How soon to turn out 4-6month old calves.

[Headless chicken]

I think I know the answer here but this is the first year that we actually have access to early grazing.
tb testing 14th of feb. Hoping to start with the fert around then. Any issues with getting them out then?
carry on giving them a kilo of cake or let them crack on?

Would like to save some money if we can.
Running 150% Youngstock to production cows is taking a big toll on the bank balance.

 

[flywheel]

Have you bought any fert recently?

 

[Headless chicken]

Have you bought any fert recently?

Will be using humic acid and liquid that I got back last summer

 

[Devon lad]

I’ll have 3 week ones out in 2 weeks time

 

[frederick]

I think I know the answer here but this is the first year that we actually have access to early grazing.
tb testing 14th of feb. Hoping to start with the fert around then. Any issues with getting them out then?
carry on giving them a kilo of cake or let them crack on?

Would like to save some money if we can.
Running 150% Youngstock to production cows is taking a big toll on the bank balance.

Surely your biggest issue is it might be really wet so get them out now as an insurance and bring them back in either when it's wet or you run out of grass and the week of tb testing.

 

[Serup]

Next year....

 

[Headless chicken]

Surely your biggest issue is it might be really wet so get them out now as an insurance and bring them back in either when it's wet or you run out of grass and the week of tb testing.

This is the only spanner in the works they’ll be going to one of the other farms where fetching them in really wouldn’t be very easy

 

[Devon lad]

This is the only spanner in the works they’ll be going to one of the other farms where fetching them in really wouldn’t be very easy

Sling some round bales out to stretch it out a bit whilst it’s dry, graze the wettest paddocks whilst it’s dry, do a budget, build in a contingency and possibly keep your best looking ones in for a bit longer and the rest on grass earlier.

 

[Jdunn55]

@Headless chicken I'm in the same predicament, my tb test is march 1st and think I'll get mine out after that and carry on with a kg of cake until April/may when it should be warmer. Grass is great but they still need to keep growing and don't want to spend too much energy and protein in generating warmth imo

 

[Headless chicken]

Sling some round bales out to stretch it out a bit whilst it’s dry, graze the wettest paddocks whilst it’s dry, do a budget, build in a contingency and possibly keep your best looking ones in for a bit longer and the rest on grass earlier.

interesting why you suggest keeping the best looking ones in? We’d normally look to keep the smaller ones and feed harder but this is the first year we have acces to sensible grass.

 

[Serup]

interesting why you suggest keeping the best looking ones in? We’d normally look to keep the smaller ones and feed harder but this is the first year we have acces to sensible grass.

What is your average calving age? And what is your goal?

 

[Headless chicken]

What is your average calving age? And what is your goal?

We’re block calving so they calve at 24-21 months. Goal is to get a stronger heifer after we had a costly balls up last year.
Need to be 350kg+ preferably closer to 380kg by 15th of November

 

[Devon lad]

interesting why you suggest keeping the best looking ones in? We’d normally look to keep the smaller ones and feed harder but this is the first year we have acces to sensible grass.

I think ryegrass is really underrated as youngstock feed, protein, nutrients, health and financially. I’ve just moved our 12 month olds to grass off kale and I swear they are growing frame every time I see them. I keep them off the valleys until March as it’s always a few degrees less, if it’s warm enough for grass to grow youngstock will do fine. Ours have cake up to 15 weeks then they don’t see it until 24 months In the parlour, they leave the sheds at 3 weeks and return at 22 months.
When we were split block calving our autumn calves used to graze autumn reseeds all winter with cake.