Calf rearing

[Anymulewilldo]

Market them yourself, only one winner on "rearing contracts" and it wont be you

Mate of mine went into this big style for Buitelaar. Was all singing all dancing for first 12 months then the job seemed too go south. They were dictating too much or something and ended up being ordered out of the yard. Never tried it myself, always thought margins are tight enough without a big company skimming the profit off the top as well

 

[Chief1]

Mate of mine went into this big style for Buitelaar. Was all singing all dancing for first 12 months then the job seemed too go south. They were dictating too much or something and ended up being ordered out of the yard. Never tried it myself, always thought margins are tight enough without a big company skimming the profit off the top as well

That's a very familiar story, a family member got in too deep with them not a happy outcome after it all!

 

[Loftyrules]

Interesting thank you, will maybe start with a small batch and see how it goes

 

[HarryB97]

Do the Hereford and the Angus get much concentrate feed aswell as grass may a I ask.
Many thanks

Currently on 1-2kg of a 14% blend in the morning alongside silage. We have been on a 16% blend for the last few years but have noticed no performance drop on the 14%, it's also a little bit cheaper per tonne.

 

[som farmer]

Is calf rearing on a contract a better option? Am looking into starting with this, but not sure current shed is suitable so would it pay as a long term investment (whilst money is cheap) to stick a purpose built shed up and take them through to 12-14 weeks?

before we took an easier route, went back into dairy, we had about 600 on farm, at any time, doing a lot of b/w bulls, to go up north 8/9 months old, and a lot of beef breeds, to rear/graze.
To be very honest, the profit/loss, is made at the milk stage, if you get a 'bad' bunch, they don't do, and end up costing to much.
Rearing calves on milk is a doddle, providing your system is right, and that boils down to environment/air flow, in your building, and adjusting your feed. We had 2 sheds of 40 calves, individually penned. We tried all of our sheds to rear in, the 2 we used, simply very few problems, others, problem, ventilation not right. Used to buy mkt, and private, some sheds, on farm, with calves in, could make you cry, so obviously 'wrong', seen brand new specialised calf buildings, that reeked of ammonia, when you entered. £1,000's wasted, others added fans/ventilators, which corrected the problems, at more cost. Take a metal bucket, and old rags, into a building, light them, and watch what the smoke does, if it hangs about, move on, if it keeps moving up, stay, simple as that. Feed, baby calves, need more imput, in challenging weather, always fed over the rec, that has stayed the same for yonks, and up in cold weather. Fresh, clean air, good sheltered pens, with plenty of bedding, no drafts, and feed the calf, not the instructions, and calves will really do, no vacs etc, unless you really want to, or have a problem. Get any of above wrong, you are on the back foot to begin with. On sheds, if you have an old tiled cow shed, or similar, don't be afraid to try that, air moves nicely through the tiles, smoke test it.

 

[som farmer]

That's a very familiar story, a family member got in too deep with them not a happy outcome after it all!

very familiar story, i looked, but walked away, godson didn't walk away, and now wishes he had listened to me !

 

[yorkshire8]

I rear 300 a year and take through and sell as stores at 18 months. I rear Angus or blue heifers. Decided to do heifers cos they are cheaper to buy and also if they turn out good cow makers you have an other market to sell them.
ive tried buying direct off farm but find the farmers look at the price the top calves are making at the local mart and value their Calves at that price.
I buy all out of markets now at 2-3 weeks old.
If you look after them well when rearing you can’t go wrong.

 

[Zippy768]

Usually we are pretty hot on cleanliness between batches. However in September we were pushed for room and had to have calves coming in one half shed with still the previous batch in the other half (one of only a few agreements to come straight off farm).
Far from ideal start imo but being pushed for space and time meant the 100 or so calves arrived in September/October from fewer farms.
The result (no surprise) barely a problem at all and the whole barn now weaned or near.

Has been so much less stress and bother that it has made me think how we do it.

The demand we have for steers, mostly AA, we could sometimes sell 50% more than we have. Numbers to generate that means animals come through Market.

Going down the "direct from farm" route would mean a change of model. Less steers, more heifers and probably b&w bulls.
Not sure the numbers would stack.

As similar said above, we had a conversation with a neighbouring farmer (new herd) about taking his steers. Was told he was regularly getting 200+ and often top price......we bought his animals for 160 from mart....but that was a bad week - apparently.

