1st Calf

wiggy123

First calf of the new season born a Saturday..
all well, pedigree angus heifer calf..
another 8 cows to go just! (all pedigree animals)

how is your calving season going?
from reports i hear--all is going well on suckler herds anyway!

whelan1

well done :D what bull she from is is a nice calf ?

wiggy123

thanks...few due next week...
hmm whelan1 ..shes from a stock bull--think a Bagatelle sired bull, was incalf when i got her..shes a 00 model of a cow,gd breeding in her! wanted a heifer-to breed on!
big calf..as shes a small cow, am happy!
have cows to calve due to PTJ, KBJ, MTL, BJP, RHG, NKN

whelan1

you have enough of a mix in there

wiggy123

thats me plan..to cover all options..haha
also..i think Ai is great--as different bulls suit different cows!
See PG are selling http://www.gouldinggenetics.com Angus bulls this year, was told they have to be pre paided....are expensive a little, great breeding though!

so might try these next year,on a few cows...

reilig

Well done. Calving season is going well with me.

Got my first pedigree calf ever just before christmas. I bought 2 pedigree limousin heifers 2 years ago as weinlings. Got a fine bull calf. The cow is off Neurf and the bull was Millbrook Tanco. He's over 2 months old now and a mighty calf. Don't know if he will make a bull, but sure he'll sell very well as a weinling anyway.

On the Commercial side I calve about 15 in Autumn. All went well, no losses thank god. Calves are all over 10 weeks at the moment and are starting to eat creep.

Have 35 in the spring herd. First one calved last wednesday. Should have all calved down by the end of April with the exception of my other pedigree heifer who isn't due until early May.

wiggy123

very good reilig, best of luck with them...

Bitten & Hisses

reilig wrote: »

Got my first pedigree calf ever just before christmas. I bought 2 pedigree limousin heifers 2 years ago as weinlings. Got a fine bull calf. The cow is off Neurf and the bull was Millbrook Tanco. He's over 2 months old now and a mighty calf. Don't know if he will make a bull, but sure he'll sell very well as a weinling anyway.

That's a nice combination there. You should have excellent docility and on paper he would be a bull to use for breeding replacements.

reilig

Bitten & Hisses wrote: »

That's a nice combination there. You should have excellent docility and on paper he would be a bull to use for breeding replacements.

I don't know an awful lot about the breeding in them. I have always kept a Chaorlais Bull, used Limousin AI on the better cows with the hope of getting heifers for replacements. In the flesh, he's a fine animal - way ahead of the calves that are a month or 2 older than him. He has nice straight legs and good muscle. I didn't know what he would be like on paper.

Its really only a hobby. Although I got a third pedigree heifer as a wedding present during the summer. She is off Rocky and just gone in calf to Milbrook Tanco too.

I'll have a good idea if my bull is suitable for show and sale by October. If he is, I'll start him on the Showbiz Turbo for 12 to 16 weeks and have him for the February or March Sale (2011) in Carrick on Shannon.

It's still only a hobby and I would never expect to make any money out of it - which I'm sure I won't.

massey woman

Reilig
Fair play to you if you can succesfully manage +50 cows as a hobby and calve all live calves
How do you do it
Maybe I am confusing hobby with off farm income/part time
I think you have a potential best seller here
Tell us all !

reilig

I meant The 3 pedigree heifers are my hobby. The 50 cows are tough going along side a full time job, although my hours are short enough, but even in retirement the old man can keep an eye on things so its not too bad. Would love to farm full time, but financially it would not work. Maybe in the future I will..... when we have the mortgage paid

massey woman wrote: »

Reilig
Fair play to you if you can succesfully manage +50 cows as a hobby and calve all live calves
How do you do it
Maybe I am confusing hobby with off farm income/part time
I think you have a potential best seller here
Tell us all !

vanderbadger

reilig wrote: »

I meant The 3 pedigree heifers are my hobby. The 50 cows are tough going along side a full time job, although my hours are short enough, but even in retirement the old man can keep an eye on things so its not too bad. Would love to farm full time, but financially it would not work. Maybe in the future I will..... when we have the mortgage paid

snap, would love to give the job the elbow as well but couldnt do it, 50 is a lot surely, have about 25 myself, 8 calved so far and all going well, I too had my first pedigree calf, hiefer back in Oct, would like another 1 or 2 pedigree maybe but as you say kinda just for a something a bit different. Changed bull last year and kept 4 of my own 2 years old heifers, 2 have calved to new bull and another one is nearly there, have a few 2 years heifers again this year and think I will keep a good few of them and put in calf, they are out of cf52 bull and arent bad and are nice and quiet so they should be ok breeding stock, was thinking if a lad could produce nice enough heifers to that age and put in calf to nice easy calver they should make ok money?? anyone else do this kinda thing

wiggy123

suppose..might make money in it
cost maybe a lot to get them there though,what age at..calving at 30mths?bull at 20mths no??
want to be getting €1500 min to €2k tops i'd think-to make money on them!

