Feeding suckled calves from now on

[wellingtonfarmer]

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.

That seems some going- a 60kg calve doing 3% of its body weight a day.

 

[M-J-G]

That seems some going- a 60kg calve doing 3% of its body weight a day.

I'd be hoping they weren't 60kg at birth.

If they aren't doing that kind of gain on ad-lib feed and on a cow I'd question the point of that type of breeding and feeding.

In the past (when I used to push calves) I've had calves crept from day 1 that have averaged over 2kg to weaning

It's not an unreasonable expectation for 1.5kg to 1.6kg to be achieved on good grass with no creep, plenty do it.

I called with a dairy framer recently who is finishing ad-lib dairy x bulls and some of them were killing out over 400kg at around 14 months.
Surely a beef animal should be able to beat that.

 

[Werzle]

Some sucklerbred bulls are over the 400kg dead weight limit at 12mths thats why the NBA wanted the anything under 12mths old classed as veal rule taken away

 

[willie waver]

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!

they were only eating a kg of adlib creep a day? you sure about that?

 

[Spartacus]

they were only eating a kg of adlib creep a day? you sure about that?

Well I took 2 bags of 20kg a day to 45 calves. Some more some less obviously. I never mentioned adlib.

 

[willie waver]

Well I took 2 bags of 20kg a day to 45 calves. Some more some less obviously. I never mentioned adlib.

sorry I assumed adlib when it was a creep feeder

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

I'd be hoping they weren't 60kg at birth.

If they aren't doing that kind of gain on ad-lib feed and on a cow I'd question the point of that type of breeding and feeding.

In the past (when I used to push calves) I've had calves crept from day 1 that have averaged over 2kg to weaning

It's not an unreasonable expectation for 1.5kg to 1.6kg to be achieved on good grass with no creep, plenty do it.

I called with a dairy framer recently who is finishing ad-lib dairy x bulls and some of them were killing out over 400kg at around 14 months.
Surely a beef animal should be able to beat that.

I agree majority of my home grown bulls will be gone before 14 months and be killed circa 400kgs dead

they aren’t doing 1.8kgs from birth until weaning though more like 1.3/1.4. I do wean at 6 months though

 

[Hilly]

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

Charos, pump it into them as hard as you can or they will be a waste o time .

 

[Ashtree]

No idea of weights but they looked like this, 3 lim bullocks as well, they went through skipton. View attachment 916718View attachment 916719View attachment 916720View attachment 916718View attachment 916719View attachment 916720View attachment 916718View attachment 916720

Look lovely framey stores to be honest. Not fed much, but good big frames. Kept going on good silage two kilos grower ration, buyers for grass next April will pay well for them.

 

[M-J-G]

I agree majority of my home grown bulls will be gone before 14 months and be killed circa 400kgs dead

they aren’t doing 1.8kgs from birth until weaning though more like 1.3/1.4. I do wean at 6 months though

I've generally aimed to average 1.5 to 1.6 across all calves with no creep, with 15% being out of 2yo heifers and that's with around 25% BSH in the breeding.

Even those dairy bulls are doing 1.8kg from birth to slaughter and are off milk by 2 months.

I'd be hoping a Char x Sim suckled calf could do that in on ad-lib creep without too much bother.

 

[ilovemilk90]

personally would say bugger the concetrate, either feed brewers grains (if you can get them) or feed them wheatfeed nuts which are much cheaper option for what you are trying to do and make sure you feed a mineral bucket or at least some limestone to make sure they get enough calcium to develop that frame.

 

[sheep&cows&stuff]

I sell all my calves at around 8 - 12 months old - depending on the time of year.

They get 2kg of meal at weaning for 2 weeks to get them onto it - then up to 4kg of meal and 6 weeks before they go to mart i try and get them to 6kg per day each.

Usually wean at 7 or 8 months as calving interval is less than 365 days.

