency, quality and disease resistance is obtained from independent trials. All the data collected is evaluated by a panel of experts and the successful varieties of grasses and clovers are nominated for inclusion onto the RGCL.

It is hoped that through the interpretation of the robust data collected via the National and Recommended List systems, producers can make informed decisions when selecting appropriate grass seed mixtures.

Five new varieties of grass and one new variety of clover have been entered onto the RGCL in 2016.

ThenewRGCLfor2016

Lookoutforevents!Our events team is currently working on a series of:• Grazing strategies workshops• Beef from grass events• Live to dead days• Winter silage events • One-off technical eventsPlease check the events calendar at beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk regularly to see which events are planned. Producers who are signed up to the BRP database automatically receive invites to local events, unless they have opted out.

1. Faecal egg count (FEC)

Shows the number of adult worms that are shedding eggs inside the lambs. A high FEC means more adult worms.

This test enables producers to treat animals based on actual worm burden rather than by eye or routine. When done often enough, FEC can provide information on when to treat with an anthelmintic.

2. Efficacy testing

Knowing the FEC of a group of animals before treatment will help with post-drenching efficacy testing.

A set number of days after administering a drench (for Levamisole (LV) treatments seven days, for Benzimidazoles (BZ) and Macrocyclic Lactones (ML) drenches 14 days) take another sample of faeces from the same group of lambs to see the percentage drop in egg count.

Note: A reduction below 95% means the worms are starting to become resistant to that chemical.

3. New chemical groups

Introduce new chemical groups into current worming strategy (Groups 4 and 5) to help maintain effective anthelmintics for the future. Producers must begin to use them now and not wait until the older groups fail.

Use in the mid/late period of the grazing season, as a single treatment for lambs.

For more information, visit www.scops.org.uk or take a look at Sheep BRP Manual 8 Worm control in sheep for Better Returns at beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk, or call 024 7647 8834 to request a free copy. Alternatively, speak with the SQP at the retail outlet, the adviser or vet.

Arewormsholdinglambsback?

Focus on sheep

Work funded by AHDB Beef & Lamb from April 2014 until June 2015, demonstrated the top five causes of death were:

• Gut worms (12%)

• Coccidiosis (9%)

• Pulpy kidney (9%)

• Pasteurella septicaemia (8%)

• Pasteurella pneumonia (6%)

It clearly showed the need for good worm control and vaccination of lambs for clostridial diseases and pasteurella.

Data from June 2015 until March 2016 shows a very similar pattern, with the top five causes of death being:

• Gut worms (13%)

• Pasteurella septicaemia (13%)

• Ruminal acidosis (8%)

• Pulpy kidney (7%)

• Pasteurella pneumonia (6%)

If deaths due to nematodirus and coccidiosis are added to those due to gut worms, then for 19% of the 305 carcases submitted, the cause of death was parasites.

For gut worms, most of the deaths occurred from October to December. For pasteurella septicaemia and pasteurella pneumonia peak occurrence happened in September and October. Pulpy kidney had two peaks – one in July and one in October – while ruminal acidosis peaked in December.

The results from the new data further demonstrate the need for producers to focus on the common causes of lamb mortality. It also clearly shows the need for lambs to be vaccinated for clostridial

disease and pasteurella. For vaccinations to be effective the instructions on the datasheet must be followed.

Last year's results are published in a special bulletin available on beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk. An updated version using this year’s results will be produced for the November Bulletin.

Ben Strugnell of Farm Post Mortems Ltd is helping producers understand the causes of sheep mortality in the North East of England.

Understandingsheepdeaths

Summer is peak worm season and there can be a significant impact on lamb growth rates. Management techniques such as mixed grazing and grazing ‘clean’ pastures are advised, but here are some tips on deciding if and when to administer anthelmintic treatments.

DatacollectionprojectonthehomestraightThree producers taking part in the sheep key performance indicator (KPI) project are now in the final stages, with the last data collection due at weaning.

The volume of data will enable examination of the long-term effect of body condition and weight of ewes, on the performance of their lambs over a four-year period.

Some ewes will have been on the farms since the project started in 2012, with a full four-year dataset. Analysis of this data will start in December 2016.

Meanwhile, annual findings have been reported and cross-referenced to findings in previous individual years.

