CALL US

FIND US

OUR TEAM

Dwayne Cowin - Senior Consultant Perrin Ag Consultants

03 Jun The Dairy Beef Opportunity

Posted at 12:18h in News by

This article was originally published in Country-Wide Magazine in May 2022

Beef finishers have the opportunity to cash in on the dairy industry’s supply of bulls, writes Perrin Ag Consultant Dwayne Cowin.

Despite 100kg dairy beef calves falling out of favour with beef finishers over the past couple of years, an 18-month bull finishing policy remains one of the most profitable livestock trading enterprises within drystock operations.

Success of this enterprise, though, is based on the requirement for the bull to achieve an average daily liveweight gain of 0.9kg/day over its lifetime on farm.

While the financial performance of the 18-month bull finishing enterprise still consistently outperforms other beef finishing and/or dairy support enterprises, there seems to be recent apprehension for beef finishers to buy 100kg calves in the spring for the following reasons:

  • Summer rainfall is becoming more variable and less predictable, irrespective of farm location
  • The hotter summer temperatures; and/or
  • The increasing level of breeding stock performance in general over most farms, therefore most farmers are carrying more stock over summer (i.e. finishing lambs) and placing additional feed pressure on a variable feed supply.

Despite the above, opportunities for supply of dairy beef calves are increasing, with the dairy industry showing increasing awareness around the sensitivity of on-farm euthanasia and selling bobby calves.

Relative profitability of bull finishing

One would hope the financial performance of farming bulls would make up for the common pain points associated with farming them. These are the increased management complexity with having to farm more mobs, the potential for increased R&M costs and the strategically left ‘bull holes’ they tend to leave behind around troughs, gateways, gullies etc.

Table 1 shows analysis comparing an 18-month bull finishing enterprise to other livestock finishing and/or dairy support enterprises on a dollars per kilogram of drymatter (DM) consumed basis.

As Table 1 shows, the 18-month bull finishing policy still has the ability to generate the strongest financial returns on a cents per kg DM basis at 23 cents per kilogram of drymatter eaten. The 18-month bull policy also has the potential to deliver high per hectare returns. For example, assuming a bull wintering stocking rate of 2.2 bulls per hectare, a gross trading margin of $2040/ha ($928 x 2.2) can be generated from a livestock class that only has to be wintered once.

The bull policy also generally fits well with seasonal pasture growth, where the calves are bought in spring as pasture growth rates are lifting, and the older bulls are sold in the summer/autumn when pasture growth rates decline again.

The bulls are generally wintered at a lower stocking rate, therefore have a lower feed demand per hectare, and generally this aligns with the lowest pasture growth rate period of the year.

Successful bull finishing

The biggest determinant of success for the 18-month bull finishing enterprise is the requirement for the bull to achieve an average lifetime liveweight gain on-farm of 0.9kg/day.

Table 2 shows the required target LW and subsequent gains at six key periods for a spring-born bull, from entry into the bull finishing system through to sale to the works.

While achieving the lifetime target LW gain of 0.9kg/day is pushing towards top end performance requirements, failure to do so can have the following implications on the bull finishing and/or overall farming system:

  • The bulls have to be retained longer into autumn or early winter to achieve the target sale weight (which could place additional pressure on the feed budget)
  • The bulls have to be sold lighter at the same target sale date (thus reducing the profitability of the enterprise)
  • The bulls do not achieve a finished target sale weight, and they either have to be sold store or retained for a second winter. These bulls normally get caught in a ‘no-man’s land’ of about 450kg LW, and are at a weight of being ‘too big to sell store or winter again’, yet ‘too small to finish’.

Conversely, achieving a lifetime LW gain average above the 0.9kg/day means bulls can either be:

  • Sold earlier at the same target sale weight, or
  • sold heavier at the same target sale date.

For example, lifting lifetime average LW gain to 1.0kg/day means the bulls could be sold one month earlier at the same sale weight (and would lift the cents/kg DM return to 25 cents/kg DM); or be sold an extra 15kg CW heavier at the same sale date (and would earn an extra $81/head based on the heavier sale weight).

Successful 18-month bull farmers

Based on the average LW gain of 0.9kg/day, most aspects of the farming calendar need to go ‘right’ for this to be achieved. While it may be easy to simply work out the required LW gains based on when the bulls are targeted to be bought and sold, many farmers struggle to pull off the required target gains.

