Restricions on calves?

[Rossymons]

They don't really exist any more. I don't think I know anyone using conventional semen in a block calving situation any more.

My workload doubles or triples at certain times of the year serving block herds. All of it is sexed dairy.

 

[cull cows]

What breed?

Some jerseys and cross bred bulls and a few Hereford out of jerseys

 

[DairyGrazing]

You just lose a year and they’re not all world beaters! It also means I never breed off the 10% that don’t live up to expectations. AI is not an option as all the heifers are served outside away from the steading, just a suggestion, works well here and keeps the heifer rearing simple. Let bull in, look over the fence once a day, job done.

Exactly, I try and buy older genetics in bulk for 1/2 of the price of latest genetics.

 

[TheRanger]

Yeah and Tesco turn round and said they didn't want any beef from B&W animals.

Hypocritical!

Maybe those on the TSDG should be made to milk Aberdeen Angus for their 32ppl

 

[dinderleat]

Exactly, I try and buy older genetics in bulk for 1/2 of the price of latest genetics.

Each to their own but there is more difference in value added to using the latest genetics than using the older genetics. It’s probably the best investment on farm

 

[Sandpit Farm]

We only dip our toe in the water with sexed I’m to scared to loose the fertility, we are reducing our dairy ai service period

It’s Tb that would Knacker us not the finding the calves suitable homes

Would it change things if you had an isolation unit? They would take everything regardless of TB status. You just share the hit on it.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

I was in a abattoir a couple of weeks ago and there was 35 calves all 8-12 weeks of a Arla farm...the farm was under Tb though so a bit different

And that's where I think Arla have got it wrong. I think there should be exemptions for things outside your control such as tb restrictions.

 

[Old apprentice]

BCMS

Can bcms give information out to any one who asks when an animal is slautered?

 

[farmer on a bike]

Can all and sundry access that? They shouldn't be able to.

If you have a BCMS login you can put any tag number into BCMS and it will tell you its life history, try it with one pictured on the internet. That is how the animal rights have caught out farmers keeping calves in hutches to an older age than they should because they use BCMS to check the age.

In Arla's situation it is being checked at audits, I think only Arla 360 farmers have given Arla access to BCMS

 

[Old apprentice]

Every body wants to know all farmers are doing not right to be honest.

 

[Princess Pooper]

Do you not then feel it is perhaps the responsibility of the vendor to keep said calves until any time limits imposed by his/ her milk buyer has elapsed?

but the additional cost of TB testing to move them can just kill any profit that was there - and they may not have the housing which after all, for block calvers, may only be needed for say 12-15 weeks of the year. If they are being sold at 5 weeks to someone who is buying them in the full knowledge they need to be reared beyond 8 weeks, why bring extra costs into the system?

 

[dinderleat]

If you have a BCMS login you can put any tag number into BCMS and it will tell you its life history, try it with one pictured on the internet. That is how the animal rights have caught out farmers keeping calves in hutches to an older age than they should because they use BCMS to check the age.

In Arla's situation it is being checked at audits, I think only Arla 360 farmers have given Arla access to BCMS

All farmers have given the access as it part of Arla garden.

 

[dinderleat]

but the additional cost of TB testing to move them can just kill any profit that was there - and they may not have the housing which after all, for block calvers, may only be needed for say 12-15 weeks of the year. If they are being sold at 5 weeks to someone who is buying them in the full knowledge they need to be reared beyond 8 weeks, why bring extra costs into the system?

Because it protects and adds value to Arla’s brands which means Arla can pay its farmers a higher milk price.

 

[dinderleat]

Don’t forget a large proportion of Arla farmers actually already rear all their calves through to stores or fat, or sell to rearers as calves.

 

[farmer on a bike]

All farmers have given the access as it part of Arla garden.

OK, I stand corrected, my faulty memory

 

[Princess Pooper]

Keep less cows then. Calves shouldn’t be seen as a mere by product of being a dairy farm.

We've only got 85. How many do you suggest we drop down to? We sell all our calves through market at present at 5 weeks, good strong healthy calves which sometimes top the market and we are usually mentioned in despatches. But we still get the odd black and white bull (yes we use sexed semen) and even an noccasional AAX heifer, that has been reared to 5 weeks, just the same as the others, up to 10l/day, no illness, and goes for £50 and sadly we see on BCMS they are dead the next day - gone for processing. Last year, this was the fate of 2 bulls and the next week we sold 2 more in identical fashion, same size etc and they made £120 and £150 and were reared on. We don't see them as a by product, they are an important part of our income and we take pride in rearing them.

 

[Princess Pooper]

Because it protects and adds value to Arla’s brands which means Arla can pay its farmers a higher milk price.

but it is still an inefficiency in the beef supply chain and as an industry, we are all told we have to be more efficient!

 

[DairyGrazing]

We've only got 85. How many do you suggest we drop down to? We sell all our calves through market at present at 5 weeks, good strong healthy calves which sometimes top the market and we are usually mentioned in despatches. But we still get the odd black and white bull (yes we use sexed semen) and even an noccasional AAX heifer, that has been reared to 5 weeks, just the same as the others, up to 10l/day, no illness, and goes for £50 and sadly we see on BCMS they are dead the next day - gone for processing. Last year, this was the fate of 2 bulls and the next week we sold 2 more in identical fashion, same size etc and they made £120 and £150 and were reared on.

Write synulox on the passport even if it has never been treated. Gives it a 42 day reprieve at least. Would be a good trick for twins, free martins etc


Not that I ever used to do it...........

 

[DRC]

We've only got 85. How many do you suggest we drop down to? We sell all our calves through market at present at 5 weeks, good strong healthy calves which sometimes top the market and we are usually mentioned in despatches. But we still get the odd black and white bull (yes we use sexed semen) and even an noccasional AAX heifer, that has been reared to 5 weeks, just the same as the others, up to 10l/day, no illness, and goes for £50 and sadly we see on BCMS they are dead the next day - gone for processing. Last year, this was the fate of 2 bulls and the next week we sold 2 more in identical fashion, same size etc and they made £120 and £150 and were reared on. We don't see them as a by product, they are an important part of our income and we take pride in rearing them.

Can’t you keep the few that you suspect will be shot the next day

 

[DairyGrazing]

Don’t forget a large proportion of Arla farmers actually already rear all their calves through to stores or fat, or sell to rearers as calves.

That's okay until they drop the nitrogen limit from 250 to 170 and you haven't got the opportunity to export manure anywhere. You then have a tricky decision to make.