Improving body conditionThe improvement in body condition score (BCS) throughout the project has been documented in previous bulletins and this trend continues.

Higher BCS at tupping was a major target for one farm. Figure 1 illustrates the fantastic improvement over the four years, with 40% of ewes at BCS 3.5 at mating in 2016, compared to 22% in 2013. The range of BCS has also reduced.

Higher weaning weightsThe flock improvements across all three farms have continued through to the weaning weight of lambs.

It was previously reported that the weaning weight of lambs is heavily influenced by eight-week weight. The data also suggests producers should move away from weaning at a set date and use the weight of lambs to wean accordingly.

The decision about when to wean should also be based on ewe condition, lamb growth rates and availability of grazing, for example are the ewes and lambs competing with each other for feed?

At 90 days (around 12 weeks) lambs are no longer dependent on the ewe for nutrition, so weaning earlier can give the ewe more time to recover if she needs to gain body condition.

Generally, ewes in good condition, that have condition to lose, rear heavier lambs. However, there is an optimum loss. If ewes lose too much condition, or if they were already lean, the evidence suggests if they fail to regain condition pre-tupping, this will detrimentally impact their future productivity and longevity in the flock.

The BRP Flock and Herd Management Calendars provide a simple, free-of-charge online solution for remembering all the important jobs.

The activities can be viewed online or saved as a PDF and printed out. Reminder emails are sent every Sunday with the forthcoming tasks for the weeks ahead.

Register for free at www.flockcalendar.com or www.herdcalendar.com.

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2 2.25 2.5 2.75 3 3.25 3.5 3.75 4

OPA test?Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA) is an infectious lung tumour of sheep caused by Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV). There is no treatment or vaccine and once clinical signs appear the disease is invariably fatal.

Affected flocks may lose as many as 20% of stock in the first couple of years OPA is seen and can account for ewe losses for many years thereafter. The disease appears to be increasingly common and understanding a flock’s status is a recognised need.

AHDB Beef & Lamb is working with Moredun Research Institute, Biobest and the Animal and Plant Health Agency to see if a test for JSRV from nasal swabs can be developed. It could be used to screen thin ewes for OPA.

Figure 1: Body condition score at mating on one project farm 2013-2016

Table 1: Weaning weights from the three flocks over three years

Weaning weight (kg)

2013 lambing

2014lambing

2015lambing

Farm 1 27.8 30.8 33.3

Farm 2 24.1 27.0 28.3

Farm 3 28.2 28.7 30.4

These figures are calculated from records, which are used to predict overall business success. They help producers make informed decisions and implement changes that may raise profitability.

To start a small technical advisory group (TAG) was set up, consisting of producers, industry professionals, academics and AHDB Beef & Lamb staff. They will develop performance indicators relevant to a range of beef production systems.

At the end of January, the TAG and other industry experts met to discuss current and potential KPIs in the areas of fertility, health, finance, growth/carcase/feed and environment/society in suckler

and growing/finishing systems. The KPIs deemed the highest priority in each category are shown in Table 2.

Other KPIs will be identified from a review of work from around the world.

Currently, the four producers involved in the project are providing physical and financial data from their own beef enterprises. This will help identify the practicality of collecting the data required to calculate the performance indicators and the value of them to producers and industry professionals.

The TAG is due to meet six times during the 18-month project, with the next meeting focusing on data collection and analysis.

Focusonbeef

Fertility Health Financial Growth/carcase/feed Environment/society

% calving in first three, six and nine weeks of

calving period

% cattle treated for different health issues per batch per batch or year

Cost/kg outputkg calf weaned/

kg cowLongevity/wastage

Age at first calving Calf mortality (%) Cost/head/day Cost/kg gain Sustainability

Average 200-day calf weaning weight/cow or

heifer put to the bullAntibiotic use Cost/ha kg calf weaned/ha Public perception

KPIprojectupdateAHDB Beef & Lamb has recently funded a pilot project working with the University of Nottingham looking to evaluate current beef key performance indicators (KPIs). They will then develop further indices to help beef producers track performance and identify business strengths and weaknesses.

Table 2: Main key performance indicators identified by the TAG

Cereals can provide a valuable home-grown source of starch and fibre to feed to cattle. As well as wheat and barley, oats and triticale are also worth considering as they have better disease resistance.