But there are a number of common themes amongst successful farmers who achieve at or above these target LW gains and operate a successful bull beef finishing enterprise. These include:

  • Setting up a bull finishing system which allows individual bull wintering rotations with mobs of between 25 to 40 bulls, at a stocking rate of 2.0 to 2.4 bulls per hectare
  • Having a discipline or the ability to pay attention to detail on all aspects of the bull finishing enterprise;
  • Ensuring replacement bull calves are well-weaned and on-farm at a minimum of 110kg on or before November 1 annually 
  • Ensuring “feed quality is king” particularly over the first summer as bull calves – and having either a ‘good natural eye’ or robust grazing plans to achieve high quality feed in the required quantities are available. This will ensure target LW gains are achieved
  • Having a regular weighing and monitoring programme to assess actual LW gains
  • Having the skillset and ability to make timely decisions if LW gains are below target, and potentially sell other stock classes earlier, or delay other planned purchases
  • Potentially providing supplements if the animals drop below target LW gains due to pasture quality or quantity limitations
  • Having a well-executed animal health plan, so the bulls are never ‘checked’
  • Having an average May 1 bull LW of over 256kg heading into winter
  • Having a May 1 average pasture cover target of over 2000kg DM/ha
  • Ensuring the bulls still grow at 0.8kg/day over winter
  • Having an average November 1 bull LW of over 445kg
  • Potentially selling tail end bulls that are not going to reach the end target LW by March 1 as store bulls in November
  • Potentially killing bulls lighter than target over summer to ensure the calves maintain their target LW gains.

Despite what may seem like an exhaustive list of traits for the bull finishing system to be successful, an increasing opportunity exists to leverage off the dairy industry and implement a highly profitable finishing enterprise into most dry stock operations.

The profitability of 18-month bull finishing continues to outperform other beef finishing enterprises due to its high conversion of feed inputs into finished product. Also, running a relatively low wintering stocking rate (yet generating high financial returns) also presents other advantages, including a lower environmental footprint (especially compared to wintering older cattle, and achieving lower LW gains).

But just remember ‘feed quality is king’, and every day needs to be a growing day for the bulls in order for the farmer to realise the relative success of the enterprise profitability.



Lee Matheson

Managing Director
Principal Consultant

B.Appl.Sc (Hons), FNZIPIM (Reg)

Lee came to agribusiness consultancy via the unlikely pathway of a suburban Wellington upbringing, an Honours degree in plant science and a six-year career in the financial markets. In his role as the firm’s MD, Lee doesn’t get out on-farm as much as he used to but makes the most of it when he does. While having swapped the paddock for the boardroom, Lee continues to provide advice in the areas of farm business strategy, farm system innovation, corporate governance, investment analysis and economic research.

Outside of Perrin Ag, Lee loves to spend his time coaching rugby, watching his three kids play sport and gardening with his wife Haidee.

“I love the challenge of empowering people in our primary sectors and the excitement of seeing clients achieving their aspirations. If we can encourage farmers to engage with their consumers, take a more active involvement in their supply chains and view their businesses through a wider lens, then I think our industries have a great future.”

Michael Booth

Senior Consultant

B.Com Af (FM)

Mike brings a wealth of agri-tech and dairy systems expertise to Perrin Ag. After graduating with a Bachelor of AgriCommerce from Massey, he started his career with DairyNZ as a consulting officer where he ran discussion groups and managed farm supervision.

He left DairyNZ to travel the world but within a few months Covid hit, the borders closed, and Mike and his wife Nikita returned home. Back in New Zealand, he took up a role managing DairyNZ’s monitor farms on the Hauraki Plains before joining Halter.

After finishing his OE, he returned home to live in Papamoa and joined the Perrin Ag team in February 2024.

“I’m not someone who likes to sit still and I like to be continually learning. I saw an opportunity with Perrin Ag. As a business their ethos is about continuous improvement and learning. There are always new and better ways of doing things and we need to be at the forefront of that for our clients.”

Abbey Dowd

Consultant

B.Ag.Sc (Hons), MNZIPIM

Abbey joined Perrin Ag in February 2023 as part of the firm’s graduate recruitment programme, Empower.

