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Unit 4: Beef Finishing Systems
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What system would best suit you?
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Unit 4: Introduction to Beef Finishing Systems

What system would best suit you?

 

The choice of a beef finishing system depends on the farm’s location and access to feed resources.

  • Farms with an abundant supply of cereals or by-products like biscuit meal and straw often adopt intensive systems, which support faster growth.
  • But farms located in areas rich in pasture tend to use semi-intensive or extensive systems, where forage and grazing are the primary feed sources.

The availability and cost of feed play a crucial role in determining which system is most suitable for each farm.

Intensive System (12-15 months)

 

Continental cattle breeds and entire bulls are best suited to an intensive finishing system. Generally intensive systems will have better feed conversion, higher daily liveweight gains, higher feed costs per day but lower feed requirements overall.

Hover over the boxes below to see further information.

Feeding

Feeding

Heavily reliant on high-energy concentrate feeds (e.g., cereals).

Growth Rate

Growth Rate

Fast growth with daily liveweight gains of up to 1.6 kg/day.

Negatives

Negatives

Higher daily feed costs and need for intensive management, including regular handling to monitor growth.

Suitability

Suitability

Best for breeds like continental bulls (e.g., Charolais) that are fast-growing and can efficiently convert feed to weight.

Positives

Positives

Quicker finishing, lower lifetime feed costs.

Semi Intensive (15-20 months)

A semi- intensive finishing system has periods of which the cows are out on grass, a middle winter and then a housed period at the end to finish.

Hover over the boxes below to see further information.

Feeding

Feeding

A mix of forage during the grazing season and fed concentrates during winter.

Suitability

Suitability

Works well for steers and heifers, especially from suckler herds. It requires good grassland management.

Growth Rate

Growth Rate

Moderate, with daily gains around 0.9 to 1.0 kg/day.

Positives

Positives

Balances feed costs by utilising grass, reduces reliance on expensive concentrates.

Negatives

Negatives

Still involves housed winter feeding, which can be costly.

Extensive System (20+ months)

 

Native breeds are best suited to an extensive finishing system as they have slower growth rates which allow the cows to achieve desired weight without being too fat.

Hover over the boxes below to see further information.

Feeding

Feeding

Predominantly forage-based, relying on grass and silage with minimal concentrates.

Suitability

Suitability

Native breeds like Aberdeen Angus and Hereford, as they mature at lower weights and don’t require rapid growth.

Growth Rate

Growth Rate

Slower, around 0.55 to 0.65 kg/day.

Positives

Positives

Lower input costs (feed, housing), sustainable, utilises grazing grass that is available.

Negatives

Negatives

Longer finishing times increase overall fixed costs, and cattle may be exposed to weather risks.

This video comes from the Vocational and Post-16 'Beef Production' resources originally published on the Hwb website by the Welsh Government in 2014.

Breeds

 

Here is a table that shows the different breeds and their place within the system.

Bulls Bullocks Heifers
Breed Age (mths) Weight (kg) Age (mths) Weight (kg) Age (mths) Weight (kg)
Holstein/Friesian 12-14 550 15-18 600
Charolais 12-14 650-700 15-18 650-700 18-20 600-625
Belgian Blue 12-14 625-650 15-18 650-675 18-20 600-625
Simmental 13-14 625-650 15-18 650-675 18-20 600
Limousin 13-14 625-650 15-18 625-650 18-20 575-600
Aberdeen Angus 18-20 575-600 20-24 550-575
Beef Shorthorn 18-20 575-600 20-24 550-575
Hereford 18-20 575-600 20-24 550-575
Welsh Black 18-22 575-625 20-24 525-575

 

Intensive Semi-intensive Extensive
12-14 months 15-20 months Over 20 months

© Hybu Cig Cymru

A timeline of the finishing process

 

See the two diagrams below which shows a breakdown of the finishing systems in the Spring and Autumn.

Typical finishing systems for spring born cattle

 

System Source Spr Sum Aut Win Spr Sum Aut Win Spr Sum
12 months Suckler Suckling Concentrates
Dairy Milk Concentrates
18 Months Suckler Suckling Forage/Conc Grazing/Conc
Dairy Milk Forage Forage/Conc Grazing/Conc
24 months Suckler Suckling Forage Grazing Forage/Conc
Dairy Milk Forage Forage Grazing Forage/Conc
30 months Suckler Suckling Forage Grazing Forage Grazing
Dairy Milk Forage Forage Grazing Forage Grazing

 

Typical finishing systems for autumn born cattle

 

System Source Aut Win Spr Sum Aut Win Spr Sum Aut Win
12 months Suckler Suckling Concentrates
Dairy Milk Concentrates
18 months Suckler Suckling Grazing Forage/Conc
Dairy Milk Forage Grazing Forage/Conc
24 months Suckler Suckling Grazing Forage/Conc Grazing
Dairy Milk Forage Grazing Forage/Conc Grazing

 

© Hybu Cig Cymru

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