The nutritional value of the crop depends on when it is harvested and how it is processed. This will depend on the type of feed required, storage facilities and how the crop fits into the rotation.

Wholecrop can provide a useful moderate to high energy forage, particularly if silage supplies are short. Crimping can be a useful strategy for early harvesting of cereal grains and storing them moist in a clamp.

AHDB Beef & Lamb, along with technical specialist Andy Strzelecki, has produced a series of film clips on harvesting cereals for wholecrop or crimping, available to watch on the AHDB Beef & Lamb YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/ahdbbeefandlamb.

The film clips include handy tips on when to harvest:• Wheat for wholecrop• Wheat for crimping• Wheat for baled

wholecrop• Spring barley for

wholecrop • Oats for wholecrop

Fifth-generation producer Ed Green manages a 324ha (800 acre) family farm, running 1,500 cattle on custom feeding contracts for a supermarket. Calves arrive at 150kg liveweight (LW) from dedicated rearing units and leave for dedicated finishing units at 460kg LW.

Ed grew wholecrop wheat and barley for the first time last year, achieving a yield of 12t/acre. He liked the earlier harvesting window compared to maize silage, resulting in the crop being ready to feed at the start of winter housing.

Ed fed a total mixed ration consisting of wholecrop, red clover silage, 34% protein blend, chopped straw and minerals. This provides a high-quality growing ration, delivering average growth rates of 0.9kg/day.

More information can be found in The Cereals Directory at beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk or call 024 7647 8834 to request a free copy.

Table 3: Wholecrop analysis for 2015 crop

Filmclipsonoptionsforharvestingcereals

Analysis

Dry matter (%) 44.2

Crude protein (% in DM) 8.3

ME (MJ/kg DM) 10.2

Starch (% in DM) 30.5

Cryptosporidiosis is a common cause of calf scour in the UK (Figure 3) and is usually seen in young calves less than six weeks old.

Symptoms include pale yellow diarrhoea, dehydration, loss of appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Few cases of pure cryptosporidiosis result in calf death. However, it can take the calf four to six weeks to recover, resulting in weight loss or reduced weight gains.

Sources of infectionCalves become infected with cryptosporidium when they ingest C.parvum oocytes (eggs). These oocytes reside in bedding, pasture, soil and drinking water. They are very infectious; infected calves can spread billions of eggs, so it is easy to see why the disease spreads so quickly.

It is difficult to diagnose through clinical signs alone, but definitive diagnosis is required for effective control and prevention.

Treatment Currently, there is no vaccine available and treatment options are limited.

Infected calves should be isolated in a well-bedded pen for at least one week after the scouring has stopped, to prevent the spread of eggs to other animals.

Rehydration of calves is key for survival, feeding one to two litres of oral electrolytes, two to four times a day. Halocur® is the only product licenced in the UK for treatment of calves. This drug does not cure the disease but helps reduce clinical signs and egg shedding. Note this drug cannot be used on dehydrated animals and can be toxic if overdosed.

Prevention • Calving pens and calf rearing pens/sheds should be cleaned and left

free of animals for at least three to four months before refilling

• Ensure all dried faeces and other muck is removed from floors, walls and ceilings and wash with an effective disinfectant

• Ensure cattle are regularly bedded so that exposure to faeces is minimised

• Feed and water troughs should be raised off the ground to minimise contamination

• Newborn calves should receive at least three litres or 10% bodyweight of colostrum within two hours of birth

• Avoid overcrowding and mixing of calves of different ages

• If cryptosporidiosis is a regular annual occurrence, give Halocur® for the first seven days of life

Cryptosporidiosisincalves

AHDB Beef & Lamb recently funded a project looking at what can be learnt from examining fallen stock. This project, led by Ben Strugnell of Farm Post Mortems Ltd, ran from April 2014 until June 2015 across the North East of England. The project generated excellent data on disease incidence; in particular, the results for suckler calves proved interesting.

In total, 173 suckler calf post-mortems were carried out with 38 different diagnoses being made. The most common was pneumonia, accounting for 25% of suckled calf deaths. The majority of these deaths occurred through the winter housing period between November and May. However, surprisingly, 18% of calves died from May to July, while the calves were out at grass (Figure 2).

