All things Dairy

[Spudley]

Ah no. That's rubbish. I hope he's OK.

 

[Martyn]

Really interesting webinar by Nottingham Uni on calf rearing challenges over winter months, on this lunch time, am trying to find a method of doing a link. Interesting that calf jackets dint help with growth rates on their research. Massive area of improvement to profitabley from the first 12 weeks of setting a calf up for life.

 

[Jdunn55]

Ah no. That's rubbish. I hope he's OK.

Just about to put him under general anaesthetic to try and calm him down and let it pass through his system as he's not settling (not used to being in a cage!)

 

[Dairyfarmerswife]

Really interesting webinar by Nottingham Uni on calf rearing challenges over winter months, on this lunch time, am trying to find a method of doing a link. Interesting that calf jackets dint help with growth rates on their research. Massive area of improvement to profitabley from the first 12 weeks of setting a calf up for life.

I have never found calf jackets make much difference - only have about 10 so we start with them but the calves with jackets don't have any higher growth than ones without. That's why I've never bought more.

 

[Dairyfarmer2016]

I hope you do manage to get the link up that sounds right up the other half’s street!! And I’m infected with the dreaded rona so I’m only allowed out in the milking parlour pit dressed up like something of Star Wars! So a bit of light education during the day will do me a treat

 

[Martyn]

I hope you do manage to get the link up that sounds right up the other half’s street!! And I’m infected with the dreaded rona so I’m only allowed out in the milking parlour pit dressed up like something of Star Wars! So a bit of light education during the day will do me a treat

Just waiting for a link to be emailed through, will post as soon as I have it.

 

[Stuart1]

Really interesting webinar by Nottingham Uni on calf rearing challenges over winter months, on this lunch time, am trying to find a method of doing a link. Interesting that calf jackets dint help with growth rates on their research. Massive area of improvement to profitabley from the first 12 weeks of setting a calf up for life.

I rear most calves in hutches with overflow going into a calf house. All calves weighed at birth and again at 60 day when weaned. On average the calves in hutches have a higher daily live weight gain of 0.2kg versus indoor. Don’t bother with calf jackets on any.

 

[Dead Rabbits]

I have never found calf jackets make much difference - only have about 10 so we start with them but the calves with jackets don't have any higher growth than ones without. That's why I've never bought more.

I would guess a calf jacket making a difference has a lot to do with the climate you live in. And the type of housing used, if any.

 

[gone up the hill]

Not exactly a baby calf is it View attachment 1012682

Just a big calve born that is all

Would only have made another £30 if a heifer or another £50 or so if a bull if sold on the open market.

Good for dairy farmers that these calves are now being sold under TB2 restrictions in the open market place in the SW as it will certainly mean better prices for them compared to the £25 or so quid flat rate being offered by the calve buying groups for them!

One thing i would say, if your a dairy farm that goes down with TB and decides to rear all calves and then sell them on the open market when you go clear then you really need to castrate them before they are 7 days old and not leave entire untill you sell them, plenty of people are put off buying these weaned bulls at 12/16+ weeks old.

 

[gone up the hill]

Very sad but true. I can’t see the beef price coming up enough to match what the price of everything else is.

Beef price will have to move upwards at some point to match the price everything else is now getting because if it does not then dairy calves will be all but worthless with the exception of the top end even on the open market before long!

£150 + to bucket rear the calve to weaning.
£150 of straw for two winters
£250 of silage for two winters
£50 deductions on its last day
£500 of cake/grain ( or more silage if less cake fed )
£100 grazing costs ( more in reality )
£10 meds
£30 misc/losses.
So £1240 before your fixed costs/ labour/ profit and buying the calve in the first place.

....

The above is just ball park figures before people start fighting over them, of course some farmers will have lower straw costs for example but perhaps higher losses than someone with higher straw costs.

 

[Fergieman]

Good chance with the weather to get some lime on grassland.

 

[som farmer]

Beef price will have to move upwards at some point to match the price everything else is now getting because if it does not then dairy calves will be all but worthless with the exception of the top end even on the open market before long!

£150 + to bucket rear the calve to weaning.
£150 of straw for two winters
£250 of silage for two winters
£50 deductions on its last day
£500 of cake/grain ( or more silage if less cake fed )
£100 grazing costs ( more in reality )
£10 meds
£30 misc/losses.
So £1240 before your fixed costs/ labour/ profit and buying the calve in the first place.

....

The above is just ball park figures before people start fighting over them, of course some farmers will have lower straw costs for example but perhaps higher losses than someone with higher straw costs.

they do tell us, it costs anything from £1200 - £1800, to rear a hfr, to calve at 24 mnths, and yet store cattle of the same age, often beefx, make £1000 - £1300, and farmers delighted.
accept their 'gearing' might be much less than dairy, but they carry the cost of a cow, if suckling. figures like statistics, can be shown to the preference of the quoter. The important fact, is knowing your own true costs.

 

[Grazer]

That's quite a high rate.

 

[Martyn]

Beef price will have to move upwards at some point to match the price everything else is now getting because if it does not then dairy calves will be all but worthless with the exception of the top end even on the open market before long!

£150 + to bucket rear the calve to weaning.
£150 of straw for two winters
£250 of silage for two winters
£50 deductions on its last day
£500 of cake/grain ( or more silage if less cake fed )
£100 grazing costs ( more in reality )
£10 meds
£30 misc/losses.
So £1240 before your fixed costs/ labour/ profit and buying the calve in the first place.

....

The above is just ball park figures before people start fighting over them, of course some farmers will have lower straw costs for example but perhaps higher losses than someone with higher straw costs.

It very much terns into the game similar to dairy where the operations who maximise home grown forage and are highly self-sufficient so protect themselves from world commodity prices wins. Verse the guy who buys everything thing in and turns massive numbers over with little margin.like every markets always some winning and loosing.

 

[coomoo]

Good chance with the weather to get some lime on grassland.
View attachment 1012871

Did you go south for it?

 

[Fergieman]

Did you go south for it?

Yes Yorkshire.

 

[Fergieman]

That's quite a high rate.

Its actually tipped on a council road.

 

[coomoo]

Yes Yorkshire.

Where do you think your ph is sitting roughly over the farm?

 

[Manney]

Do anyone else's cows do this? They must reverse in as no cubicles are bent or moved.

 

[Fergieman]

Where do you think your ph is sitting roughly over the farm?

Varies from 5.8 - 6.5 when we test.