calf rearing questions

[jackrussell101]

What do you do with yours, do you take them through all the way to finishing?

Yes, do about 80 a year, so not in a big way, but big enough[/QUOTE]
Yes sounds good. What weights can you achieve and at what ages? Do you graze them or are they all indoors?

 

[Hampton]

A few born this time last year

 

[Zippy768]

Out of interest, how many of you (or know people) who rear calves as their main practice, not just on the side.

 

[Hampton]

Out of interest, how many of you (or know people) who rear calves as their main practice, not just on the side.

Don't know anyone. Even the big ones I know do it alongside broiler sheds

 

[Jon.S]

We do sort of a 50:50 split with the sheep. Only started rearing to weanling in last 6 months. We used to rear a few to fatten ourselves but moved away from finishing as our buildings aren't really suited to handling big finished bulls

 

[Hummin-Cummins]

Out of interest, how many of you (or know people) who rear calves as their main practice, not just on the side.

I know of one calf rearing enterprise not all that far away, rearing 1000 calves a year by 4 friends all working full time jobs elsewhere!
Doing it for meadow quality on £30 head flat rate.

H-C

 

[Hummin-Cummins]

A few born this time last year

Whats your feeding plan with the blues after weaning through to now? Interested to see how others feed compared to us!!

H-C

 

[dannewhouse]

Whats your feeding plan with the blues after weaning through to now? Interested to see how others feed compared to us!!

H-C

I'm doing some blues heifers and steers there on powder at the moment but their life plan is course mix until there a good bit over 3 month and past weaning then onto our barley urea soya mix, they will probably go out to grass with the adlib feeder with them and then be brought in back end ad lib to sell probably april may 2018 at 550kg liveweight (may be earlier as some are December calves and 15 months is an average) eat just over 2 ton of corn each maybe 2.25

how does this compare to your system?

 

[Hummin-Cummins]

I'm doing some blues heifers and steers there on powder at the moment but their life plan is course mix until there a good bit over 3 month and past weaning then onto our barley urea soya mix, they will probably go out to grass with the adlib feeder with them and then be brought in back end ad lib to sell probably april may 2018 at 550kg liveweight (may be earlier as some are December calves and 15 months is an average) eat just over 2 ton of corn each maybe 2.25

how does this compare to your system?

Very similar with blues, we make our own course mix at 17% protein they are in that for 3-4 months then start to change on to more rolled barley based diet with soya etc. Have been told they only need to be on 13 or so % protein really but ours get more than that, what about yours?

With the angus heifers they get course mix till about 4 months and doing really well then put on to adlib quality haylage and feed 1kgs of concentrate twice daily as the bu**€rs get to fat if left on adlib concentrates

 

[The Son]

Milk powder 1.25 bags per head, 18% calf quicklettes, then once weaned gradually offered 14% TMR, always a bit if judgement here, if not such a good bunch then TMR kept out for a couple of weeks to get them to eat more pellets, as they get into TMR pellets are reduced to nothing fairly quickly, aiming to get heifers gone, 600kg 18 months, steers 650kg 18 months, but nearer twenty at the moment. Mainly R4l R3, some U- some O+ 90% BB's, have tried some AA as have got a good outlet, steers ok heifers disaster!

Best advice ever given was by vets who said put all your efforts into sourcing calves from one farm, very difficult to do in practice, have manged it this year and boy have I seen a difference in growth and mortality. Market or collection centre is a calfs biggest enemy.

 

[dannewhouse]

Very similar with blues, we make our own course mix at 17% protein they are in that for 3-4 months then start to change on to more rolled barley based diet with soya etc. Have been told they only need to be on 13 or so % protein really but ours get more than that, what about yours?