An underlying trace element deficiency could be blamed for some of the calf deaths during the summer. While in the uterus, calves receive most of their trace elements through the placenta. However, if trace element supplementation is inadequate, the calf will be born with depleted trace elements.

This will impact on the calves, immune system, making them more susceptible to diseases such as pneumonia.

Mineral supplementation of dry cows is important and should reflect the basal forage type in the ration. Also a higher specification mineral should be fed four to six weeks before calving, eg 10% magnesium, high vitamin E.

A further 20% of suckler calf deaths were caused by diseases, which could have been prevented through better management of cows and calves around calving. This included diseases such as joint ill, peritonitis, E.coli scour and cryptosporidiosis.

Optimal management includes ensuring calves receive at least three litres or 10% of bodyweight of colostrum within the first two hours of life. It is also important to ensure cows calve down in clean conditions and that the navels of newborn calves are dipped. None of these interventions are expensive, but all have unquestionable cost-benefits when they reduce preventable deaths.

Healthofcalvesatgrass

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Figure 2: Pneumonia in suckled calves at grass

Figure 3: Pathogenic causes of calf scour

Source: VIDA. 2012

Focusonforage

Historically, forage crops such as stubble turnips, have been grown on arable land to be grazed by store lambs or ewes. In the past few years, arable farmers have become more interested in cover crops due to the introduction of ecological focus areas and soil health issues. This means areas available for grazing are increasing.

A cover crop is mainly grown to protect or improve soils between periods of cropping. Sown in the autumn in preparation for a spring crop, cover crops have been proven to increase consecutive crop yields by as much as 20%. They also reduce mineral leaching threefold and result in a 20% increase in soil organic matter content both above and below the surface.

AHDB Beef & Lamb is currently investigating the potential of grazing different mixes and varieties of cover crops through their Farm Innovation Grant Scheme (FIGS).

The aim is to provide producers with economic information to allow them to quantify the benefit of grazing cover crops and diverse leys, in terms of cost of production and daily liveweight gains.

The project will also provide a greater understanding of forage quality and potential yields from the crops used within the trial, which include stubble turnips, mustard, sainfoin, lucerne and red clover. The intention is to provide a case study for existing beef and sheep producers who are considering using alternative grazing crops, as well as acting as a blueprint for arable farms considering bringing livestock back onto their farms to improve soil conditions and tackle weed issues.

AHDB Beef & Lamb is also working with AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds in the development of guidance for both arable and livestock producers on integrating grazed cover crops into arable rotations.

Covercropsforgrazing

ImpactonnitrogenratesongrassesandcloversThe Recommended Grass and Clover Lists (RGCL) allow grassland producers to make informed decisions on grass and clover varieties before reseeding. However, a potential weakness in this evaluation system is the difference in management between the trials and on farm.

A recent study funded by AHDB and carried out by NIAB TAG, considered the effect of different nitrogen application levels on perennial ryegrass and timothy pure stands, and grass and clover swards. The aim was to make sure the varieties selected via the trial system still performed similarly under different management.

Since 2000, average UK grassland artificial nitrogen application rates have consistently fallen to an average of 60kg/ha in 2014. This brings

total rates, including manure returns from grazing stock, to roughly 120kg N/ha.

Three treatmentsThree nitrogen treatments were tested; 400kg (RGCL standard level), 200kg and 100kg N per ha over three years. Perennial ryegrass (PRG) varieties acted positively where higher rates were applied (see Table 4).

For PRG varieties, there was no difference between the performance of the varieties at the different nitrogen rates. This means that the grass and clover varieties on the RGCL will perform as expected, irrespective of N input.

Timothy trialsAs with PRG, the timothy trials showed a significant increase in yield due to additional N. It was interesting to see that timothy yielded similarly to PRG at 100kg N per ha, suggesting that timothy could be used in situations where N applications are limited.

When the grasses and white clover were grown together, there were significant differences between grass species in the yields of clover, with less clover recorded when grown with cocksfoot and more when timothy was the companion species.

