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Contract Rearer Pays Attention to Detail Professional Calf Rearers Association of Australia (PCRAA) member Simon Gleeson grew up in Maffra in Gippsland, Victoria surrounded by dairy farms. After leaving school, he did a grazing apprenticeship on a large-scale grazing property which ran beef, sheep and deer. He then managed bull beef properties for Midfield Meats for 3 years before working for Te Mania Angus for 2½ years. Three and half years ago he left Te Mania to run his own business, Bilyana Grazing, with his wife, Katie.
Bilyana Grazing specialises in growing out replacement dairy heifers and is a weight-gain grazing business that grows stock from weaning to point of calving. Located at Brucknell in south west Victoria, Bilyana Grazing manages more than 2000 heifers. The Gleesons chose Brucknell as being reliable grazing country, strategically placed in the middle of several key dairy areas and thus accessible to potential clients. Bilyana Grazing is an all-inclusive service providing all feed, animal health, drug and vaccination requirements, bulls, labour for AI and branding, weight recording, and pregnancy testing. Emphasis has been placed on producing high quality animals that realise their genetic potential with minimal “drop outs”. Mortality rates are below 0.2% each year. To reach target weight of 600 kilograms, average daily weight gain needs to be 0.78kg/day. This ranges throughout the year between 0.5kg and 1.1kg. Mr Gleeson said the key to achieving good growth rates was to pick a system that worked and to stick to it. The Gleesons are always looking to improve their systems; however, any changes are introduced gradually. Dairy heifers are creatures of habit so any changes that may be required need to occur across one to four weeks, otherwise heifers may suffer a growth check that may never be able to be regained. Calves arrive at the home property shortly after weaning. Identification and entry weight are recorded onto a database. They are 7-1 and pestivirus vaccinated and drenched, and any further trace minerals or pinkeye vaccinations are administered. Mr Gleeson said that if he ensured that everything was right in the first few months, heifers continued to flourish all the way through. Heifers are fed a high-protein/moderate-starch custom concentrate in troughs until 200kg liveweight. Feed rates range from 1.5–4kg per day. Daily feeds are split in half (morning and evening) to minimise gorge feeding and to keep energy in the calf’s system through the cold winter nights they experience. Average daily gains on this system range 0.8-1.1kg/day. Because of the high protein diet, the bulk of the growth is skeletal. The grain feeding of animals ensures Bilyana heifers are about 400kg at joining. Once target weights of 200kg are reached the heifers are gradually weaned off grain onto pasture. Bilyana’s high quality pastures are the basis of the heifers’ diets for the remainder of their growing period. This may be in the form of fresh pasture or silage or hay. Heifers are weighed at eight week intervals with accounts and reports sent out accordingly. In the eight week between weight recordings, random sample weights are taken to ensure heifers are achieving required gains. The main health concern Mr Gleeson has in heifers is viral pneumonia occurring in 1-2% of animals. Given the stocking intensity it was crucial they treat afflicted animals immediately, he said. The Australian Dairy Farmer – Nov/Dec 2008
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Mr Gleeson has been a member of PCRAA for two years and an active committee member for the past 12 months. He was a runner up in the inaugural Calf Rearer of the Year Award in 2007.