Intensive beef production. 9. A note on the performance of Friesian and Ayrshire steers fattened on a cereal diet

Abstract

In parts of the United Kingdom, considerable numbers of Ayrshire bull calves are slaughtered at birth or shortly after. These animals, if fattened intensively on a cereal diet, could provide a valuable addition to the beef produced from the dairy herd if their rate of live-weight gain, carcass composition and feed conversion efficiency provided an economic return. At the prevailing purchase price of calves and cost of feed the profit margin would appear to compare favourably with that from other dairy steers. The data from an economic survey of barley beef units in the North of Scotland by Clark (1966) show, on the basis of surplus per head (i.e. gross margin less other costs) that the greatest margin was achieved by a unit whose livestock was entirely comprised of Ayrshire steers.