Abbey grew up surrounded by dairy farms in a close-knit community in South Waikato. She saw first-hand how local farmers supported her community, which is what inspired her to study at Lincoln University.

Growing up in a rural community Abbey has always been impressed by how much local farmers contribute to the community. She wanted to help give back to the industry and play a part in helping our primary sector continue to produce quality food in a sustainable way.

In 2022, Abbey spent the summer as an intern on one of New Zealand’s first commercial deer milking operations. Her Honours project was researching deer milk alongside other more traditional milking operations and assessing the deer milking industry’s future production possibilities.

“Growing up I didn’t live on a farm, but I always knew I wanted to work in the farming sector. I wanted a role where there was a balance between working on and off farm and where I could support farmers to get the best out of their businesses.”

Sam Gray

Senior Consultant

Sam grew up on a dairy farm in the Far North. After graduating from the University of Otago in 2005 with an Honours degree in molecular biotechnology, he spent several years working in medical research in New Zealand and Scotland. Upon returning to New Zealand in 2012, he spent four seasons dairy farming in Northland before purchasing a 56 ha block in Taupо̄, where he was first exposed to farming under a nitrogen cap. Sam joined Perrin Ag in 2023 and brings his strong analytical skills that are grounded by a pragmatic approach to problem solving. Outside of farming and consultancy, you’ll likely find him fly fishing, hunting or snowboarding.

“A lot of farmers feel overwhelmed in the face of a rapidly changing regulatory landscape. I strive to help farmers understand what these environmental regulations mean for their business, and offer practical solutions that allow them to keep doing what they do best, whilst remaining compliant”.

Danni Armstrong

Finance administrator

Danni grew up on a life style block in Atiamuri and spent five seasons as a relief milker in the area. During this time, her full time roles were in various fields including the rental car, health care and marine industries. Danni has had a focus on administrative and accounting duties, but is also proficient in looking after customers especially well, social media and website operation, running a rental car fleet and the associated tasks like training, rosters, H&S and organising repairs! Danni joined Perrin Ag in May 2021, to be part of a business in an industry she is passionate about.

During her spare time Danni can be found reading a book with her cats or out enjoying the walks in Rotorua’s Redwoods.

“What motivates me each day is knowing that I will be challenged with a range of problem solving tasks. I love to see all the figures adding up and knowing that my role makes a difference to the team.”

Duncan Walker

Director
Principal Consultant

B.Appl.Sc, MNZIPIM (Reg)

Coming from a drystock and dairy farming background, Duncan has always been passionate about growing primary sector businesses. Whether it’s pastoral farming, forestry, horticulture or investments outside the farm gate, sustainably optimising business performance is Duncan’s passion. After graduating from Massey University with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Agribusiness, Duncan’s first opportunity to optimise a farm business was by undertaking a dairy conversion. Duncan project managed the conversion and continued to run the dairy farm for a further three years.

Since joining Perrin Ag in 2011 Duncan works with a wide range of clients including those ‘outside the farm gate’. With his strong background in investment analysis, business strategy and project management, Duncan is increasingly working with clients to analyse and integrate horticulture and forestry investments into their farm businesses.

“I enjoy helping clients navigate through the complexities of today’s operational, financial and environmental challenges. Seeing clients achieve their goals is very rewarding”

Lee Matheson

Managing Director
Principal Consultant

B.Appl.Sc (Hons), FNZIPIM (Reg)

Lee came to agribusiness consultancy via the unlikely pathway of a suburban Wellington upbringing, an Honours degree in plant science and a six-year career in the financial markets. In his role as the firm’s MD, Lee doesn’t get out on-farm as much as he used to but makes the most of it when he does. While having swapped the paddock for the boardroom, Lee continues to provide advice in the areas of farm business strategy, farm system innovation, corporate governance, investment analysis and economic research.

Outside of Perrin Ag, Lee loves to spend his time coaching rugby, watching his three kids play sport and gardening with his wife Haidee.

“I love the challenge of empowering people in our primary sectors and the excitement of seeing clients achieving their aspirations.  If we can encourage farmers to engage with their consumers, take a more active involvement in their supply chains and view their businesses through a wider lens, then I think our industries have a great future.”