Table 4: Dry matter yields (t/ha) from different N levels (kg N/ha)

100 N 200 N 400 N

Year 1 – managed for silage cuts

8.6 11.1 16.7

Year 2 – managed for grazing

3.8 5.8 10.1

Year 3 – managed for silage cuts

5.0 6.8 12.7

AHDB Beef & Lamb has recently funded an 18-month pilot project working with the University of Nottingham, looking to evaluate current beef key performance indicators (KPIs) and develop further indices to help beef producers track performance. Part of this work has been looking at the management of overseas beef systems for new ideas.

Beef feedlots are often large finishing operations that enable high levels of cattle performance in terms of liveweight gain and feed conversion ratio. They are well established in countries like the US and Canada and rapidly growing in others including South America, Asia and Africa, driven by increased demand for meat.

Key performance indicators form a crucial part of the management of these businesses. They are used to monitor and analyse animal health, nutrition and performance, with targets being modified according to conditions of each unit.

On arrival, weight, sex, source (miles transported), background and the type of cattle or breed are recorded, supplying the basic data required to calculate performance indicators.

Efficiency can be influenced by a number of factors including nutrition, type of cattle, environment, management and disease. Each finishing operation has its own health programme, which is evaluated using KPIs, including disease incidence rate, death rate, culling rate and relapse rate (Table 5).

Focusonrecording

Recordingperformanceinoverseasfeedlots

The adage ‘information is power’ is as true now, as it always has been.

Information can expand knowledge or fill in the gaps. This ‘power’ allows producers to make better decisions about their livestock businesses. When market conditions are tough and in better times, it is crucial to have the right information to hand.

Is it possible to achieve this power in a reasonably straightforward way? The first action is to collect the information, which can then be turned into a useful format for analysis. AHDB Beef & Lamb has a website-based tool that allows this to be easily done, called Stocktake Lite.

It provides a snapshot of the performance of the enterprise, compares it against similar systems and allows producers to play with different scenarios.

The tool has been designed to keep the amount of information required down to a minimum, while still providing a relatively comprehensive look at performance – from a range of physical indicators to the financials down to gross margin level.

Any data entered in the tool can be saved for later use, whether to update figures or compare with another year’s data.

The Stocktake What if? tool can be used to investigate different scenarios, such as the effect of improving lambing percentage or reducing costs, or it can create a budget for the year ahead. Any scenario can then be saved and viewed again later.

Stocktake Lite can be accessed at beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk under the Tools tab of the Better Returns Programme.

StocktakeLitewebsitetool

There are two main KPIs used to measure efficiency in feedlots:

• Average daily gain

Totalliveweightgainperhead

Daysonfeed

Target: More than 1.2kg/day/animal

• Efficiency of feed conversion

Totalfeedtogroup(kg)

Bodyweightgainedbygroup(kg)

Target: Less than 7 : 1

Key performance

indicator

Description Calculation

Disease incidence rate

Number of new cases in a group over a specified time period

(Number of new clinical disease cases during the month/ Number of animals at risk of developing disease during the month) x 100

Death rate The number of animals which have died during the period

(Number of animals that died during the month/ Average number of animals on feed during the month) x 100

Culling rate The number of animals culled due to illness or poor performance before completion of the fattening period

(Number of animals culled during the month/ Average number of animals on feed during the month) x 100

Relapse rate The total number of animals that became ill after one or more courses of treatment

Number of times they relapsed

Table 5: Health KPIs for a feedlot beef enterprise overseas

KPIs form a key part of the management of these beef systems allowing producers to fully analyse their operation and implement targets.

Improvingreturns

Lesions can vary in size and appearance and be painful for the animal and result in carcase wastage.

Lesions may persist for months or years after injection, so every effort must be made to reduce ISLs.

It is estimated that around 6% of beef carcases slaughtered in the UK have ISLs (Food Standards Agency, 2014). A conservative estimate equates this to 100,000 animals per year.

Injection site lesions and the surrounding tissues must be trimmed from the carcase and discarded, resulting in significant financial loss to the industry. Additionally, ISLs are associated with pain and infection representing a considerable welfare concern to the national herd.

Research shows that fewer than half of producers refer to instructions on the datasheet, which comes with every veterinary product (Cresswell et al, 2014).

Veterinary medicines are tested and licenced for a particular route and site of administration, which is provided on this datasheet. Checking that the correct technique is being used will help obtain maximum effect from the product, as well as reducing the chance of ISL formation.

