How Should Suckler Cow Herds Prepare For Changes To Support?

Changes to Scottish Sucker Beef Support Scheme 

As part of the Scottish Agricultural Reform programme the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (SSBSS, also known as the “calf scheme”) will continue until at least 2028, but the conditions for eligibility are changing. 

Currently to qualify calves must be at least 75% beef bred and be retained on their holding of birth of at least 30 days. From 2025, a new calving interval condition will be applied in addition to the existing conditions. Initially this calving interval threshold will be set at 410 days (or less) on an individual animal basis, not a herd basis, and any offspring from cattle with a calving interval more than 410 days will receive no SSBSS payment. The calving interval is the length of time between the recorded birth of one live calf and another on ScotEID. For example, a cow which produced a live calf on 27th March 2023 and again on 31st March 2024, would have a calving interval of 370 days. In the future the calving interval threshold may reduce, but this will not be more than 10 days in any given year and will be communicated in advance. Also, the first registered calves from heifers will be automatically eligible for SSBSS payments, but second calvers will need to comply with the calving interval threshold to be eligible. 

Why do we need these changes? 

A key performance indicator (KPI) for cow efficiency is over 90% of cows put to the bull should have a calving interval below 370 days. However, in 2021, the mean calving interval of the Scottish suckler herd was c. 400 days and only 84% of cows and heifers met the 410-day threshold. Reproductive efficiency is a major factor in production and profitability in a suckler herd. It also influences the herd carbon footprint as modelling has shown that a 5-day reduction in calving interval from 400 days to 395 days, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 39.2 kg CO2e per cow. 

Factors that affect calving interval 

The main factors that affect calving intervals are: 

1. Cow body condition score (BCS). 
2. Bull fertility. 
3. Incidence of difficult calvings. 
4. Herd health. 

Actions you can take to prepare for these changes

• Body condition score cows, especially pre-calving. Aim for a target body condition score of 2.5 to 3.0 (on a 1 – 5 scale) at calving. Thin cows have longer anoestrus (the period after calving before cycling resumes) than cows with adequate body reserves. 
• Review cow rations with your nutritionist. Dietary energy is the main limiting factor in reproductive performance. 
• All bulls should undergo a bull breeding soundness examination 6 – 8 weeks prior to the start of your breeding season. £250 is available for this under Preparing for Sustainable Farming (PSF). 
• Maintain good hygiene at calving to reduce the incidence of uterine infections by using gloves and lubricant when assisting calvings and provide ample dry bedding which should be refreshed frequently and ideally cleaned out between batches. 

• When seeking a replacement bull or AI sire, look for those with negative gestation length, positive calving ease (maternal and direct), and negative birthweight Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs). Shorter gestation lengths tend to result in less assisted calvings as calves will be of lighter birthweight. 
• Prepare a health plan including a dosing, vaccination, and quarantine plan with your vet.  
• Investigate abortions, stillbirths, and any barren cows with your vet. 
• Review the calving interval of each cow in your herd to identify the reasons for any cow having a calving interval exceeding 410-days and any trends across groups. The cow efficiency tab on MyHerdStats shows a graph of the calving interval spread of your herd each year, and clicking on each calving interval category will open a list of the tag numbers of cows falling into that group. Some livestock record keeping programmes will also provide a calving interval report. 

A guide on looking up your herd's calving interval using MyHerdStats can be found here:

How do I Look up my Herd's Calving Interval on MyHerdStats?