Creep Feed - Suckler Calves

[Henarar]

Them kind of calves just have to have creep. They are not the kind for storing,

Are you saying that they need creep in order to grow ?

 

[Henarar]

Good question. I suppose I'd have to try a bunch uncrept to compare. Personally from my rough calculations with these type of calves it'll pays to creep them for extra kilos. I don't want to house any calves so want them big by end of October.

I can see how it works now but when corn is 250/300 a ton will it work ?

perhaps I am just a skinflint, I don't like farming with my chequebook, not much hard feed, no reseeding, not much fert, very low turnover,always thought if you spend it you have to make it back
Perhaps we would be better of as cattle farmers if no corn was fed to cattle ?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I can see how it works now but when corn is 250/300 a ton will it work ?

perhaps I am just a skinflint, I don't like farming with my chequebook, not much hard feed, no reseeding, not much fert, very low turnover,always thought if you spend it you have to make it back
Perhaps we would be better of as cattle farmers if no corn was fed to cattle ?

It's a numbers thing...when you haven't got many you can spread them out and they don't take a lot of imputs...when you're pushing your farm to the limit then cattle need more feed and so does the land

 

[Top Tip.]

These calves will be converting at about 4 to 1 so 4 kilos of feed at 80p will convert into 1 kilo of weight worth £2·50

 

[Henarar]

It's a numbers thing...when you haven't got many you can spread them out and they don't take a lot of imputs...when you're pushing your farm to the limit then cattle need more feed and so does the land

we have less cattle than we did and 15% more land to farm, piece of pee and no worse of
each to there own, but I think when land, buildings, time are pushed to the limit there is no money in those last few animals anyway so just as well ease back and have an easy life

 

[Ashtree]

Are you saying that they need creep in order to grow ?

Not really. I'm saying they have the conformation to really convert creep feed quickly into growth and plenty more good cuts of meat.
Some kinds of lesser confirmation calves are better let grow on minimal concentrate and finished with a relatively short period of intensive feed regime.
Those calves will just convert the creep right from day one to get them finished young.

Maybe you should try that game with a few of your B Blues. . Be a nice trial.

 

[Ashtree]

we have less cattle than we did and 15% more land to farm, piece of pee and no worse of
each to there own, but I think when land, buildings, time are pushed to the limit there is no money in those last few animals anyway so just as well ease back and have an easy life

Ah, pick out a group of your best ones. Horse a blast of creep into them. Make Farmer C do all the fetching and carrying

Get them straight to factory at 16 months.

 

[onthehoof]

What creep are you using @harperfarmer and how much per tonne

 

[Henarar]

Not really. I'm saying they have the conformation to really convert creep feed quickly into growth and plenty more good cuts of meat.
Some kinds of lesser confirmation calves are better let grow on minimal concentrate and finished with a relatively short period of intensive feed regime.
Those calves will just convert the creep right from day one to get them finished young.

Maybe you should try that game with a few of your B Blues. . Be a nice trial.

buying enough calf creeps for the number of groups we have would cost a few grand and then its the time filling and moving them, its not just a case of what the food costs
wouldn't mind feeding a bit for a week or two before they go but I can't see me being a heavy creep feeder
prefer to leave that to those with continental cattle

 

[Henarar]

Ah, pick out a group of your best ones. Horse a blast of creep into them. Make Farmer C do all the fetching and carrying

Get them straight to factory at 16 months.

and make more money ? thats the big question

 

[harperfarmer]

Thanks for all the comments. In reply to a few questions, regarding c-sections @Ashtree luckily I've only had one, very first year we had cows to a bull not of my breeding. Since then none out the side but I openly admit I assist a lot (tempting fate for next year I know). As for the creep @onthehoof it's a 50/50 mix of home rolled barley/oats mix (80/20) and a bought in 16% blend (£155/tonne), that stands me at £135/tonne as fed. Its approximately 14% but its a mix I feed to all the beef x dairy bulls inside so its easy just to feed the same straight to the calves. They are all grazing new high clover leys so plenty of protein in the forage and milk imo.

