Supplementing Sucklers

[steveR]

Wew were having a chat as only an old Married couple can do, about feeding the Sucklers and their calves.

My philosophy has always to feed the early Spring calving Cows who will produce the calves, preferably on grass, and with a minimum of any bought in feedstuffs other than feed/mineral blocks

Like many, we are still down on fodder of any quality after the combo of the Floods followed by the Drought. So the question is, if folks are supplementing, do they feed the cows (silage in this case) or feed the calves in a creep feeder? Calves will be sold off in the Autumn at weaning.

 

[Farmer Fin]

Wew were having a chat as only an old Married couple can do, about feeding the Sucklers and their calves.

My philosophy has always to feed the early Spring calving Cows who will produce the calves, preferably on grass, and with a minimum of any bought in feedstuffs other than feed/mineral blocks

Like many, we are still down on fodder of any quality after the combo of the Floods followed by the Drought. So the question is, if folks are supplementing, do they feed the cows (silage in this case) or feed the calves in a creep feeder? Calves will be sold off in the Autumn at weaning.

Feed the calf. Much more efficient than the cow to feed the calf! Are the cows losing weight?

 

[Hilly]

If you selling spring born calf in autumn creep is a must imo .

 

[Werzle]

Keeping the cows in average condition 365 yrs of the year is best so if they are losing weight i would top them up with abit of silage, it will help them take care of the calves. Creep feeding is expensive if you start too early . I try not to creep until 8-10weeks before weaning in a normal year but could 12weeks this year. Grass is our best and cheapest friend.

 

[steveR]

Feed the calf. Much more efficient than the cow to feed the calf! Are the cows losing weight?

Fat as butter, but getting grumpy, as only old Cows can do...

 

[Werzle]

Fat as butter, but getting grumpy, as only old Cows can do...

If you have got cows that are putting all the goodness into themselves rather than the calves i would cull them!

 

[steveR]

Keeping the cows in average condition 365 yrs of the year is best so if they are losing weight i would top them up with abit of silage, it will help them take care of the calves. Creep feeding is expensive if you start too early . I try not to creep until 8-10weeks before weaning in a normal year but could 12weeks this year. Grass is our best and cheapest friend.

I avoid the post weaning hit, by selling straight off the cow, with the calf having started the drying off process... Totally agree, grass is best! Hope to have some brassicas as well for teh Autumn this time.

 

[steveR]

If you have got cows that are putting all the goodness into themselves rather than the calves i would cull them!

Oh the calves look good... Mostly Hex, we usually top the Market with 70% of them (for the breed!)

 

[steveR]

Mioght gswell get some Blend in 4-5 weeks time and try a couple of big bags...

 

[Hilly]

Mioght gswell get some Blend in 4-5 weeks time and try a couple of big bags...

Try while oats first , takes a while to get them on creep so factor a spare week.

 

[Werzle]

I avoid the post weaning hit, by selling straight off the cow, with the calf having started the drying off process... Totally agree, grass is best! Hope to have some brassicas as well for teh Autumn this time.

Alot do but i dont think its fair on the buyers nowadays, a calf sold straight off the cow, stood all day in market and then stood bawling for a few days rather than eating or drinking has a big chance of problems. If a buyer has a shed full of them he is going to lose a good many and might not be a return buyer

 

[Werzle]

Try while oats first , takes a while to get them on creep so factor a spare week.

Usually willing the buggers into the feeder at the start and willing them out of it towards the end. I have learnt through trial and error to teach mine to eat/lick abit of molassed mix before turnout at 4-8wks old by putting feeders in the calving sheds, they dont forget and are quicker into the feeders in the autumn. Once you get to the stage where the gaps in the feeder gate need to be so wide for big calves that the cows can squeeze in they need selling/weaning.

 

[Hfd Cattle]

My cows have hay or silage available all the time ,the calves have access to creep feed from birth and there is an ad lib liquid feeder . I do ,however , calf all year round so varying age groups of calves all together .

 

[Hilly]

Usually willing the buggers into the feeder at the start and willing them out of it towards the end. I have learnt through trial and error to teach mine to eat/lick abit of molassed mix before turnout at 4-8wks old by putting feeders in the calving sheds, they dont forget and are quicker into the feeders in the autumn

Good idea , keeping the bloody sheep away from
Creeps is my issue, barsteward s .

 

[M-J-G]

If the cows are the type that will milk and grass is declining already I'd give the cows silage, which is going to make keeping the cows very expensive this year, but they need to be kept full and it could delay creep feeding for a few weeks.

If the cows are the type that won't milk I'd just give them straw and creep the calves.

If you use a lot if silage just now, and are in an area where straw is readily available, straw and concentrate often works out cheaper than silage anyway, especially if you are bedding on straw bedding for the winter, so it would be a good silage replacement for the winter, possible even better.

 

[Formatted]

Get different genetics, why feed a suckled calf? You'd be better off feeding a beef x dairy animal you've bought (for half the price you've kept a cow for the year) than creeping a calf

 

[steveR]

Alot do but i dont think its fair on the buyers nowadays, a calf sold straight off the cow, stood all day in market and then stood bawling for a few days rather than eating or drinking has a big chance of problems. If a buyer has a shed full of them he is going to lose a good many and might not be a return buyer

I intend trying the nose clip things this year, to try and reduce the stress levels all round....

If the cows are the type that will milk and grass is declining already I'd give the cows silage, which is going to make keeping the cows very expensive this year, but they need to be kept full and it could delay creep feeding for a few weeks.

If the cows are the type that won't milk I'd just give them straw and creep the calves.

If you use a lot if silage just now, and are in an area where straw is readily available, straw and concentrate often works out cheaper than silage anyway, especially if you are bedding on straw bedding for the winter, so it would be a good silage replacement for the winter, possible even better.

Most of teh cows will keep on milking...

PLenty of straw around here...most years. This time, it will be a different matter. I will be outwinteringI hope until mid Jan, so lots of options to keep the cows. I used to keep the sucklers on straw and fodder beet and they thrived, but the AD plants have allowed the fodder beet prices to creep up. However, word is that there will be cheap stock spuds this winter,
so might be using thjem again.

 

[steveR]

Get different genetics, why feed a suckled calf? You'd be better off feeding a beef x dairy animal you've bought (for half the price you've kept a cow for the year) than creeping a calf

There will be a fair few youngstock back here next year doing this, but we kinda like a few Sucklers about...

Essentially, that is what I have got here. The best cows on the place, some 10 yrs old+ are proper Friesan X Hereford cows. I wish I had more...

 

[steveR]

Usually willing the buggers into the feeder at the start and willing them out of it towards the end. I have learnt through trial and error to teach mine to eat/lick abit of molassed mix before turnout at 4-8wks old by putting feeders in the calving sheds, they dont forget and are quicker into the feeders in the autumn. Once you get to the stage where the gaps in the feeder gate need to be so wide for big calves that the cows can squeeze in they need selling/weaning.

I actually start with liquid molasses feeder for the calves in the creep I have, which encourages them and gets a bit more into them.

 

[M-J-G]

Get different genetics, why feed a suckled calf? You'd be better off feeding a beef x dairy animal you've bought (for half the price you've kept a cow for the year) than creeping a calf

I'm interested in what cost vs calf price do you work on to arrive at half?