sheep&cows&stuff
Member
Well I will let you all know exactly how I get on - main thing is my expectations aren't sky high.
Oh - and I like a challenge
Oh - and I like a challenge
You're bang on, bagged calf feed is ridiculous money.Just finished my 30 month experiment with 4 Friesian calves.
Bought at £65 each - 3 went away as bullocks averaging 708kg and made 101ppk. Lost one despite vets best efforts.
Broke even
Lessons learned - beef varieties were making 235ppk at same sale
Dont purchase bagged feed - buy straights and home mill. Posh calf mixes and beef nuts are expensive when bruised barley would have done
Economies of scale - could have kept a lot more with a minimal increase in effort and that would have increased profit
Vet - Big vets bills didnt help.
So 4 calves cost £260
The 3 that lived sold for £2,145
And you only broke even? I think your problem is with cost control and not the type / breed of calf that you bought.
Can you give us a greater breakdown of how you arrived at a conclusion that you broke even?
OK
Carrs - £615 milk powder and calf mix - plus odds and sods feed bucket, stomach tube etc
Harbro- £278 - Beef nuts
Bulk Calf mix - £192
Bulk Barley Straights - £102
Vet - £414 - Dehorn, Castrate, plus 3 visits to the one that died including meds
Deadstock uplift - £54
Cost of calves - £260
Calf jackets - £144 - bought 6
Replacement tags - £35
Total - £2094 -
Sale Price - less commission and vat £2026
I've still got the calf jackets - so conclusion is break even.
Thanks for that.
I have recently bought the most recent batch of Fresian bull calves. 3 months old and £50 each. Bought directly from a neighbouring dairy farmer, so I know how they started off.
Three months old, so no milk powder needed. They are at grass with a small amount of meal. They might get some meal to finish them, or they might go to market for some one else to finish. We will see how the prices go at the relevant time.
They do far better than break even!
What sort of size are the batches? Much better to get direct and past milk as well is a bonus - i had to purchase at the market at 2 weeks oldThanks for that.
I have recently bought the most recent batch of Fresian bull calves. 3 months old and £50 each. Bought directly from a neighbouring dairy farmer, so I know how they started off.
Three months old, so no milk powder needed. They are at grass with a small amount of meal. They might get some meal to finish them, or they might go to market for some one else to finish. We will see how the prices go at the relevant time.
They do far better than break even!
Great respect to you for putting up your costs but there are many things you haven’t included such as bedding costs, water, grazing, haulage. That’s just the variables, where are your fixed costs?
A scalpel, cheese wire and a bullet would of negated that.Vet bill has ruined it then.
Lost one despite vets best efforts
Vet - Big vets bills didnt help.
I don't know how old the dead one was, but could a lesson be that if they don't get cured after one visit then they don't get a second?
Vets best efforts have rewarded vet in repeat visits. I suspect that with a couple of hundred you may castrate and dehorn yourself.
And while breaking even, you have gained the jackets and experience.
We had a similar experience with three AA/Her x heifers we reared last winter as the kids were keen. Didn't make a fortune but we all enjoyed it and we now have three very quiet heifers that we need to bull next summer.We made the decision that animal welfare had to be high - hence calling out the vet when required - but yes there is a commercial decision point that is reached.
Calves were too old to be legally ringed and we didnt have any experience with the burdizzos which you can only use up to 8 weeks.
Fields are now better managed and there's a load of manure to be spread for next year.
We enjoyed having the boys and i can honestly say that they were well looked after.
Its not the same without them so - we are going to have another go !
It would be a shame to waste the jackets.
We had a similar experience with three AA/Her x heifers we reared last winter as the kids were keen. Didn't make a fortune but we all enjoyed it and we now have three very quiet heifers that we need to bull next summer.