All things Dairy

[frederick]

I didn’t say it was.
vet said first 4 weeks .6 is the aim followed by .8 for the following few weeks.we are aiming for 520kg cows.

Nothing at all wrong with calves and they will produce the cows you need. I think the slight anomaly some are picking up on is 1kg of powder a day should be yielding nearer the 0.8-1kg a day growth. 0.6kg would potentially be nearer the 750g of powder. Is 250g of powder not quite performing.

Admittedly my data is for blues because we need to hit 55kg to sell but 1 kg powder will turn into 1-1.2 kg growth a day.

It might be interesting what there next period of growth is. They could have achieved 1 kg for the last fortnight but not the first.

When do you weigh them. Because we are oad feeding we have to be very careful when weighing to hit the 55kg. Our calves peak to trough weight over a 24 hour period will be 6-8kg. We need a calf to leave the farm at 59kg just after feeding to guarantee 55kg 4 hours later at the collection centre.

 

[lazy farmer]

Nothing at all wrong with calves and they will produce the cows you need. I think the slight anomaly some are picking up on is 1kg of powder a day should be yielding nearer the 0.8-1kg a day growth. 0.6kg would potentially be nearer the 750g of powder. Is 250g of powder not quite performing.

Admittedly my data is for blues because we need to hit 55kg to sell but 1 kg powder will turn into 1-1.2 kg growth a day.

It might be interesting what there next period of growth is. They could have achieved 1 kg for the last fortnight but not the first.

When do you weigh them. Because we are oad feeding we have to be very careful when weighing to hit the 55kg. Our calves peak to trough weight over a 24 hour period will be 6-8kg. We need a calf to leave the farm at 59kg just after feeding to guarantee 55kg 4 hours later at the collection centre.

They are weighed at the same time each time. Around 3 hrs after milk is topped up. By the vet techs.
looking at individual data. We have 10’% not growing at all 10% under .5 Kg 75% .7-.8 Kg and 5% at 1.14 Kg.

 

[In the pit]

They are weighed at the same time each time. Around 3 hrs after milk is topped up. By the vet techs.
looking at individual data. We have 10’% not growing at all 10% under .5 Kg 75% .7-.8 Kg and 5% at 1.14 Kg.

So have you won’t out a reason as to why the bottom 20% are being knocked?

 

[Beef farmer]

Scales or weigh band?

 

[lazy farmer]

So have you won’t out a reason as to why the bottom 20% are being knocked?

If by worked out you mean have I looked at them then yes. They seem fine and aren’t obviously smaller than their contemporaries.

 

[lazy farmer]

Scales or weigh band?

Weigh band.

 

[sidjon]

Today's weird sh!t, half a twin other was deformed but normal size.

 

[Beef farmer]

Weigh band.

Reliable and accurate? I'd question it

 

[Barmyfarmer]

Have you calibrated the weigh band against actually weighing them on scales? I think you will throw the weigh band away personally

 

[TheRanger]

It’s not really an issue, as long as the use of the weigh band is consistent he’ll know straight away if the calves are improving or going downhill.

 

[lazy farmer]

It’s not really an issue, as long as the use of the weigh band is consistent he’ll know straight away if the calves are improving or going downhill.

Exactly it’s the direction of travel

 

[Blue.]

Today's weird sh!t, half a twin other was deformed but normal size.

View attachment 1171258

About 15 years ago we had a perfectly normal calf and it’s twin was nothing more than a cow print cushion with an umbilical attached,this was before schmallenberg etc

 

[Wesley]

About 15 years ago we had a perfectly normal calf and it’s twin was nothing more than a cow print cushion with an umbilical attached,this was before schmallenberg etc

We had one last spring. Something like this?

 

[Blue.]

We had one last spring. Something like this? View attachment 1171269

Yes,just the same.

 

[vantage]

Admittedly my data is for blues because we need to hit 55kg to sell but 1 kg powder will turn into 1-1.2 kg growth a day

I don’t know if they’re going to Meadow Quality, but as the powder will cost £2.50 a kg and MQ pay £1 a kg, the economics of selling to them isn’t good, as I know to my cost!

 

[frederick]

I don’t know if they’re going to Meadow Quality, but as the powder will cost £2.50 a kg and MQ pay £1 a kg, the economics of selling to them isn’t good, as I know to my cost!

The economics are even worse as we are TB restricted but they do leave the farm.
However the growth rate is hugely important to me because if I can grow a calf fast enough to get it away at 14-21 days that is a huge saving over having to keep it for another 3 weeks until the next collection having put on maybe 25kg but only getting paid an additional £25 but with 21 days rearing costs.

 

[TomB]

Forage rape getting away from me

 

[Beef farmer]

Forage rape getting away from meView attachment 1171341

August calvers?

 

[TomB]

August calvers?

Yes.

 

[Beef farmer]

Big big girls by then.