A meeting of breeders from the Małopolskie Voivodeship during a training course at the demonstration farm in Krzywa, as part of sub-measure 1.2. “Support for demonstration projects and information activities” implemented under the Rural Development Programme 2014–2020 for “Modern technologies for breeding and raising beef cattle”.
In the beautiful scenery of the Beskid Wyspowy, in the village of Krzywa near Sękowa (Małopolskie Voivodeship), there is the breeding farm of Wojciech Wójcik. It belongs to a network of demonstration farms included in the project “Modern technologies for breeding and raising beef cattle”, co-financed by the European Union from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) in the years 2023–2024. On 20 and 21 June this year, a group of breeders, advisors and students of agricultural schools from Małopolska visited the Limousin cattle farm in Krzywa, including the livestock buildings, pastures and the beef carcass cutting plant. The group also listened to lectures during the theoretical part of the training. Wojciech Wójcik breeds Limousin cattle with his father Wiesław and two brothers. The farm, which is run under the organic farming system, covers 85.62 ha of its own land, including 58.57 ha of permanent grassland for meadows and alternate pastures and 14.45 ha of forest land.
The land is located in less favoured areas of the mountain type. The herd consists of 75 animals, including 30 cows tested for meat performance by the Polish Association of Beef Cattle Breeders and Producers, 10 heifers, 20 calves, about 14 young fattening cattle and 2 breeding bulls. Both natural mating, harem mating with alternating monthly replacement of bulls in the herd during the breeding season, and artificial insemination are used in reproduction. The theme of the demonstration carried out at the farm is “Rational pasture management in view of the occurrence of periodic droughts and forage shortages”, and the operation is covered by the Rural Development Programme 2014–2020. So-called agroforestry is carried out on the farm – most of the pastures are bordered by forest complexes, which the animals use to shelter themselves from adverse weather conditions during grazing (heavy rains, heat stress). There are also numerous mid-field trees, groves, shrubs, hedges and fruit trees within the plots, which are used by the grazing animals both as a source of shade and shelter from the wind and to enrich their forage base. The grazing area also has natural wind-fallen trees and streams, and small ponds are created to provide water for the animals and ensure optimum water retention within the grassland. Breeders graze their cattle rotationally. Rotation takes place every three days and the animals are on pasture 24 hours a day with the possibility of returning to the buildings at any time, an important element in ensuring welfare conditions. Grazing is carried out from mid-May to November. The paddocks are partly fenced with electric fence and range from 5 ha upwards. A great asset of the farm is its beautifully located pastures with a considerable, for Małopolska conditions, area of use. Some of the farmers’ meadows are covered by the agri-environmental and climatic programme. In order to optimize the production of roughage obtained from permanent grasslands, farmers use a weather station. An important and noteworthy practice carried out by the owners of the farm is the intensive care of calves in the postparturient period, including navel disinfection or probing of calves requiring it. The breeder also tests colostrum for immunoglobulin content and creates and uses his own colostrum bank.
After a tour of the farm, in the practical part of the demonstration the trainees moved to the nearby Cross-country Skiing Station, where the stationary, theoretical part of the visit took place, led by Katarzyna Gajewska, the farm supervisor on behalf of the Małopolska Agricultural Advisory Centre. The farm’s supervisor, Dr Agata Karpowicz from the Department of Cattle Breeding at the National Research Institute of Animal Production, introduced the audience to the scope and purpose of the demonstration at the farm. As part of the project, the farm will be equipped with equipment to facilitate and support the safe handling of animals, including a modern restraining chute with a drive-through scale, a mobile calf feeder and an insulated, non-freezing drinker, which will enrich the pasture infrastructure as an element providing fresh drinking water for the animals. Another important element of the ongoing demonstration is the purchase and use of a portable star-shaped electric fencing system, the aim of which is to make even more precise use of the pasture, by gradually separating and dosing the grazing sections of the paddocks. This device allows new grazing areas to be separated easily and quickly, thus helping to optimize grazing and maximize pasture productivity. Proper grazing is one of the elements of maintaining proper water relations in a grassland area. During Dr Karpowicz’s lecture, the topic of measures to reduce drought in permanent grassland was discussed, such as the use of manure, underseeding with species resistant to water shortages, liming of grassland, removal of weeds competing for water with desirable vegetation, creation of ponds in pasture areas, or the use of dams to dam up water on streams and watercourses.
In the following part, the suitability of particular breeds of beef cattle for production was discussed, depending on the conditions and production possibilities prevailing on a given farm. Dr Karpowicz also presented the subject of modern cattle herd management systems and the principles of safe work with animals as part of occupational health and safety on livestock farms. Another element of the demonstration conducted at the farm of Mr and Mrs Wójcik is the introduction of a modern system for monitoring animal movement, activity and body temperature. The system, which the National Research Institute of Animal Production is introducing to the farm as a modern and precise tool for monitoring thermal conditions, health and activity of animals, consists of subcutaneous chips, a collar with a transponder and GPS transmitter, a radio receiver and an application for receiving and managing the acquired animal data. It is a state-of-the-art device for, among other things, assessing the presence of heat stress in animals and recording subclinical disease states, the presence of which, in the initial phase of the disease, is indicated only by fluctuations in body temperature in cattle. The part of the demonstration dealing with the subject of monitoring the body temperature of animals as well as their surroundings will be carried out on 20 head of Limousin cattle owned by Wojciech Wójcik. During the demonstration visit, participants discussed the future of livestock farms, especially those with small acreage and lower production capacity. Both hosts and farm supervisors presented the advantages of becoming independent of middlemen in the marketing of agricultural products. Drought on farmland and the natural value of food produced by local, organic farms were discussed.