Feeding Sucker Calves

[Old Tip]

So after all the conflab on the cost of breeding and feeding sucker calves I thought I would ask what folk actually fed these beasts.
I am a simple man from the hills and rear as much as I can on grass and haylage with as little use of concentrates/grain as possible. I tend to over winter my calves then run them on pasture and sell at 18/14 months old.
I've been doing this for a number of years and am happy with what I get, for what I breed and rear on my simple system.
But my son sees these boys getting the same for a 7/8 month old calf that I am getting for something twice it's age. I've tried to explain the economics and sleepless nights to him but to no avail.
I have bent a little and we have been creep feeding the calves this autumn for the first time in many years, I guess I will then have to feed a good level of concentrate once they come in or will lose the flesh I've gained when I wean. Be keen to know what levels others feed at on medium quality haylage, as I amprobably feeding half as much as I should in theory.
So my friends, what do you feed these balls of steaming muscle to get them to that size at that age. What sort of percentage sold to cows served, and what do you guys that buy these beasts do with them.
What do you fed them ?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

As my dad always says....it’s cheaper to make them grow when they are young than when they are old

 

[Sharpy]

Ours are getting acess to a well bedded creep area, this refuge from other calves mothers is I feel very important. They have acess to good quality haylage, which will change to June silage about mid November once they are clipped and dosed. They also get approx 3lb of a 16% protein cake in two feeds. This will go up to 4lb soon then taper down till turnout for those that remain.
The best will be 400kg at 10 months old, the worst 250kg. And a rat at barely 200kg. The difference I think is partially milk, partially dam breed and size. Kg of calf versus kg of cow is not always in line.
Remember that feed conversion efficiency drops from birth and the bigger they are at a younger age the more cheap silage they can eat and the lower the cost per kilo gained.
We would expect 95% of cows in calf.

 

[GTB]

All our calves get adlib beef grower nuts for the first winter both spring and autumn born. Feed conversion rates far better for young cattle than older.

 

[digger64]

All our calves get adlib beef grower nuts for the first winter both spring and autumn born. Feed conversion rates far better for young cattle than older.

Heifers and steers the same ?

 

[GTB]

Heifers and steers the same ?

Unfortunately yes. Ideally would like to treat the heifers differently but can't.

 

[digger64]

Unfortunately yes. Ideally would like to treat the heifers differently but can't.

Have been putting alot thought into this lately , ideally I would like to make a safe home mix but lower energy to feed heifers adlib + bale silage to save labour and time bagging feeding twice daily as a bit spread out sort of a complete diet without a keenan but my feed advisor doesn't seem to understand what I'm trying to achieve I guess better silage would be the answer but cant seem to perfect that , does it work ?

 

[Samcowman]

We don't creep any of ours. Then once weaned they are onto silage and about 2 kgs barley each depending on silage analysis. Turned out next summer most paddock grazed as best I can depending on the block they are in. Houses some this year end of July the rest beginning of September and onto finishing ration of silage, barley and urea.
First ones have gone this month the oldest of them Feb 2016 born youngest April 2016. These are Angus x but also have blonde x and fleckvieh x but they won't start going until next month.

 

[Nearly]

Simple here.
Jan onwards born calves lead the cows around the grazing from June.
Home grown rolled barley in creep, hoping to get most of feed from grass.
Taking 6 bullocks to mart tomorrow as first draw of stores. We have buyers ringing up asking when we're starting selling.
Should be keeping 60 cows rather than just 30. Drop 30 acres of arable and build another cow shed, but then will need to buy straw.

