Dairy Calf To Suckler Idea

[sheep&cows&stuff]

Is anyone currently doing the below?


I was thinking of bolstering my suckler turnover / income with a new venture of buying in well-bred Lim x British Friesian or Lim x Flekveigh heifer calves and rearing them from a day / week old. I have worked it out that I can buy and keep them until they calf at 2 year old or 25 / 26 months for approx.. £780 each.


My plan would be to buy 6 x calves every 6 months going forward. There would be no return for the first 2 years but after that I would have 6 to sell every 6 months (all being well) with a calf at foot.


Milk bred heifer with calf at foot will make at least £1000 going as far as £1200.


Assuming they make an average of £1,000 each - £780 cost then each heifer should leave a profit of £220+. Assuming that after 2 years I average 12 a year my profit should be £2640 per year or £50 a week.


£50 a week does not seem like much, but it’s another string to my bow and will increase turnover if I ever wish to borrow for land again.


Obviously there will be the odd loss etc. but that’s life.


If it went well I could increase numbers.


Thoughts please?

 

[Gulli]

We do this, buy in at a month old and rear on, pick the best for the bull and the rest go store.
Having to stop now though as tb compensation rules have changed for bought in animals.
It's meant that we could build up our herd while still selling the good suckler bred calves and less spending on stock bulls etc. In a good position now to breed our own though.

Mortality is what will determine your profit.

Also bear in mind that it's often the tail end dairy cows that are put to beef, so fertility can be a problem, we've been lucky on that front, but you have to know what you're buying.

 

[sheep&cows&stuff]

We do this, buy in at a month old and rear on, pick the best for the bull and the rest go store.
Having to stop now though as tb compensation rules have changed for bought in animals.
It's meant that we could build up our herd while still selling the good suckler bred calves and less spending on stock bulls etc. In a good position now to breed our own though.

Mortality is what will determine your profit.

Also bear in mind that it's often the tail end dairy cows that are put to beef, so fertility can be a problem, we've been lucky on that front, but you have to know what you're buying.

TB compensation rules have changed for bought in animals? How so?

 

[Gulli]

TB compensation rules have changed for bought in animals? How so?

You dont get full rate for bought in animals if they go down with Tb now, 50% or something? Came in in England last year.

For me it's not a massive issue as I'd rather be breeding our own anyway, just a useful way of bringing in milk and outside genetics, but its dads main reason for changing.
We would normally bull between 5 and 15 a year out of 25 ish bought in calves, the bonus of buying in young calves is they've been exposed to all your farm bugs for most of their life, which you wouldn't get with bulling heifers.

 

[sheep&cows&stuff]

You dont get full rate for bought in animals if they go down with Tb now, 50% or something? Came in in England last year.

For me it's not a massive issue as I'd rather be breeding our own anyway, just a useful way of bringing in milk and outside genetics, but its dads main reason for changing.
We would normally bull between 5 and 15 a year out of 25 ish bought in calves, the bonus of buying in young calves is they've been exposed to all your farm bugs for most of their life, which you wouldn't get with bulling heifers.

Ah I am in Northern Ireland so think I am alright..

 

[Dairyfarmerswife]

Ah I am in Northern Ireland so think I am alright..

I think if you sign up to a health scheme for tb (much like the Bvd/ibr/Johnes schemes) you can still get full compensation anyway.

 

[Henarar]

Ah I am in Northern Ireland so think I am alright..

jack

 

[matthew]

You dont get full rate for bought in animals if they go down with Tb now, 50% or something? Came in in England last year.

For me it's not a massive issue.

I believe that 50 percent comp. applies if replacement animals are purchased under license, during a breakdown and subsequently become reactors. It would not apply if they are part of the herd when a breakdown occurs.

 

[Gulli]

I believe that 50 percent comp. applies if replacement animals are purchased under license, during a breakdown and subsequently become reactors. It would not apply if they are part of the herd when a breakdown occurs.

This from defra would agree with you, not what we were told but then we have been shut down in and off for a couple of years.

a 50% reduction in compensation for animals moved into a TB breakdown herd that are subsequently removed as TB reactors (or direct contacts) before the herd regains OTF status.

The 50% reduction in compensation payment does not apply where the herd is registered to a bovine TB health scheme accredited under the Cattle Health Certification Standards (CHeCS), provided that accreditation was gained prior to the herd losing its OTF status.

The 50% reduction in compensation payment also does not apply to Approved Finishing Units (AFU), Licensed Finishing Units (LFU) and TB Isolation Units.

Still worth considering if you are shut down and still running this system.

Like I say it's no bad thing for us to be keeping more homebred replacements

 

[Lazy Eric]

If have decent sorts Will be worth around 1500 an out fit.
Skipton today, the a guy does just what you say above... heifers with calves at foot.. average1825!! If you don’t believe me have a look online sale report.

 

[sheep&cows&stuff]

If have decent sorts Will be worth around 1500 an out fit.
Skipton today, the a guy does just what you say above... heifers with calves at foot.. average1825!! If you don’t believe me have a look online sale report.

holy crap - for dairy bred heifers?

 

[Lazy Eric]

holy crap - for dairy bred heifers?

Yeah dairy bred, buys them as calves, rears them, bulls them and sells with calves at foot . Nice outfits. Limx and bbx cross heifers to a lim bull. All dairy bred. I think the top price was a smudge over 2k.
My trailer came home empty.

 

[Dairyfarmerswife]

Thinking about this thread as I fed my calves this morning.... Be aware that dairy farmers are encouraged to breed Johnes positive animals to beef...

 

[Lazy Eric]

Thinking about this thread as I fed my calves this morning.... Be aware that dairy farmers are encouraged to breed Johnes positive animals to beef...

Yeah I’ve been told that.

 

[Whitewalker]

So if you were officially johnes clear your animal would be in a very strong position. Thanks @sheep&cows&stuff you’ve given me an idea. Thought about this years ago but didn’t follow it up but may look at it again now.

 

[Lazy Eric]

So if you were officially johnes clear your animal would be in a very strong position. Thanks @sheep&cows&stuff you’ve given me an idea. Thought about this years ago but didn’t follow it up but may look at it again now.

I think you will get best prices if you aim to sell around June time. Grass is plentiful, sun is shining and all that... with calves around 2 months old.. keep them clear of the bull so customers can put them back to the bull of their choice.

 

[Weasel]

Thinking about this thread as I fed my calves this morning.... Be aware that dairy farmers are encouraged to breed Johnes positive animals to beef...

Whys that?

 

[Dairyfarmerswife]

Whys that?

Because it's hard to prevent cow to calf spread so ideally replacement heifers are only kept from 'green' Johnes free cows. There is a big push in the dairy industry to reduce and eventually eradicate Johnes.

 

[matthew]

Because it's hard to prevent cow to calf spread so ideally replacement heifers are only kept from 'green' Johnes free cows. There is a big push in the dairy industry to reduce and eventually eradicate Johnes.

And that won’t happen while positive Johnes cattle are alive and breeding beef calves, to pass on the disease.
Any cattle health initiative must include a slaughter policy, to be successful. What’s happening is damn selfish to the beef farmers buying these calves.

 

[johnspeehs]

I do this too but you need to rethink your sums. To buy the type of calf you need and rear it to 2 yrs old £780 won’t go far, I reckon mine cost near that by 12 months. The two problems you will have are finding good enough calves and getting them big enough to sell at 2 yrs old. Small dairy bred hfrs with calves at foot are bad sellers, plenty sub £1000. They will be costing more.
The only advantage is it lets you get numbers up without needing huge amounts of cash as the cost is spread over the 2 yrs.