Inject in the neckFor example, fewer, smaller ISLs appear to form in the neck than in the rump. So particularly when injecting large volumes of products such as antibiotics, it is worth injecting in the neck (Figure 4).

In addition, the more expensive cuts of meat are in the rump region, so

financial losses from trimming lesions are proportionally greater in this area.

Good hygieneGood needle hygiene also helps reduce the formation of abscesses. A questionnaire revealed that fewer than half of respondents use a new needle to start a new vaccination session.

Although using a new needle for every animal may be impractical when vaccinating a large herd, vaccinator guns with a needle protector may be used to keep needles as clean and sharp as possible.

Only injecting in clean and dry areas of the animal and using sharp needles will reduce the amount of bacteria dragged through the skin and lower the risk of infection.

The same needle should not be used for different products, as most veterinary products are not designed to be mixed. Blood from one animal can easily transfer pathogens, such as BVD virus, between

them and other animals.

The bottle must be kept clean too, using different needles for injecting and drawing up.

Some of these tips can make a big difference with regard to vaccine efficacy and improving meat quality. Talk to the vet for more advice on giving animals injections.

ReducinginjectionsitelesionsBy Elizabeth Cresswell and Wendela Wapenaar, University of Nottingham

Injecting cattle and sheep with veterinary medicines is a key part of promoting high animal health and welfare, but this practice can also lead to the formation of

injection site lesions (ISLs). Such lesions can reduce meat quality and overall carcase value, as well as having animal welfare implications.

Photo courtesy of A. Butterworth, University of Bristol

Key advice

• Only inject in clean, dry areas, preferably the neck

• Use a different needle for drawing up medicines and for injecting into the animal

• Check datasheet instructions, even when using the ‘same’ product, as these can change regularly

• Replace needles as frequently as possible, not just when broken or blunt

Subcutaneous (SC)

SCIM

Do not inject

Skin

Fat

Muscle

Subcutaneoustissue

Intramuscular (IM)

Figure 4: Injection site for intramuscular and subcutaneous injections

The first breeding season of the RamCompare initiative is complete with 3,200 lambs on the ground. The final farm in the project finished lambing during May and the first lambs arrived at abattoirs from mid-May.

The information collected will help the sheep industry understand whether data from farms and abattoirs on crossbred slaughter lambs can be used in genetic evaluations. The project will also enable examination of how performance of lambs from different terminal sire breeds compares under commercial conditions.

Over the winter, RamCompare has liaised with the electronic identification software providers (Border Software, Shearwell and FarmPlan), to ensure each of the farms can record relevant data at lambing.

Data recordingThe commercial producers involved are being asked to record data as a pedigree breeder would, such as birth date, rear type, weight, sex, lambing ease and deaths, together with any fostering information.

Every lamb born will have an individual record from which future growth and development will be tracked.

Ultrasound measurements of muscle and fat depth will be taken on lambs, along with an ear punch for DNA sampling. Lambs will be selected fortnightly from each of the farms from around ten weeks of age through to five months.

The RamCompare lambs are being slaughtered, according to Sainsbury’s specification at Randall Parker Foods abattoir in Llanidloes, Powys and Dunbia’s abattoir in Llanybydder, Carmarthenshire.

All finished lambs will have sale liveweight, carcase weight, conformation and fat classification recorded. Thirty per cent

of males from each sire line and each farm will have further assessments, based on saleable meat yield and tenderness testing.

Reflecting a standard commercial system, any lambs that have not finished in five months, will have a liveweight recorded, but no further data will be collected.

Beef finishing is an evolving sector of the commercial farming scene, with units generally increasing in size and employing a range of production systems.

To date there has been little research conducted to compare finishing systems, or to investigate the impact that type of

finishing has on performance, health and welfare of cattle.

A review funded by AHDB Beef & Lamb of the published scientific literature on beef cattle finishing is being conducted, which will help identify factors influencing cattle and enterprise performance. Then a survey

of larger English beef finishers will be carried out to understand current practices.

The overall aim of the proposed project is to provide an evidence base for current production systems of beef finishing in England, identify innovations and best practices for cattle health, welfare and performance, and disseminate information to other producers.

Once the review and survey have been completed, a number of trials will be conducted on larger finishing units to investigate some of the key factors identified. For example, trials to understand the impact of factors such as housing options, group size or stocking density on animal performance at a range of weight bands, could be conducted.

