Rearing calves on grass

[Jaffa Cakes]

Does anybody on here rear dairy x beef calves on just grass after weaning? If so can you share any details? E.g breeds, sex, age & weight at weaning and performance from just grass?

I'm thinking of running a bit of an experiment next year on about 4 acres of an awkward bit of ground (steep slope) split into about 10 or 12 cells with moves every 2-3 days.


Not sure if this is the right forum as this is my first post! If not please redirect me

 

[onesiedale]

We rear all our dairy replacement calves post weaning on grass only. Similarly, all of our beef calves are sold to a farmer who rears them on grass post weaning - all the way to fattening at 24 months.
Best if you can get in the habit of daily moves.
Portable water trough is essential but worthwhile investment.
Plenty of poly wire and pigtail posts with ½ way clips for a low wire. Only one wire needed, no more than knee high. Good electric needed.
Certainly is the best way to rear calves. ?

 

[Jaffa Cakes]

Thanks, that's reassuring that it can be done. What age do you wean? Do you think calves that had been weaned onto meal before purchase could transition to grass only?

 

[Whitewalker]

I took that experiment a number of years ago . Stopped meal altogether not even while on the milk . They get haylage and silage and mineral drench . Keep them on 12 weeks milk . Maybe a little slower growing but no health issues at all , just try to keep them on quality forage of sorts . Trying to grow the balls to do the same with the cows

 

[Samcowman]

Looking good @onesiedale.
What sort of ley are they on?
How do they grow on it?
How much cake do they get up to weaning and how do you transition them on to grass?
Very interested in this.

 

[onesiedale]

The ley in the picture is nothing special. Just an old pp ley (without clover) that has been abused over the years by a set stocked sheep farmer. We're gradually turning it round now though.
After this paddock they moved onto a reseeded pasture of med term prg and clover. They really grew on this and the pasture responded to them too.?
Regarding weaning. They had adlib cake alongside adlib milk to 10 - 11 weeks then they got turned out. 1 week of fence training and cake (1kg/day), but which they weren't really interested in then just keep them moving on the grass. ? - happy days

 

[Samcowman]

The ley in the picture is nothing special. Just an old pp ley (without clover) that has been abused over the years by a set stocked sheep farmer. We're gradually turning it round now though.
After this paddock they moved onto a reseeded pasture of med term prg and clover. They really grew on this and the pasture responded to them too.?
Regarding weaning. They had adlib cake alongside adlib milk to 10 - 11 weeks then they got turned out. 1 week of fence training and cake (1kg/day), but which they weren't really interested in then just keep them moving on the grass. ? - happy days

Sounds pretty simple. Do you find they are too selective and don’t have the impact bigger animals have or is that sorted by them having daily shifts and keeping them in the right sized cells.
How well do you think it would work with a proper herbal ley?

 

[onesiedale]

Don't find them too selective. Keep them stocked heavy, and keep them moving. With a proper herbal l would think it would be fine.
Best way to find out is just crack on with it.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Yes, we do, our calves are on grass from their first day til their last day

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Thanks, that's reassuring that it can be done. What age do you wean? Do you think calves that had been weaned onto meal before purchase could transition to grass only?

Yes, it's all about rumen development, the cow "is her rumen" really. The calf is not, but the sooner they're exposed to the world the sooner that little rumen starts to work.
We maybe feed 5kg of meal just as a way to keep them "local", so they learn to be part of a group, and don't really give them much powder either.

The emphasis for us is that grass is the mainstay of their diet, milk is the supplement, meal is the supplement. Many calf rearers think that milk is the diet, and then the weaning check is huge

 

[ollie989898]

We rear all our dairy replacement calves post weaning on grass only. Similarly, all of our beef calves are sold to a farmer who rears them on grass post weaning - all the way to fattening at 24 months.
Best if you can get in the habit of daily moves.
Portable water trough is essential but worthwhile investment.
Plenty of poly wire and pigtail posts with ½ way clips for a low wire. Only one wire needed, no more than knee high. Good electric needed.
Certainly is the best way to rear calves. ?
View attachment 886418

I think we need to see some more photos of your farm and the local landscape!

