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A useful assessment point for young cattle is at the end of the winter crop period. Review performance as a combination of liveweight gain and body condition. Crop type, transition management, supplement quality, paddock conditions, and whether cattle achieved consistent daily intake shapes results.
Core performance indicators
Liveweight gain is the best indicator of whether your winterfeeding programme met its objective. Where possible, weigh cattle at entry and exit so you can compare average daily gain with class-specific targets. Visual appraisal supports this by checking body condition, frame development, rumen fill, and within-mob variation. A widening spread between heavy and light animals points to inconsistent intake, competition at the crop face, or unequal access to supplement. Dairy heifers wintered on fodder beet or kale report an average daily gain of about 0.45 kg/day, below a commonly used 0.6 to 0.7 kg/day target, showing how easily growth can slip with sub-optimal diet quality or feeding execution.
Factors affecting performance
Poor performance—lameness, respiratory disease, diarrhoea associated with parasites, or standing away from the mob—indicates possible ill health. Mud, cold conditions, and inadequate lying space reduces intake, increases maintenance demand, and affects growth. Ruminal acidosis is an important risk during and after crop use, particularly where transition is too rapid or fibre intake was inadequate. Identify poor performers early and assess separately. If necessary, remove them for preferential feeding rather than leave them to compete within the main mob.
Feed allocation, diet balance, and transition management
Consumption matters. When performance is below target, you need to know whether cattle consistently consumed a balanced ration, not if enough crop was offered. Accurate dry matter assessment, representative feed testing, and disciplined break allocation are central to this review. When you shift the break, is there still some crop remaining or has it all been eaten? If it has all been eaten, growth rates will be compromised. This is especially important with brassicas and fodder beet, where gradual transition and adequate effective fibre are essential. Poor outcomes commonly reflect a combination of inaccurate allocation, low-quality supplements, protein deficiency on root crops, mob competition, and disrupted intake during wet weather.
End-of-winter actions
Weigh cattle, where feasible, at the end of the crop period. Draft according to performance and monitor closely during transition back onto pasture.
If growth has been below target, test whether crop utilisation assumptions were realistic, supplement quality matched the crop, transition was gradual enough, and if paddock conditions reduced comfort or intake. This review helps both immediate decision-making and future winter planning.
A sound end-of-winter assessment acts as both a performance audit and a guide to improving next season’s wintering outcomes.
For help evaluating your winter crop outcomes in your cattle, contact your local PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative.