The project started at the beginning of 2016 and is due to complete at the end of 2018. Events and publications will be used to communicate the findings to beef finishers and other organisations within the supply chain. The project is being delivered by Westpoint Veterinary Group and SAC Consulting.

RamCompare

Reviewoflargefinishingunits

Focus on R&D

OtherAHDBBeef&Lambnews

Supermarkets introduced 22 new lines in the mini roast category in the past year, to support long-term sustainability and encourage new consumers, as a result of new product development work by AHDB Beef & Lamb.

The focus is helping to add value to the carcase, while tackling faltering roast sales by encouraging a shift in consumer buying habits. This, in turn, aims to ensure beef and lamb products remain staples of the weekly shop.

Mini roasts have been core to the AHDB Beef & Lamb market development strategy over the past three years, with a key promotional period in the autumn to make the most of plentiful availability of domestic product. The promotion is all about encouraging consumers to select a mini roast for a convenient mid-week meal.

£12million of red meat salesDetailed analysis of the most recent mini roast television adverts, which ran last November, showed the short-term impact of the campaign directly delivered £526,000 worth of mini roast sales, with

the ‘halo effect’ – namely people seeing the adverts and purchasing other beef or lamb joints – adding up to £11 million, or £12.7 million for the whole red meat roasting category.

Sales were up for both beef and lamb, with the adverts reaching 22 million households across Britain.

“Our analysis shows people switching from chicken to beef and lamb products, with a rise in people saying the mini roast offered a quicker, easier way to roast than more traditional products,” said Mike Whittemore, AHDB head of trade and product development.

“We do a lot of new product development work offering practical meal solutions for modern families, who demand convenience, especially during the working week. We then work with the processors and retailers to highlight the cuts, recipe ideas and promotion potential, with the ultimate aim of adding value to the carcase and ensuring the new product is

available to buy in store.

“This is long-term work, but these latest results show the approach is working and resonating with shoppers.”

Growing categoryThe mini roast campaign drives awareness of cuts that will improve carcase balance. The size of the market is relatively small, worth £31m, but it has grown 4.1% over the past 52 weeks. Category development, through working with the beef and lamb supply chain, has played a key role, with 22 new mini roast products brought to market by the multiple retail sector over the campaign period.

AHDB Beef & Lamb plans to support mini roast promotion again this year and will continue to work with processors and retailers to support the campaign in the autumn.

Find out more about trade development and promotion work undertaken by AHDB Beef & Lamb by visiting beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk/marketing.

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FilmhighlightsglobalroleofmeatexportsThe economic role of red meat exports has taken centre stage in a film produced by AHDB.

The video, which can be found on the AHDB Beef & Lamb TV YouTube channel, illustrates not only the economic value of beef, lamb and pig meat exports, but also how different consumer demands in various export markets help add value to the carcase.

Globally, the UK now has access to more than 100 markets for sheep meat, more

than 90 for beef and around 90 for pig meat.

The AHDB exports team continues to play a key role in cultivating existing markets and helping to secure access to new ones, for both premium products and fifth quarter products, which have little or no domestic demand in the UK.

The videos and many others are available to view by visiting www.youtube.com/ahdbbeefandlamb.

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TV showcases the Halalsector

Levy payers and stakeholders can now keep up with the latest developments from AHDB Beef & Lamb, following the launch of chairman updates after each board meeting.

Short videos presented by Adam Quinney, chairman of the Beef & Lamb sector board, will give a summary of the agenda items discussed at the bi-monthly meetings soon after they have taken place.

The updates can be viewed on the AHDB Beef & Lamb TV YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/ahdbbeefandlamb and will be shared across social media.

AHDB Beef & Lamb has embarked on a programme of activity to highlight the importance of the Halal sector to the industry.

This includes commissioning a cookery show called Healthy Kitchen on British Muslim TV, to show the quality of home-produced beef and lamb, as well as new and innovative recipes. The series will run for seven episodes and is due to start airing in June. It will also look at production on farm and illustrate how the Halal sector adds value throughout the supply chain.