 

[onesiedale]

Here's your farm walk. The picture above, with the calves, is at the top end of the farm, (1100 feet) which today is shrouded in hill fog.
The side of the hill where the R2s are, looks like this;

And the milking platform is land of milk and honey at 700' (taken 25th April)

 

[Jaffa Cakes]

That's quite a spread @onesiedale - very different from the little half acre - two acre "gardens" that I was going to experiment in!

A further question for those with experience, what would be a sensible number of calves to try on my wee 4 acres of fairly average pp? Was thinking of buying them about April and running them till the grass ran out in the autumn. Probably Hereford or Angus x about 8-12 weeks old. Any idea what sort of weight gain is achievable? Is 0.7kg/day a reasonable budget?

 

[Jaffa Cakes]

Yes, it's all about rumen development, the cow "is her rumen" really. The calf is not, but the sooner they're exposed to the world the sooner that little rumen starts to work.
We maybe feed 5kg of meal just as a way to keep them "local", so they learn to be part of a group, and don't really give them much powder either.

The emphasis for us is that grass is the mainstay of their diet, milk is the supplement, meal is the supplement. Many calf rearers think that milk is the diet, and then the weaning check is huge

Thanks Pete, that's useful and again reassuring. What breeds do you work with and what sort of performance do you see from the little ones 3-9months old?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Personally, I'd say your stocking rate depends on your level of inputs, to a fair degree.
If you were prepared to (for example) use lucerne baleage and some meal, some molasses, then the extra energy into the system means you can effectively have 5 or 6 acres "total".
And of course time input, if you're prepared to put in the yards with grazing management rather than just turn 'em loose, also has a big bearing on stocking rate.

That's the Kiwi Pete version of "it depends" ?

 

[Jaffa Cakes]

Personally, I'd say your stocking rate depends on your level of inputs, to a fair degree.
If you were prepared to (for example) use lucerne baleage and some meal, some molasses, then the extra energy into the system means you can effectively have 5 or 6 acres "total".
And of course time input, if you're prepared to put in the yards with grazing management rather than just turn 'em loose, also has a big bearing on stocking rate.

That's the Kiwi Pete version of "it depends" ?

Thanks Pete, aiming for minimal inputs and managing grazing best I can. Have done a bit of strip grazing and loose rotational before but nothing as focused as daily moves. Was thinking of twice weekly shifts and a movable drinker (plastic sheep trough & a couple of lengths of blue pipe). Realise I am highly unlikely to be stocked just right due to all the variables. Would 10 x 3month old sound like a sensible starting point?

 

[Bossfarmer]

can you turn calves out to grass before theyre off the milk and just feed them milk outside? what do you give them to cover for pneumonia?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Thanks Pete, that's useful and again reassuring. What breeds do you work with and what sort of performance do you see from the little ones 3-9months old?

Sorry, mate, missed the alert to this one.

We generally find a hereford x dairy to be a pretty good animal, mainly because they're basically given away down here (dairies love a whiteface sweeper bull to mark the end of AI) and they're not weak.

Generally, they aren't too far behind a cow-fed calf by 9 months, they're weaned quite early (80kg?) and generally 250-280kg by the time we're wondering what to do with them.

 

[onesiedale]

can you turn calves out to grass before theyre off the milk and just feed them milk outside? what do you give them to cover for pneumonia?

We do sometimes feed them milk out in the paddock. However it can be a logistical nightmare getting into the paddock with the milk, it tends to be a two person job.
As for pneumonia in calves outside - it really is not a problem. Once you work with the natural environment, it's amazing how little you come to rely on buying in stuff to solve problems created by 'progressive systems'

 

[som farmer]

if you take, as a basic rule, you get what you pay for, and work around that ! We don't turn calves out till 12 weeks, always use cydectin injectable, covers all worm issues for 180 days, always fly them. For ease of handling, we do feed conc all through, 1/2 kilo, cheap insurance to calve at 23 months. Type of pasture is important, the better the grass, the better the gain. Vaccination for pneumonia etc, haven't for years, as long as your feeding to weaning, and environment is correct, you really shouldn't need them.