Feeding suckled calves from now on

[Stockwell]

Got some good Charolais calves out of good Simmental cows, just about to wean now, house the calves and turn the cows away for a couple of months all being well. Calves are on ad lib creep just now. Usually just tick them over winter on a couple of kilos of corn and decent silage, then turn them out for most of the summer before selling as strong stores 550kg.
Going to try selling them straight out of the shed early spring at 10-11 months old. How much should I be feeding them to get them to really motor on and be on good form for selling? Would it be best to keep them going ad lib well into the winter, until they start to eat me out of house and home? Thanks

 

[Top Tip.]

Got some good Charolais calves out of good Simmental cows, just about to wean now, house the calves and turn the cows away for a couple of months all being well. Calves are on ad lib creep just now. Usually just tick them over winter on a couple of kilos of corn and decent silage, then turn them out for most of the summer before selling as strong stores 550kg.
Going to try selling them straight out of the shed early spring at 10-11 months old. How much should I be feeding them to get them to really motor on and be on good form for selling? Would it be best to keep them going ad lib well into the winter, until they start to eat me out of house and home? Thanks

Haud them going you will be well paid for every kilo you put on them.

 

[JSmith]

If they are what you describe probably would make nearly as much now as they are without the expense of keeping them the winter!! Store trades off the clock as we speak

 

[Stockwell]

If they are what you describe probably would make nearly as much now as they are without the expense of keeping them the winter!! Store trades off the clock as we speak

Think il have a go at selling them at 6/7 months old next year but I don’t think I’ve been kind enough this year, only been on creep the last few weeks.

 

[Werzle]

Think il have a go at selling them at 6/7 months old next year but I don’t think I’ve been kind enough this year, only been on creep the last few weeks.

The amount they would eat being left on adlib all winter will be frightening . 2-3kg/ day of a grower type concerntrate and some nice silage will do the job , frame not fat is what you want for spring stores.

 

[rhuvid]

We creep feed spring born calves from June onwards. Sell over half straight off the cow.(next week hopefully). The ones left are crept till weaned. Then just get some up the feed barrier. Store buyers that are going to turn them out for summer, don’t want them on ad-lib as they take a check.

 

[Hfd Cattle]

Seen cattle wintered on concentrates ad lib all winter come out of the shed and into the salering as fat as butter but not enough growth . They make less than ones that are wintered on silage and rationed concentrate which come out of the shed with growth and frame and ready to do very well on grass .

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Store buyers don't like paying for fat they want frame

 

[sheepwise]

Seen cattle wintered on concentrates ad lib all winter come out of the shed and into the salering as fat as butter but not enough growth . They make less than ones that are wintered on silage and rationed concentrate which come out of the shed with growth and frame and ready to do very well on grass .

We refer to those kind of overfed cattle with skins like mice in the spring as boiled. Spend the first part of the summer losing weight before putting any on.

 

[Spartacus]

Think il have a go at selling them at 6/7 months old next year but I don’t think I’ve been kind enough this year, only been on creep the last few weeks.

We sold our charolais calves out of Angus and lim x cows a couple of weeks ago straight off the cow, fed creep for about 5 or 6 weeks before the sale, at most they were on 1kg/hd/ day by the sale, topped at 950 for a January born Bullock and averaged 760 right through for 40 bullocks and heifers. After a winter they would need to average £1000 to pay for the extra work and feed at that imo. Im no help on what to feed them now though!

 

[rhuvid]

We sold our charolais calves out of Angus and lim x cows a couple of weeks ago straight off the cow, fed creep for about 5 or 6 weeks before the sale, at most they were on 1kg/hd/ day by the sale, topped at 950 for a January born Bullock and averaged 760 right through for 40 bullocks and heifers. After a winter they would need to average £1000 to pay for the extra work and feed at that imo. Im no help on what to feed them now though!

What weights you have? Which market?

 

[Spartacus]

What weights you have? Which market?

No idea of weights but they looked like this, 3 lim bullocks as well, they went through skipton.

 

[ISCO]

We calves May onwards and have introduced creep in last month. Will wean and leave on adlib until sale January/march. Charollais calves out of saler. Best feed conversion when young.
In the past we would keep heifers on silage and a couple of kg barley. Last time we did this I was told they were the only proper store cattle in the mart. Problem was they were a very poor trade compared to adlib heifers .
If I was turning heifers out then I would keep on silage and couple of kg barley to get compensatory growth but not to sell.

 

[Werzle]

We calves May onwards and have introduced creep in last month. Will wean and leave on adlib until sale January/march. Charollais calves out of saler. Best feed conversion when young.
In the past we would keep heifers on silage and a couple of kg barley. Last time we did this I was told they were the only proper store cattle in the mart. Problem was they were a very poor trade compared to adlib heifers .
If I was turning heifers out then I would keep on silage and couple of kg barley to get compensatory growth but not to sell.

If you have enough frame they can be fed hard because hfrs can be finished at 13-15 mths but you need to feed them the right feed at the right time.

 

[Werzle]

We sold our charolais calves out of Angus and lim x cows a couple of weeks ago straight off the cow, fed creep for about 5 or 6 weeks before the sale, at most they were on 1kg/hd/ day by the sale, topped at 950 for a January born Bullock and averaged 760 right through for 40 bullocks and heifers. After a winter they would need to average £1000 to pay for the extra work and feed at that imo. Im no help on what to feed them now though!

I wouldnt be happy with a £760 average this yr tbh , closer to £860 would do

 

[Spartacus]

I wouldnt be happy with a £760 average this yr tbh , closer to £860 would do

Luckily I'm not you and I am happy with that as an average for this year I'm working on getting them calving earlier in the year, if I get them where I want them I would expect the average to be up above what I want now though.

 

[digger64]

Got some good Charolais calves out of good Simmental cows, just about to wean now, house the calves and turn the cows away for a couple of months all being well. Calves are on ad lib creep just now. Usually just tick them over winter on a couple of kilos of corn and decent silage, then turn them out for most of the summer before selling as strong stores 550kg.
Going to try selling them straight out of the shed early spring at 10-11 months old. How much should I be feeding them to get them to really motor on and be on good form for selling? Would it be best to keep them going ad lib well into the winter, until they start to eat me out of house and home? Thanks

If you are going to do all that work and input why not just feed them for max growth and just finish them yourself could be ready at 13 - 14 months ?

 

[liammogs]

Remember it's the bit in the middle that pays bills not topping the mart, sell them now while trade is at its best, they might be worth just as much after winter if trade was to take a dive

 

[Happy]

Remember it's the bit in the middle that pays bills not topping the mart, sell them now while trade is at its best, they might be worth just as much after winter if trade was to take a dive

Agree.
Best margin to be made from spring born Char calves out of the Sim cows is selling them now straight of their mothers.
This year even more so.
Nothing beats them for weight for age.

 

[M-J-G]

I'd be hoping Char calves out of Sim cows that are on ad-lib creep would be doing around 1.7 to 1.8kg/day since birth, to me that's the benefit of both breeds.
That cross could be close to finish by a year old if kept going full bore.

If selling store I'd sell them now.