The programme is one of a number activities taking place this year, which included hosting a cookery and butchery demonstration theatre at the Muslim Lifestyle Show at London Olympia in May. This highlighted different cuts for consumers to look for when shopping and suggested exciting recipes for lamb and beef.

Consumer research has also been commissioned to examine attitudes and decision making among Muslim customers when purchasing meat. It is aimed at helping AHDB Beef & Lamb decide where to focus activity supporting the sector.

Significant roleDr Phil Hadley, AHDB head of global supply chain development, said: “The Halal sector has a significant role to play in supporting the sheep meat industry in particular and increasingly the beef industry.

“The Muslim community consumes around 20 per cent of all the sheep meat sold in England and we have a vibrant and growing domestic market for Halal sheep meat. It is important that we work with the sector to maximise the opportunities presented.”

AHDB Beef & Lamb has already developed a range of resources for the Halal industry to maximise carcase utilisation, such as the Lamb Cutting Guide for the Halal market, which has also been translated into French and a Halal farm to fork infomercial, which has subsequently been translated into Arabic, French and German to support exports.

AHDB Beef & Lamb has launched a Meat Education Programme to help further develop skills in the red meat supply chain.

The comprehensive programme was developed after a lack of accessible training for professionals working across the meat industry was identified.

The online and free-to-use educational resource is aimed at anyone working in the meat industry – from butchers, through to buyers, processors and marketing staff – anyone who wants to enhance their knowledge of meat products and boost their abilities to add value to the supply chain.

Both practical and theoretical meat skills and knowledge are taught and tested, through modules covering topics like understanding beef and lamb breeds and understanding different beef and lamb cuts, through to cooking methods and telephone sales skills.

Assessment and certification are available online for the theory modules, as well as downloadable learning materials. The three practical beef and lamb modules are assessed at the learner’s place of work by experienced butchery professionals.

To register to start using the Meat Education Programme, or for further information, visit www.qsmbeefandlamb.co.uk/mep

Newmeatsupplyeducationprogramme

©Agriculture and Horticulture

Development Board 2016.

AHDB Beef & Lamb is part of Agriculture and Horticulture

Development Board (AHDB)

Tel: 024 7647 8834

Email: brp@ahdb.org.uk

beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk

For more information contact:AHDB Beef & Lamb

Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth

Warwickshire CV8 2TL

Changes are being made to post-mortem carcase and offal conditions inspections for sheep and beef cattle, to help producers reduce production losses and add value to the meat supply chain.

AHDB Beef & Lamb and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) work on the collection and communication of inspection results (CCIR), have reviewed the information collected during ante- and post-mortem inspection by meat hygiene inspectors and sent back to producers.

There are currently around 30 conditions for offal and carcase rejection that inspectors can use. However, only a handful of key conditions commonly result in rejections.

Earlier this year, AHDB Beef & Lamb and the FSA held meetings with producers, processors and other key stakeholders, to review the post-mortem conditions lists for cattle and sheep.

Revised listsThe primary focus of new draft lists is on highlighting endemic conditions in herds and flocks, with the aim of improving animal health and welfare. This approach has led to the number of conditions available to meat inspectors to record being halved.

The revised lists should provide a more robust system for collecting data and communicating back to producers, who can then act and ultimately reduce production losses.

In March, the draft list of conditions were trialled in a number of sheep and cattle abattoirs in England and Wales. The draft list of conditions was also subject to an FSA consultation which closed on 7 March. Taking

into consideration the outcome of the trials and further consultation, the FSA has now announced a staggered roll-out of the new post-mortem inspection conditions over the coming months.

BRP and the project team are working together on providing resources and training to help producers identify causes of carcase rejection to see what remedial steps can be taken to avoid problems recurring.

Meat inspection changes

The BRP team has been busy updating and refreshing some of its manuals with the latest technical information and research.

These manuals have been given a more radical update:

• Choosing bulls to breed for Better Returns

• Feeding suckler cows and calves for Better Returns

• Assessing the business for Better Returns

• Planning grazing strategies for Better Returns

• Improving soils for Better Returns

The following manuals have only had minor updates:

• Controlling worms and liver fluke in cattle for Better Returns

• Worm control in sheep for Better Returns

• Minimising carcase losses for Better Returns

To view the updated manuals please visit beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk or for a hard copy please call 024 7647 8834 or email brp@ahdb.org.uk.