outwinter 4 month old calves?

[Bossfarmer]

i bought in lim x dairy calves off the milk at 2 months old, ive got them outside just now but the weathers terrible will these calves harden up if i leave them out over winter and feed a barley/protein mix plus silage or should i bring them in? ive only an old byre to use for them the main sheds full, they wont poach the ground like cows do

 

[nails]

i bought in lim x dairy calves off the milk at 2 months old, ive got them outside just now but the weathers terrible will these calves harden up if i leave them out over winter and feed a barley/protein mix plus silage or should i bring them in? ive only an old byre to use for them the main sheds full, they wont poach the ground like cows do

If they have somewhere dry and sheltered to lie they will be o.k, but if they are just stood up in mud wind and rain,No. My neighbour used to run young cattle out all winter but they had the run of a small wood for shelter..If you have shed space i would bring them in .

 

[FIL46]

If you are adding them to your stock next year then its do able with lots of feed but they wont thrive that well , if you are trying to fatten them waste of time. or just sell now and have less hassle

 

[Agrivator]

They will need shelter and about 15% more feed than they would need if housed. And in addition, they will need more feed to account for the extra wastage which will occur outside in dirty conditions.

And you might spend far more time and fuel feeding them outside.

 

[Bossfarmer]

im tempted to bring them in, or put u straw bales 2 high up fence side for shelter

 

[milkloss]

Personally I wouldn’t have animals like that outside for very long at all.

 

[PaulNix]

Bring them in, unless it comes dry they won't do anything but just about exist.

 

[Fergieman]

Bring them in.

 

[Guiggs]

Can you not just "build" a staw yard?
Stack straw bales around 3 sides and leave an open front area for them to feed in, plenty of straw in the area surrounded with bales. Cheap, sheltered from the worst weather, air flow....
Underrated way of wintering cattle and lambing ewes in my opinion.

 

[farmerste]

too young to thrive outside,especially in wet weather. Fetch them in

 

[Bossfarmer]

Can you not just "build" a staw yard?
Stack straw bales around 3 sides and leave an open front area for them to feed in, plenty of straw in the area surrounded with bales. Cheap, sheltered from the worst weather, air flow....
Underrated way of wintering cattle and lambing ewes in my opinion.

thought of that theyd still get wet though?

 

[Guiggs]

thought of that theyd still get wet though?

Yeah but if they are out of the driving rain and cold wind I think they would be ok, so long as they have a full belly/ constant food supply, you could always put a top cover over a section using some roof sheets or an equivalent. Constant wet/ drafty conditions are the killer, as you know a bit of rain itself won't harm them!

 

[egbert]

Dairy x? I'd have thought they'd be best under cover.

If they've got to be out.....depends on your rainfall and how much shelter you can give em.
You're on the right side of the country I suppose.

How many?
A handful you could find shelter for without too much grief. 50...maybe not.

I reckoned housing weaned hill calves was costing me circa £180/head, and the feed was a smaller % of that.
Cost of the building, and bedding and labour rack up.
Mind, in 90" of rainfall, I seldom ask youngstock to stand out in it....I've got sheep to do that.

 

[Bossfarmer]

Dairy x? I'd have thought they'd be best under cover.

If they've got to be out.....depends on your rainfall and how much shelter you can give em.
You're on the right side of the country I suppose.

How many?
A handful you could find shelter for without too much grief. 50...maybe not.

I reckoned housing weaned hill calves was costing me circa £180/head, and the feed was a smaller % of that.
Cost of the building, and bedding and labour rack up.
Mind, in 90" of rainfall, I seldom ask youngstock to stand out in it....I've got sheep to do that.

25, we get about 40" of rain here

 

[HarryB97]

Definitley bring them in by the time you cost in the extra meal and silage they will require to put on a reasonable amount of weight it'll be very un cost affective

 

[egbert]

25, we get about 40" of rain here

40" isn't so bad, although I'm guessing you'd consistently be 2-3 degrees colder than me through the winter months.
Dairy X would surely make heavier going of it than pure bred native beef - which is what I'd have.
(mind, they'd be used to living independently, and looking for the bucket....whereas a lot of mine are weaned straight off hill ground barely knowing what hay is.)

They'd certainly be happier in, although in the world order maybe it's an interesting financial equation.
If they're merely held back, and make up for it in spring....
Dunno mate.
I think it's a gamble too far for me...imagine the effects of a desperate winter, which we could have again whatever the CO2 does.
If you can get them some kind of shelter, and pour grub into them, it's still only a maybe from me.

 

[Woolless]

Does anyone on here outwinter summer/autumn born suckled calves outside on their mothers?

 

[Bossfarmer]

Does anyone on here outwinter summer/autumn born suckled calves outside on their mothers?

a good question

 

[egbert]

Does anyone on here outwinter summer/autumn born suckled calves outside on their mothers?

I often do odd few.
One group nov born we run at a round feeder, with a calf creep right handy by.
Works a treat when it works - drop a few sweeties into creep when you take round bales to mums. Calves got somewhere dry to get out of weather.
But.... we often get 2-3 calves go wrong in the group.
I'm pretty sure the problem is them drinking crappy puddles beside feeder, rather than walk the length of the field to a drinking trough.

Elsewhere, if it's later in winter, I've had plenty of newborns -somehow magically appearing out of season- among Galloways.
They trot round behind dams without issue, s'long as they learn to keep away from feeders.

 

[Woolless]

I often do odd few.
One group nov born we run at a round feeder, with a calf creep right handy by.
Works a treat when it works - drop a few sweeties into creep when you take round bales to mums. Calves got somewhere dry to get out of weather.
But.... we often get 2-3 calves go wrong in the group.
I'm pretty sure the problem is them drinking crappy puddles beside feeder, rather than walk the length of the field to a drinking trough.

Elsewhere, if it's later in winter, I've had plenty of newborns -somehow magically appearing out of season- among Galloways.
They trot round behind dams without issue, s'long as they learn to keep away from feeders.

I don't know if you, or anyone else, has read 'Grass-fed Cattle' by Julius Ruchels (spelling?). He makes a compelling case for calving mid-summer and so bulling in the autumn, running calves with their mothers over the winter. Calves are weaned on to spring grass, which also gives the cows a chance to put on condition.

Some of the organic/PFLA/grass-fed calves I've seen advertised look pretty poor in the spring, having presumably been wintered on fodder alone. Wintering on their mother would give them a bit of protein in the milk, which those calves may lack.