A visit by farmers from the Gorzów district to a demonstration farm in Nowiny Wielkie as part of sub-measure 1.2 “Support for demonstration projects and information activities” of the Rural Development Programme 2014–2020 on “Modern technologies for breeding and raising beef cattle”.
Demonstrations are carried out under sub-measure 1.2 “Support for demonstration projects and information activities” of the Rural Development Programme 2014–2020 for “Modern technologies for breeding and raising beef cattle”. This operation is co-financed by the European Union with funds from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
Demonstrations are taking place all over Poland, each with a specific objective tailored to selected farms. It is also a principle that the beef cattle herds maintained on the demonstration farms should be cared for and their performance and breeding value tested by the Polish Association of Beef Cattle Breeders and Producers, in cooperation with the National Research Institute of Animal Production.
The specific topic of the demonstration in Nowiny Wielkie was “Effective management of a beef cattle herd based on electronic animal monitoring and innovative grassland monitoring methods”, which took place on 29 May 2023.
The demonstration farm specializes in breeding Limousin and Blonde d`Aquitaine beef cattle. It is located near Witnica, close to Gorzów Wielkopolski (Lubuskie Voivodeship). The farm belongs to Zbigniew Kołoszyc, who is an experienced and environmentally recognized breeder. It is worth pointing out that he won first place in the 2021 National Competition for the Beef Cattle Producer of the Year, is a laureate of the Safe Farm Competition, and is also national vice-champion in the AGROLIGA. The farm cooperates with the Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics of the National Research Institute of Animal Production and participates in the QMP (Quality Meat Programme) food quality system.
The breeding herd comprises more than 200 cattle, where strict origin control is carried out and the selection of individuals for growth is based on bulls with high genetic value. A Bosy bull of the Limousin breed from this herd became Champion and Superchampion of this year’s 30th National Breeding Animals Exhibition in Poznań.
During the May–October season, suckler cows with calves, in-calf heifers and bulls are grazed around the clock, while heifers aged between 0.5 and 1.5 years are kept indoors in an open-sided system with access to an outside yard. At the end of the 24-hour grazing season, all these groups are maintained similarly to the heifers aged 0.5–1.5 years, i.e. indoors in an open-sided system with 24-hour access to an outdoor run near the barn.
On-farm demonstrations cover spring and summer grazing and the preparation of pastures for the grazing season, as well as autumn grazing and the preparation of the herd for the winter season. In addition, demonstrations cover housing conditions, animal health monitoring both in the pasture and in the barns, including the control of heat stress, using innovative monitoring solutions based on microchipping of cattle. Three farmer visits are planned during the demonstration to observe the entire grazing season.
During the first visit, which took place on 29 May 2023, participants met the owner and had the opportunity to see the entire farm and its equipment. The visit was attended by 15 beef cattle farmers from the Gorzów district. The topic of the demonstration and its innovative elements were discussed in detail, and the participants had the opportunity to visit the barns, outside yards and pastures. The main topics of discussion were the conditions for keeping and breeding cattle in the open-sided housing system, breeding prevention, and various methods of planned reproduction and bull selection in order to obtain high genetic value and maximize the profitability of beef production. Pasture use, on-farm feeding methods and animal welfare were also discussed.
As part of the training, participants listened to a presentation by Grzegorz Skrzyński Ph.D. Eng., on breeding work on a beef cattle farm, cattle reproduction, management methods and welfare. Also discussed was the aspect of the selection of breeds in their predisposition to various forms of use and fattening. Topics related to reproductive management and the use of assisted reproduction techniques for beef cattle in herds were also discussed.
