Maximising the beef supply chain

Managing the supply chain

Both ends of the supply chain are managed by Jack, from calf procurement right through to arranging finishing contracts and negotiations with abattoirs. Calves are collected between 14-21 days old from farms that he has built up relationships with, from as far away as Cornwall and up into the Midlands.

“Performance is key right from the outset,” explains Jack. “We need a calf to have had the best possible start by the time it gets to us, as this really influences whether it kills out on time further down the line. Therefore, we incentivise farmers to invest time and effort in ensuring each calf receives adequate colostrum and high standards of hygiene (clean buckets, teats, dipped navel etc.).

“Really, it’s just ensuring they work to the same standards that they would were they rearing their own black and white heifers. With the numbers coming through our system and the data we have on performance; we can very quickly identify those farmers who aren’t doing the job properly. In turn, as well as paying a fair price, we offer a service where we ‘take everything’ - no one wants you picking and choosing animals because they are the wrong colour.”

Calf rearing

Jack’s sister, Harriet, is in charge of calf rearing and all calves are put on a 42-day milk plan using ForFarmers VITAMILK Classic milk powder at 0.9kg/day milk powder in 6 litres water (150g/l mixing rate) from a Foerster-Technik automatic calf feeder. They are also offered ForFarmers 17% Calf Complete nuts ad-lib from two weeks.  

Calves are gradually weaned from six litres to two litres over a fortnight, building up ad lib concentrate intakes so that they are eating 2kg concentrate/day by weaning. “We’re looking for an average of 1.1kg DLWG throughout the milk phase and with this milk powder and cake, performance is currently up by an average of 0.3kg/day,” remarks Jack.

Working with a Youngstock Specialist

Jack works with ForFarmers’ youngstock specialist Emily Hayes, who explains; “Jack’s philosophy throughout the rearing phase is to mitigate any stress points, such as weaning, moving units or changing diets, to avoid any growth checks. We never do more than one change at any one time and everything is done gradually where possible. For example, when transitioning to the ForFarmers bespoke beef blend we use, we mix it together for three weeks with the calf cake, gradually reducing the cake and the increasing blend.”

Vaccination and ventilation are two other areas that Jack feels are crucial to success. All calves are vaccinated for BVD, Lepto and IBR, as well as pneumonias. “With everything we do I am aiming for ‘poultry plus’ standards not ‘dairy minus’,” says Jack. “In terms of airflow, we have forced ventilation that gives 7.5 clean air changes per hour, every hour.

“Water is another area where cleanliness and hygiene are often overlooked but the importance is huge,” continues Jack. “In terms of medication we are aiming for zero antibiotics…we’re not there yet but we are very close. I have also set myself an ever-decreasing benchmark for mortality – I am currently working towards, and achieving, sub-2%.

“There are so many variable factors in calf rearing – the feed, the weather, travelling time, calf quality etc. but what we’re trying to do is control as much as we can and get the right combination. You can always improve. The day I think I’ve cracked it is the day to stop.”

Getting a fairer deal for the farmer

Jack has worked hard to build contracts with abattoirs and retailers that reward the constant flow of cattle he can supply.

Last year he put 11,000 animals through the books: “We can negotiate better prices from the abattoirs because we provide them with accurate forecasting and deliver the numbers and spec that they require. In return, we regularly achieve prices that are 10-15p/kg higher than the market average and also have access to data that we feed back to the farmer. This knowledge transfer aspect is really important; if farmers get feedback that they are sending animals too late, for example, they can adjust their system and make feed savings which benefits their business.

“All of this was born out of creating a fairer deal for the farmer – we’ve worked to create a versatile, flexible model where everybody gains strength from the numbers and are rewarded for working with us.

We are looking to grow further, especially in the South West, and are looking for rearers and calves across the country, Jack concludes.”

For more information

For more details on our beef products or if you would like to get in contact with one of our Beef Specialists to discuss your herd, rations or system please contact us here.