 

[reverand]

So after all the conflab on the cost of breeding and feeding sucker calves I thought I would ask what folk actually fed these beasts.
I am a simple man from the hills and rear as much as I can on grass and haylage with as little use of concentrates/grain as possible. I tend to over winter my calves then run them on pasture and sell at 18/14 months old.
I've been doing this for a number of years and am happy with what I get, for what I breed and rear on my simple system.
But my son sees these boys getting the same for a 7/8 month old calf that I am getting for something twice it's age. I've tried to explain the economics and sleepless nights to him but to no avail.
I have bent a little and we have been creep feeding the calves this autumn for the first time in many years, I guess I will then have to feed a good level of concentrate once they come in or will lose the flesh I've gained when I wean. Be keen to know what levels others feed at on medium quality haylage, as I amprobably feeding half as much as I should in theory.
So my friends, what do you feed these balls of steaming muscle to get them to that size at that age. What sort of percentage sold to cows served, and what do you guys that buy these beasts do with them.
What do you fed them ?

Have you seen any difference in the calves since creeping? What weights are they when you sell them usually?

 

[hendrebc]

Not quite so simple as feeding them more to get more for them if you have sheep too though. Im happy with mediocre growth from my cattle because i can keep them out for 2 summers (i fatten mine when they come in for their second winter) cattle grazing with the sheep have lots of benefits with worms for lambs and eating longer stuff the sheep wont eat and all the muck they make. If you sell them earlier them you lose these benefits. I could feed mine more to get rid of them so they dont go out after their first winter but th sheep amd grass would suffer if i did even if then i did make more money from the cattle by getting rid of them earlier. Its quite hard to work out which would leave you better off idont think an accountant can do it they wouldnt factor in how.much better the sheep and the farm as a whole does with more cattle on it. Selling calves younger for the same money might not leave you any better off in the long run. You could potentially keep more cows to replace the stores you dont have to keep of course. I dont want to do that because of tb though so mine are kept cheaply on the poorer grass sheep wont eat and mediocre haylage. They do get barley wholecrop with a protein powder on it until thenbales are all gone but i will be stopping that as soon as im out of glastir.

 

[Kevtherev]

Are you aiming to sell as stores or in the fat earlier?

 

[GTB]

Have been putting alot thought into this lately , ideally I would like to make a safe home mix but lower energy to feed heifers adlib + bale silage to save labour and time bagging feeding twice daily as a bit spread out sort of a complete diet without a keenan but my feed advisor doesn't seem to understand what I'm trying to achieve I guess better silage would be the answer but cant seem to perfect that , does it work ?

Our Hereford x heifers are mostly destined for breeding and if I had space to separate them I'm not sure I'd give them much creep at all as they tend to get very fat. The steers benefit hugely from creep feeding.

 

[digger64]

We don't creep any of ours. Then once weaned they are onto silage and about 2 kgs barley each depending on silage analysis. Turned out next summer most paddock grazed as best I can depending on the block they are in. Houses some this year end of July the rest beginning of September and onto finishing ration of silage, barley and urea.
First ones have gone this month the oldest of them Feb 2016 born youngest April 2016. These are Angus x but also have blonde x and fleckvieh x but they won't start going until next month.

What sort of weight are they finishing at ?

 

[Old Tip]

Are you aiming to sell as stores or in the fat earlier?

Stores, but have land that can only put cattle on so will put them out again in the spring and start selling as stores in Augest

 

[cozzie]

Im thinking of just feeding mine maize distillers for the winter along with silage or out doors, thinking of 1.5kgs day, for 10month of sucklers and bucket calves, will it be okay?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Always a queue here...

 

[Nearly]

Always a queue here...
View attachment 591346

All together now, lift and walk.
Charge

 

[choochter]

As an aside, does anyone have any DLWG figures for calves in the first months of life? i.e. first month, second month, third month?
what should they be gaining?

 

[Samcowman]

What sort of weight are they finishing at ?

Had 7 go Monday. 2 steers were the first we had sent this autumn (the earlier group were all heifers) averaged 322 dw one r4 the other r+4. The 5 heifers which went averaged 295 dw with 2 r-4 and 3 o+4 one was 4+. These were the first steers so pretty angusy types whereas in a fortnight I have 8 more going which will all be around 380 dw