 

[Swaley]

Is anyone rearing 2-3 calves on old dairy cows e.g. lame, high cell count
Many thanks all

 

[RAF]

@som farmer are you saying you never vaccinated your calves ?

 

[som farmer]

Is anyone rearing 2-3 calves on old dairy cows e.g. lame, high cell count
Many thanks all

been there, and got the t shirt, had an agreement with auctioneers, for the 'left' ones at dairy dispersals, not a lot of money, to put calves on. It is not simple, and you really have to feed the cows well, 2 calves, in field, no conc = dead cow. And to match the cow/calves up, can be a right bugger. We used 10x10ft pens, and several calves, kick 1 off, another dives in. Very good, if you spend the time, and effort, if not, and you don't want to feed the cow, forget it.

 

[som farmer]

@som farmer are you saying you never vaccinated your calves ?

yes, losses to weaning 1 or 2 %, if unlucky. The cost, of all the vaccines, the vet would like you to use, add up to serious money per head, if your shed is good, and your management is spot on, you can get away without it, unless you have a bad bunch. I would put the enviroment, of a calf shed, the most important thing, followed by feed, a calf that moters on, is fit, and doesn't look back, stays fit, a set back, lets disease in.

 

[RAF]

My thoughts to but everyone seams to want to vaccinate now

 

[som farmer]

them that sell vaccines ? We only rear our own now, and admit we don't try to hard with the 'crap' calves. We did have crypto, 3 years back, that is a killer. We do vaccinate our cows for rota corona, that helps, have offered to jab the family with the vaccine, they were not very keen..............................but it is the same 'family', as covid.

 

[Gulli]

My thoughts to but everyone seams to want to vaccinate now

Pneumonia vaccines are a waste of time unless you can isolate the actual strain that is causing you problems, even then there's nothing to say they won't get hit by a different one.
Personally I think you are better to make sure calves are well fed and growing well than throw vaccines at them 'just in case'
Obviously if you have problems with some diseases then vaccines are a much better option than constant firefighting with antibiotics

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Pneumonia vaccines are a waste of time unless you can isolate the actual strain that is causing you problems, even then there's nothing to say they won't get hit by a different one.
Personally I think you are better to make sure calves are well fed and growing well than throw vaccines at them 'just in case'
Obviously if you have problems with some diseases then vaccines are a much better option than constant firefighting with antibiotics

When my bill per calf got too just shy of £50/head for pneumonia vaccines following the vets “lets try this approach” and I still had a problem they got quite upset when I cut vaccines out altogether and said it was cheaper to just shoot the ones that got it bad and wouldn’t respond too metacam & Zactran.
After that I bought a ruck of double calf kennels with runs at a farm sale. While they are on milk all my calves go in the kennels. Far healthier than any multi pen or single pen systems I tried inside (although I always favoured single pens) In the winter I set the kennels up inside where it’s dry. Work brilliant, in the summer I get them out on the back field and move them with every batch.
Once nearly weaned they go into batches of 10 in an open ridged shed, plenty of straw. Be in there for 2 months while they have the diet changes then they go into the main feeding sheds and get moved up through the 3 pen sizes as they grow and get closer too the loading pen. It’s taken a lot of trial and error (lots and lots of error) but I’m happy with how the calves perform now. I’d rather spend the vaccine money on better accommodation for the cattle.

 

[haybob]

What are you rearing lads feeding calves when you phase out the milk? Any tips on sensibly priced feeds or home rations?

 

[som farmer]

up to 14/15 weeks, you get the absolute best conversion rate, kg food to kg growth, also the time they eat the least. So, feed the best you can get, simply because the more they eat, the cheaper it is, you will never achieve the same ratio again. Good quality calf starter pellets, then grower, clean water, plenty of straw, and remember, calves don't eat the stalk of straw, empty the rack daily ! Not a fan of hay, in younger calves they tend to get 'pot' bellied.

 

[Lukethomas]

We buy in off farm at 2-3 week old, mainly angus and blue's but some b/w bulls, on average we sell at 6months, we make enough to make it worth doing, you don't need expensive cmr either, a good whey powder is plenty enough you also get better concentrate intakes earlier on whey powers too

How much would you be getting for them when you sell at 6 months or around then?

 

[gellis888]

Got a dairy farm near me with Hereford dairy crosses available. Anyone had experience with them or know if they'd be worth rearing and taking on to finishing?