Averaging £810 this year for both heifer and bull weanlings averaging 360kg. Top price for both bulls and heifers has been £895 for a ch bull calf he was 395kg at 10 months old and £890 for a lim heifer calf she was 330kg at 11 months old. Lowest price was £800 for bull calves 330kg at 8 months old and £740 for heifer calves 370kg at a year old.

FYI - my costings show me it costs me £700 per year to keep my cow - so not happy with them averages - trying to improve quality through AI breeding - will be happy when my calves average over £900 for bulls & heifers!

 

[Raider112]

I sell all my calves at around 8 - 12 months old - depending on the time of year.

They get 2kg of meal at weaning for 2 weeks to get them onto it - then up to 4kg of meal and 6 weeks before they go to mart i try and get them to 6kg per day each.

Usually wean at 7 or 8 months as calving interval is less than 365 days.

Averaging £810 this year for both heifer and bull weanlings averaging 360kg. Top price for both bulls and heifers has been £895 for a ch bull calf he was 395kg at 10 months old and £890 for a lim heifer calf she was 330kg at 11 months old. Lowest price was £800 for bull calves 330kg at 8 months old and £740 for heifer calves 370kg at a year old.

FYI - my costings show me it costs me £700 per year to keep my cow - so not happy with them averages - trying to improve quality through AI breeding - will be happy when my calves average over £900 for bulls & heifers!

So is the price of meal that you give the calves on top of the £700?

 

[onthehoof]

FYI - my costings show me it costs me £700 per year to keep my cow - so not happy with them

Would you put your costings on here?
Would be genuinely interested

 

[Werzle]

I sell all my calves at around 8 - 12 months old - depending on the time of year.

They get 2kg of meal at weaning for 2 weeks to get them onto it - then up to 4kg of meal and 6 weeks before they go to mart i try and get them to 6kg per day each.

Usually wean at 7 or 8 months as calving interval is less than 365 days.

Averaging £810 this year for both heifer and bull weanlings averaging 360kg. Top price for both bulls and heifers has been £895 for a ch bull calf he was 395kg at 10 months old and £890 for a lim heifer calf she was 330kg at 11 months old. Lowest price was £800 for bull calves 330kg at 8 months old and £740 for heifer calves 370kg at a year old.

FYI - my costings show me it costs me £700 per year to keep my cow - so not happy with them averages - trying to improve quality through AI breeding - will be happy when my calves average over £900 for bulls & heifers!

I would work on bringing your costs down more than improving your averages. I wouldnt post your costings, theres some odd folks on here who will tear them apart for you or call you a liar.

 

[sheep&cows&stuff]

I would work on bringing your costs down more than improving your averages. I wouldnt post your costings, theres some odd folks on here who will tear them apart for you or call you a liar.

I'm just trying to be helpful. How do you suggest i bring my costs down?
I take conacre - that wont change.
I'm a good feeder - that wont change.
I pay electrc, water, insurance etc - that wont change.
I treat animals when sick - that wont change.

Not being facetious, just dont see how its possible to bring costings down?

 

[sheep&cows&stuff]

So is the price of meal that you give the calves on top of the £700?

No cost of meal per calf is included in the £700 stated per cow.

 

[Werzle]

I'm just trying to be helpful. How do you suggest i bring my costs down?
I take conacre - that wont change.
I'm a good feeder - that wont change.
I pay electrc, water, insurance etc - that wont change.
I treat animals when sick - that wont change.

Not being facetious, just dont see how its possible to bring costings down?

Shorten winters, dont over feed, dont waste feed etc etc. £700 is very high for costs but if your happy you cant improve it fair enough

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

I've generally aimed to average 1.5 to 1.6 across all calves with no creep, with 15% being out of 2yo heifers and that's with around 25% BSH in the breeding.

Even those dairy bulls are doing 1.8kg from birth to slaughter and are off milk by 2 months.

I'd be hoping a Char x Sim suckled calf could do that in on ad-lib creep without too much bother.

340kgs at 200 days for steers and heifers with no creep- fair play, that’s impressive

 

[Chae1]

sorry I assumed adlib when it was a creep feeder

Ad lib. Twice a day!