 

[harperfarmer]

we have less cattle than we did and 15% more land to farm, piece of pee and no worse of
each to there own, but I think when land, buildings, time are pushed to the limit there is no money in those last few animals anyway so just as well ease back and have an easy life

Out of interest, feel free not to answer, but is this land owned or rented? It might be none of my business but I think it is a significant factor as to how people approach things differently.

 

[Henarar]

Out of interest, feel free not to answer, but is this land owned or rented? It might be none of my business but I think it is a significant factor as to how people approach things differently.

I farm in partnership and the partnership owns about 5% of the land farmed the rest including the farm is rented or grasskeep

 

[Northeastfarmer]

we have less cattle than we did and 15% more land to farm, piece of pee and no worse of
each to there own, but I think when land, buildings, time are pushed to the limit there is no money in those last few animals anyway so just as well ease back and have an easy life

If you're making a living from doing less work then all is good

 

[Cowcalf]

These calves will be converting at about 4 to 1 so 4 kilos of feed at 80p will convert into 1 kilo of weight worth £2·50

in reality could be a lot cheaper than that with barley, oats and some protein and at 4.5 to 1 ratio has to make sense unless you like looking at them for a long time

 

[TurboCon]

All during the summer what we find works well is to put in one or two higher than normal temporary posts to let the calves in under the wire. We have 3 or 4 day paddocks so the cows are strip grazed 1/3 or 1/4 of the paddock per day.

Start of September then the calves then get a bit of meal (cooked calf starter 18%) in a open feeder to start off, then we move them on to rolled barley (home grown) and a bit of soya (16% ish mix) once they get the taste for it.

The calves then also have access to the best of the grass, after a month the calves really start to motor through the grass. I think they might be eating up to 30% of the cover before the cows get in to mop up the rest. Grass is the cheapest feed of all!

Then coming up to weaning time in the start of October the calves know well whats happening when your walking to the paddock with a bag of meal over your shoulder. While they are eating the meal we drop the temp fence so it's a bit harder for them to get back to the cows. It helps to break the bond.

 

[M-J-G]

@rhuvid

Two biggest calves. 500kg and 495kg respectively. Born late Feb and early March.

View attachment 414968
View attachment 414970

Couple smaller ones. March born. 466kg and 424kg respectively.

View attachment 414972
View attachment 414974
Couple of lims. First one Feb born 469kg. Second one born end of March weighs 396kg.
View attachment 414978
View attachment 414980

Fastest growing bull in the field. Blue x twin born in feb. Weighs 430kg and been doing 2.1kg/day since last weighed in July. His mate is 419kg. But this guy does seem to live in the creep!
View attachment 414984

Good calves, I'm guessing the chars will be hard to beat for selling as stores. It will be an interesting comparison between the types.

 

[M-J-G]

I can see how it works now but when corn is 250/300 a ton will it work ?

perhaps I am just a skinflint, I don't like farming with my chequebook, not much hard feed, no reseeding, not much fert, very low turnover,always thought if you spend it you have to make it back
Perhaps we would be better of as cattle farmers if no corn was fed to cattle ?

There are arguments for and against. If you have limited land or have a rented farm you may have to farm more intensively in order to keep enough stock to justify the time spent on the enterprise.

I know guys in good grass growing areas where they are keeping a cow per acre(including silage). If they are renting land a £100 an acre they can spend the other 100 quid on feed and still be as well off as the guy who keeps a cow over 2 acres. Even if cereals went to £300/T a third of a tonne (£100)will still feed a calf for some time.

Plus if cereals go to 300 quid, there will be quite a demand for beef, due to every price of land that will take a plough being used to for arable production.

Just some thoughts.

Out of interest is barley very expensive in Somerset?

 

[choochter]

Can some kind person help me calculate this...
Got some 17% protein blend and want to mix it with propcorned barley to make a finishing mix.
What proportions should they be mixed at?
I'm not very good at maths.

 

[Henarar]

Out of interest is barley very expensive in Somerset?

not bought any this year yet, I think we paid 120 last year, but it was only a ton for the sheep, we may not bother depending on price and just feed blend at about 180