A SWITCH in the feeding system on one North Yorkshire beef farm resulted in total savings of £15,000 last winter.

And the change to a total mixed ration also cut 100 days off the bull beef finishing time.

Normally the bulls would have been finished in July and August but were actually finished in April and May - saving £10,000 in costs.

The fact that they still reached the 350kg carcase weight in 400 days rather than 500 also represented feed savings of a further £5,000.

On Monday Mr Tony Farrer and his son, Nick, welcomed farmers to Vicar Lane Farm, Little Thirkleby, near Thirsk, to hear about the TMR - total mixed ration - system developed by Keenan.

The gathering was told how the cattle received exactly the same ingredients only last winter they were mixed together instead of being given separately.

"Previously we were feeding the same things but not getting the results we wanted because the cattle were choosing between the various ingredients," said Mr Tony Farrer.

They agreed to give the Keenan Feeder wagon a trial but at that stage were not confident it would make a difference - one month later they were total converts.

"Now after one year the results speak for themselves," said Mr Farrer, who farms 120 acres at East Lodge, Topcliffe, near Thirsk, and rents grazing for some steers during the summer.

Mr Nick Farrer has 230 acres at Vicar Lane Farm, Little Thirkleby, where new buildings have been erected for finishing the beef cattle.

They went into beef finishing to end their total reliance on the arable enterprise.

"We are trying to add value to what we grow by producing beef," said Mr Farrer senior, "That is our plain and simple objective.

"We are not going to make a lot out of producing mountains of cereals with today's prices, but if we can make a living by producing beef from it then that is our way forward to a sustainable future."

The cattle are bought as 50kg calves from a local dairy farmer and a calf co-op.

They spend six months at East Lodge. During the first month they have a constant supply of a milk replacement available from an automatic machine.

They are weaned after a month, kept on calf pellets and introduced to the TMR Keenan bull mix. Both are fed until they reach 220kg liveweight when they are moved to Vicar Lane Farm where they are fed only the TMR.

The two farms grow wheat, oilseed rape, peas, grass and barley with silage also being made from poorer quality grass from a neighbouring airfield.

Mr David Jackman, Keenan nutritionist, visited the farm last November and discussed the background to the farm, what the Farrer's wanted to achieve, and then worked out a strategy with them.

He told the visitors that not everyone should be using the same feeds. It depended very much on personal circumstances.

"The cattle come here at six months of age and go on a single diet," he said.

"They were being fed silage, some potatoes and home grown cereals before the new system but the main difference now is that all of these feeds are mixed and balanced into a very good palatable feed.

"When you present a total mixed ration in front of cattle they are content. They feed when they want to and then go and lie down and cud. That is what they want to do and it shows they are relaxed and content."

Last winter a lot of potatoes were used in the feed because they were available at about £6 a tonne.

"We also used silage and still are, but I am not saying it is what everyone should use because it is not the cheapest feed. It makes sense here because it is made off the neighbouring airfield and is cheap and cost effective."

The cattle were also fed a home grown barley and peas mix which was caustic treated in the wagon.

"We also bought in a small amount of rapeseed meal at £100 a tonne but it is more expensive this year and we are thinking of what to buy this time," said Mr Jackman, "We used a bit of straw to provide some fibre."

Some 200 cattle have gone through the system but the shortened finishing time means that a higher output can be achieved.

Apart from cost savings the new system has produced 10pc more R-grade carcases and 5pc more U-grades. Last winter the cattle were fed for about 70p per head per day - 45p per kilo of liveweight gain