Wagu calf rearing

[Arm93]

I have had a chap visit the farm today trying to encourage me to join their wagu dairy cross calf rearing scheme. Rearing claves on contract to various ages from 3 months all the way to finish. Has anyone had any experience with wagu's or any similar systems that can maybe highlight some of the pros cons and hidden suprise they have found?

 

[BAF]

They drink a lot of beer I think.

 

[sticky]

We’ve been deliberating wether @J 1177 has one in his yard only yesterday.

 

[Pigken]

They are pain in bum, soft, self culling, in my limited experience of them. Would not recommend. Be better buying own calves to rear.

 

[Henarar]

I have had a chap visit the farm today trying to encourage me to join their wagu dairy cross calf rearing scheme. Rearing claves on contract to various ages from 3 months all the way to finish. Has anyone had any experience with wagu's or any similar systems that can maybe highlight some of the pros cons and hidden suprise they have found?

What breed of dairy cows are they coming from?

 

[Ben B]

We did some years ago they made rearing pure breed dairy calves look easy. A friend has some old cows from when he left the industry joins them the wagu bulls reckons the calves are a bit mad. Good money though reckons he is getting $10 per kg at 10 months.

 

[Farmer_1994]

We’re doing a few holstein/wagyu calves a month for freezer beef, have had no issues with them.

 

[Woolless]

The wagyus I've seen at work (slaughterhouse) half been half-finished rubbish, mostly at over 30m. They look like poor AA. Wouldn't be in any hurry to get involved with them on the strength of that TBH

 

[unlacedgecko]

The wagyus I've seen at work (slaughterhouse) half been half-finished rubbish, mostly at over 30m. They look like poor AA. Wouldn't be in any hurry to get involved with them on the strength of that TBH

The pures I've seen in person have been the same. I can't imagine crossing with dairy will have improved them.

 

[HasthorpeGrange]

Will they do similar daily liveweight gains to a first cross angus out of dairy on grazed grass?

 

[Woolless]

The pures I've seen in person have been the same. I can't imagine crossing with dairy will have improved them.

What I can't understand is that the marbling is meant to come in when they're properly finished. But these are fat class 3 at best and they're going for a premium job

 

[Farmer_1994]

Makes you wonder how they are being raised if they look like shite.. not cheap animals to raise for meat by any means. So far we’ve only done a few for our own and employees personal consumption. We raise them the exact same as our heifers to 18 months for simplicity and then 10-12 months on a finishing ration.

 

[HasthorpeGrange]

Makes you wonder how they are being raised if they look like shite.. not cheap animals to raise for meat by any means. So far we’ve only done a few for our own and employees personal consumption. We raise them the exact same as our heifers to 18 months for simplicity and then 10-12 months on a finishing ration.

Must stand at a considerable cost if they are on a finishers ration for that long! What sort of deadweight are you aiming for?

 

[Farmer_1994]

Must stand at a considerable cost if they are on a finishers ration for that long! What sort of deadweight are you aiming for?

Around that 700kg mark, being Holstein/wagyu we figure they can handle it and hence the longer growing and finishing period than an angus/wagyu. Holstein crosses are a fair bit bigger frame from what we’ve experienced. The cost is not cheap but we aren’t going to be targeting that market either if we ever scale past a friends and family basis.