Beef from organic dairy calves

[Farmersdaughter]

Is it worth doing? At present conventional dairy farm that rears all calves, Angus, blue and Sim crosses as well as dairy steers for beef selling them fat. Once weaned they get cake and hay to 6 months then grazed on permanent pasture over summer or tmr ration over winter with a some out on stubble turnips. Some sold off grass, but most finished on a ration with rolled barley. Looking at converting to organic, can see the dairy side working but not sure about beef side, though not sure pure dairy would work on our farm with lots of permanent grass not close to dairy. Does anyone do beef from dairy calves organic? Would be interested to hear your thoughts. Thanks

 

[Treg]

80p/kg premium on Organic Beef atm , so it should work , I think as long as your sensible with stocking rates it should work.

 

[Al R]

Buying organic milk powder is the problem, I have been rearing 8 a year for years and as we can’t get hold of organic milk powder their classed as non organic so fym needs exporting to next door etc...

I did rear 2 heifers when I was younger and kept them organic, cycling to the organic farm I bought them from once a day to buy/collect milk, they also have to be on milk a lot longer than conventional calves due to organic associations regulations (I think 12 weeks but not sure) I aimed to keep them as breeders but TB rules got stricter so they went for meat. Never bothered with fresh milk and just use conventional powder now instead.

 

[organicguy]

We rear all calves from 200 BF cows,fattening steers and heifers and culls. Don't allow them to substitute for cows but on out lying land varies from ok to good.