Polish cattle farmer switches to dry fattening: bulls reach up to 800 kg
Stefan Weimann, a farmer in Poland's Lubusz Voivodeship, began dry fattening of his cattle in 2023 to cut feed preparation work. His animals reach 750–800 kg at 16–17 months, and he plans to expand the herd.
In Podmokle Małe, in Poland's western Lubusz Voivodeship, cattle farmer Stefan Weimann and his wife Karolina switched to so-called dry fattening in 2023. Under this system, animals receive dry concentrate feed instead of a total mixed ration (TMR) prepared fresh every day. The couple chose it because it requires less work and animals gain weight faster, according to the Polish agricultural outlet topagrar.pl.
Less feed preparation
Cattle have always been kept on the Weimann farm, but after finishing his salaried job, Weimann decided to farm full time. The herd now numbers about 35 animals. A new shelter is planned in the near future to make work easier and raise capacity to around 60 animals. The farm has roughly 20 hectares, including some poorer land and permanent meadows that cannot easily be turned to field crops.
Previously, TMR had to be mixed daily. Now it is enough to push up the meal and straw and lay fresh bedding. Preparing both mixes takes about 2.5 hours a week, and feed is given roughly twice a week.
Calves and feeding
Weimann buys calves because he does not produce his own fattening stock. The most commonly bought calves weigh about 70–90 kg and cost around 3,500 zloty. Simmental cattle, imported from countries such as Slovakia and Austria, are currently the main choice.
After the fourth month of life, calves move to dry fattening. Until they reach about 400 kg, they get a first mix; per tonne it contains about 150 kg of maize, 170 kg of rapeseed meal, 40–50 kg of soybean meal, 80 kg of buffers and premixes and 250 kg of rye, with the remainder being barley and oat meal. Above 400 kg, a second mix replaces part of the barley and oat meal with solvent-extracted rapeseed meal.
The animals gain on average 1.6–1.8 kg a day and reach a selling weight of 750–800 kg at 16–17 months. Average meal intake over the fattening period is about 8.5 kg a day.
Plans
The farmer has taken first steps toward farmer retail sales (RHD) of beef from his own farm, aiming to shorten the supply chain. Once sales begin, he also plans to fatten Angus and Limousin cattle, depending on animal availability.
