Ad lib milk feeding calves

[Bangoverthebar]

Block calving in ireland. The market is flooded with calves at the same time every year.

Im looking to make my calves stand out from the crowd.
Im considering ab lib feeding milk.
Is anyone doing it, how is it going. Any advice

 

[happycows]

I'd say it's not just the milk. You need a strong cow and a good quality sire of a breed that will be in demand. In my opinion too much focus has been placed on short gestation and calving ease for my liking resulting in pretty average calves coming through.

A calf with natural shape will stand out from the crowd at 3 weeks old and yes they need feeding well but not just ridiculous amounts of milk automatically mean success.

14 day old Charolais bull out of a Fleck cross cow made £435 last Wedsnesday for us and £390 for all our Ch bull calves. They'd of had no more than 7 litres of milk in 2 feed.

 

[Bangoverthebar]

I'd say it's not just the milk. You need a strong cow and a good quality sire of a breed that will be in demand. In my opinion too much focus has been placed on short gestation and calving ease for my liking resulting in pretty average calves coming through.

A calf with natural shape will stand out from the crowd at 3 weeks old and yes they need feeding well but not just ridiculous amounts of milk automatically mean success.

14 day old Charolais bull out of a Fleck cross cow made £435 last Wedsnesday for us and £390 for all our Ch bull calves. They'd of had no more than 7 litres of milk in 2 feed.

Lovely calves, i use aubrac, saler and limmy bulls.
My cows are friesian and jersey cross, i wont the power your cows do.
I am delighted with my cows performance, just hoping to make calves pay

 

[Garfield]

We feed ad lib for the first 4-5 weeks using a milk bar feeder, calves do very well on it. You just need to make sure teats are changed regularly for the hygiene. They get fed at 9:00 again at 14:00 and I just check feeders are all topped last thing

 

[Suka]

The more milk you provide, the better they'll do (as demonstrated by suckler calves).
If you can feed them ad-lib, go for it!

 

[som farmer]

we rear to sell as stirks, 5-7months old.

milk is rationed, 2-2.5 litres a feed, but is stored or fresh colostrum, gets them onto solids early, always calf conc available. You need to get the rumen working asap.

and we produce top quality stirks, as the mkt reports tell us.

the other point, selling at a month old, is you have to put something in the ring, that buyers want.
and a lot of that comes down to sire quality, it really does make a difference.

you only need to watch a sale, to see what buyers will, or will not bid for. A very high % of cheap calves, will never make the rearer a decent profit margin, they just don't grow big enough.

 

[Werzle]

The more milk you provide, the better they'll do (as demonstrated by suckler calves).
If you can feed them ad-lib, go for it!

If only it was that easy