Time saving ideas for block calvers

[Kiss]

Test it you'll be pleasantly surprised, with a refractometer!

 

[multi power]

What do you feed calves at the start of the block when there's just heifers calving and not much colostrum ?

Just have to make do with hefier colustrom and frozen until a few cows calve

 

[multi power]

I did 4 litres down a tube within a couple of hours born, but rearers complained some weren't hungry for 36 to 48 hrs after that before they could get them to sook. Dropped it to 3 now, but early days.

After that straight onto auto feeder. Batch calved so all same age anyway.

Tried Oad before, where they got 2 litres of double strength milk. Great results from better conc consumption. Not sure why I didn't do it again. I'll start it up again this autumn block for some batches.

If a 20 litre bucket of water needs a pot and a half of powder to make to correct strength, the 10 calve group either got 20 litres waste milk, with a pot and a half powder in it, or 20 litres where with 3 pots in it. Worked grand.

If they get tubed 4 litres don't worry if they don't want to drink for next 24 hours

 

[Ed15677]

Just have to make do with hefier colustrom and frozen until a few cows calve

Cheers that's what we normally do just wondered if any other ideas

 

[lazy farmer]

having tested colustrum there is usually nothing wrong with heifers milk.
also @Clay52 there is no reason for a OAD calf to be bellowing if they are feed properly.OAD feeding to me means whilst feeding them OAD they still have access for at least 18hrs

 

[Clay52]

having tested colustrum there is usually nothing wrong with heifers milk.
also @Clay52 there is no reason for a OAD calf to be bellowing if they are feed properly.OAD feeding to me means whilst feeding them OAD they still have access for at least 18hrs

Are you saying there is enough milk for them for 18 hours before they run out but just topping it up once a day.

If that's the case I like that system and would probably do something like that if I start my own farm but it's not really OAD feeding the way that most people see it.

I also agree. I usually have minimal issues with the quality of heifer colostrum.

 

[Irish NZ]

Many herds in the US are going to feeding calves 3x a day due to better growth rates.

Young calves are the most efficient feed converters. Just look how little feed a 45kg calf requires to grow 1kg a day vs a 500kg heifer or steer to grow 1kg a day. And that doesn't take into account all the benifits of higher growth rates early in life.

We went from feeding 1X to auto calf feeder and the claves grow much better with more constant feed. You don't hear calves bellowing anymore unless something has gone wrong.

I figure if you are going to invest roughly 2 years of time and all that effort and money into replacements you may as well take then effort to feed them well.

@jimmer

 

[Clay52]

@jimmer

You don't like what I said?? Or am I missing an inside joke or something.

 

[lazy farmer]

exactly

Are you saying there is enough milk for them for 18 hours before they run out but just topping it up once a day.

If that's the case I like that system and would probably do something like that if I start my own farm but it's not really OAD feeding the way that most people see it.

I also agree. I usually have minimal issues with the quality of heifer colostrum.

yes

 

[Clay52]

exactly

yes

I like that system for feeding calves. Cheap but very effective.

 

[Dead Rabbits]

We almost treat our calves like finishing cattle when they're babies and feed them like hell. I've always felt that a kilo of growth at the beginning is almost worth 2 later on.

I definitely think this to be true. The first three months of a calves life seem to be the most critical. There has been some horrible horrible advice and guidelines given on calf raising, in this country at least.

 

[Beef farmer]

You don't like what I said?? Or am I missing an inside joke or something.

@jimmer is 3x or is he 4x?

 

[Irish NZ]

You don't like what I said?? Or am I missing an inside joke or something.

Neither. Just pointing out to jim how he is gold standard he is.

We went ad lib start or last year. Never going back. Milk well spent

 

[Beef farmer]

Neither. Just pointing out to jim how he is gold standard he is.

We went ad lib start or last year. Never going back. Milk well spent

How are you doing ad lib when they're in the paddock

 

[Ed15677]

Neither. Just pointing out to jim how he is gold standard he is.

We went ad lib start or last year. Never going back. Milk well spent

Ad lib cold milk ? How do you keep it clean and fresh

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Neither. Just pointing out to jim how he is gold standard he is.

We went ad lib start or last year. Never going back. Milk well spent

Totally agree

 

[Dairyfarmerswife]

I did 4 litres down a tube within a couple of hours born, but rearers complained some weren't hungry for 36 to 48 hrs after that before they could get them to sook. Dropped it to 3 now, but early days.

Going on the 10% of body weight rule 4 litres would be way too much for my little crossbreds - very few over 30kgs, a lot around the 25 kg mark.

 

[multi power]

Going on the 10% of body weight rule 4 litres would be way too much for my little crossbreds - very few over 30kgs, a lot around the 25 kg mark.

Better too much than too little

 

[Kiss]

From my experience you can get away with less if your feeding quality we set the mark at 25 I think ! Our calves only got 2litres this year took bloods to check passive transfer and the vets were saying they hadn't seen better for a long time

 

[sidjon]

Better too much than too little

Too true, we use the 10% rule , but even lightweights will have 15% over two feeds , they do look like there going to pop but our vet is adamant this will pay in the longarden run.