With the angus heifers they get course mix till about 4 months and doing really well then put on to adlib quality haylage and feed 1kgs of concentrate twice daily as the bu**€rs get to fat if left on adlib concentrates

did a right mix of calves for my 1st experiment as you say got all the natives too fat in no time.
I think our calf course mix is 16% but it could be 18% we buy it in. our home mix is 15% the soya and urea aren't that deere per head or ton total ration and we think (just our eye judgement) that since upping the protein they are less fat. I also feed this ration ad lib to my limx suckler calves (after they've had some course mix when young) it is these that I upped protein for as I found they were going fat and I seemed to have loads of grumbling at market but they were killing out (R and U) 4h and 4Ls and they reckon these are about right? I have only killed a few since and 1 was a U3 other R4L. do you suffer with fat even in the good breeds feeding adlib? I feed straw adlib and offer a bit of hayladge but dad thinks the hayladge is giving them a bit of belly? only say 4kg per head from mixer when I'm feeding sucklers

@The Son what do you mix in your TMR for them?

regards the sourcing of calves you are probably bang on but I like to pick the best shapes from the market and find any 1 supplier to have a few excellents a few good and a few a little short on shape? or do you take the attitude the other benefits outweigh this?

 

[Sandpit Farm]

Blade farming approached my neighbour to contract rear calfs for £40 a calf, he told them it was hardly worth getting out of bed for.

Yes but 100 calves at £200 each is £20,000. With calf milk powder being over £1100/tonne, it means you have to have a lot of working capital to do it yourself. You also have vet visits. Not only that, the risk is removed. That's the risk of illness and the risk of reduced market price.

 

[The Son]

@dannewhouse TMR at the moment is Rolled Barley, Sweet Energy (a biscuit blend type product) Chopped Sugar beet, Protein and first cut silage, to give a 14-15% protein ration.

You are right that I have to take all and some are not what I would pick, but overall I believe the positives out weigh the negatives.

I am lucky that the dairy farmer that produces the calves has a really good team, who ensure colustrum management is good, and have a genuine interest in the calves.

 

[Hummin-Cummins]

Mainly R4l R3, some U- some O+ 90% BB's, have tried some AA as have got a good outlet, steers ok heifers disaster!

What happened with the AA heifers ?

 

[unlacedgecko]

I know of one calf rearing enterprise not all that far away, rearing 1000 calves a year by 4 friends all working full time jobs elsewhere!
Doing it for meadow quality on £30 head flat rate.

H-C

£30,000 split 4 ways is only £7,500 each. I wonder how many hours they each put into it?

 

[Hummin-Cummins]

£30,000 split 4 ways is only £7,500 each. I wonder how many hours they each put into it?

Not sure but I'd of thought it would be a full time job for 2 people and 15k a year to rear calves aint good enough salary if u ask me

H-C

 

[Dman2]

For the angus heifers we keep them on adlib- make own course mix with rolled barley, oats, wheat, micronised beans and peas, flaked maize, soya and minerals, - was costing about £180 a ton wen valuing cereals at £120 but obviously costing more now! We do this untill they are a good size (up to 16 weeks) then slowly introduce a good quality dry silage / haylage and cut them back to 2kgs a day of concentrate, mind u they need to be 'doing well' (usually sweating) before u change them over as can slow the growth rate fairish!

Majority of them are sold on for suckler replacements and we keep some ourselves make top notch cows!

Blues are left on adlib till sold usually try an get them gone between 4-6 months

H-C

What rates do you mix at

we are feeding weaned calves with
70% rolled barley
10% rolled oats
10% 16% protein pellet ( Calf rearing nuts)
10% cattle balancer pellet

Just sort of cobbled together with what we already buy, but seem to do well on it
If my calcs are right works out about £170 ton

 

[Hummin-Cummins]

What rates do you mix at

we are feeding weaned calves with
70% rolled barley
10% rolled oats
10% 16% protein pellet ( Calf rearing nuts)
10% cattle balancer pellet

Just sort of cobbled together with what we already buy, but seem to do well on it
If my calcs are right works out about £170 ton

Ours is made up with per ton mix if my memory serves me correctly......

50kgs of molasses
50kg soya
50kg flaked maize
50kg micronised beans
50kg micronised peas
Bag of minerals
Rest made up with rolled barley oats and wheat

Was costing about 180 a ton in october but cereal etc prices have gone up since then

H-C

 

[Full of bull(s)]

You may be right but iv never heard of anyone paying it on bulls.

ABP did for about six months but then stopped overnight. Nice bonus while it lasted about 40p over standard bull base