BeeDI

vanderbadger wrote: »

snap, would love to give the job the elbow as well but couldnt do it, 50 is a lot surely, have about 25 myself, 8 calved so far and all going well, I too had my first pedigree calf, hiefer back in Oct, would like another 1 or 2 pedigree maybe but as you say kinda just for a something a bit different. Changed bull last year and kept 4 of my own 2 years old heifers, 2 have calved to new bull and another one is nearly there, have a few 2 years heifers again this year and think I will keep a good few of them and put in calf, they are out of cf52 bull and arent bad and are nice and quiet so they should be ok breeding stock, was thinking if a lad could produce nice enough heifers to that age and put in calf to nice easy calver they should make ok money?? anyone else do this kinda thing

Yes, I have dabbled in keeping replacement heifers. Try to keep 5. Biggest problem I have is getting them in calf to AI for easy calving purposes. With working off farm and nobody at home during the day, it's hard to pick them up reliably when they are bulling. As often as not I end up running them with my stock charolais bull. Haven't had any calving problems so far.
As often as not, I end up calving all the heifers. I keep the best 2:P, and sell the other 3 with calves at foot. Generally calving at 30 / 33 months. Good strong heifers to be fair. Average selling price over last 3 years €1450. Low as €950. High as €1675.
9 cows calved this year. 8 heifer calves :cool:. Looks like I could be keeping a few extra this year.

pakalasa

Vanderbadger,

I'de be careful with CF52 heifers. CF52's heifers are known to be poor for milk and fertility. I 've heard this more than once. His figures for this in www.icbf.com show this too.
Maybe somebody else could shed some light on this too.

I culled a charolais cow last year, a fine big cow but not a drop of milk.

BeeDI

pakalasa wrote: »

Vanderbadger,

I'de be careful with CF52 heifers. CF52's heifers are known to be poor for milk and fertility. I 've heard this more than once. His figures for this in www.icbf.com show this too.
Maybe somebody else could shed some light on this too.

I culled a charolais cow last year, a fine big cow but not a drop of milk.

Yes, I believe you are correct. That said, I saw a 4 second calver cow recently out of CF52. She seemed to have plenty of milk, and calf in great shape.

I have a good few white charolais cows, probably 7/8 bred at this stage. Home bred from shorthorn stock originally. One or two of them wouldn't have an awfull lot of milk, BUT, seem to do a mighty job on the calves. Every bit as good as a few real good milky Limousines I have.

vanderbadger

ya so far so good anyway, the first 2 i kept have calved and while they dont look over milky their calves seem to be doing well, suppose you would get a better idea ina few more months

massey woman

reilig wrote: »

I meant The 3 pedigree heifers are my hobby. The 50 cows are tough going along side a full time job, although my hours are short enough, but even in retirement the old man can keep an eye on things so its not too bad. Would love to farm full time, but financially it would not work. Maybe in the future I will..... when we have the mortgage paid

REILIG
I was thinking of you this morning at 5.30 when I eventually delivered a CH bull calf having been up from 3.30 to a second calver who just wasnt able to get him out on her own
The worst thing about it was the fact that I had a 2 hour drive to work for a meeting at 8.00
Anyone living in the NW can tell you it was freezing and had snowed earlier
I envied your efficency but feel better now that alls well and hopefully by the time the calf is ready to meet his maker the powers that be will have secured a decent price for our endeavours
Is that too much to expect

wiggy123

2nd calf yesterday morning @ 7 bells-she calved on the slats in with other cows..6 days early!
calf still weak, was a shivering wreck when seen, disaster! it had moved pens,to other cattle--luckily they didn't attack her...
I lay in bed an hr longer than should have..:-)
joys of farming, i give him some coloustrum +a hot whiskey..shes a wee bit livelier when see her this morning-before i went to work...think its suckling..i hope so!

Indubitable

reilig wrote: »

I don't know an awful lot about the breeding in them. I have always kept a Chaorlais Bull, used Limousin AI on the better cows with the hope of getting heifers for replacements. In the flesh, he's a fine animal - way ahead of the calves that are a month or 2 older than him. He has nice straight legs and good muscle. I didn't know what he would be like on paper.

Its really only a hobby. Although I got a third pedigree heifer as a wedding present during the summer. She is off Rocky and just gone in calf to Milbrook Tanco too.

I'll have a good idea if my bull is suitable for show and sale by October. If he is, I'll start him on the Showbiz Turbo for 12 to 16 weeks and have him for the February or March Sale (2011) in Carrick on Shannon.

It's still only a hobby and I would never expect to make any money out of it - which I'm sure I won't.

I always had a soft spot for limousins and purebred cattle. I don't know why.

I heard SIX is supposed to be a very good bull for herd replacements. The calves turn framed cows. Heard he is one of the harder calved bulls though

whelan1

wiggy123 wrote: »

2nd calf yesterday morning @ 7 bells-she calved on the slats in with other cows..6 days early!
calf still weak, was a shivering wreck when seen, disaster! it had moved pens,to other cattle--luckily they didn't attack her...
I lay in bed an hr longer than should have..:-)
joys of farming, i give him some coloustrum +a hot whiskey..shes a wee bit livelier when see her this morning-before i went to work...think its suckling..i hope so!

we use a gel called dallophlyne (spelling is wrong 0 you but it on the calves tongue and it gives them a lift , unfortunately this has been taken off the market - when i heard this i got all my vets stock of it - think dopram drops are similar

vanderbadger

whelan1 wrote: »

we use a gel called dallophlyne (spelling is wrong 0 you but it on the calves tongue and it gives them a lift , unfortunately this has been taken off the market - when i heard this i got all my vets stock of it - think dopram drops are similar

i sometimes tube a bit of volostrum into slow calves, find it good to give them a lift and get them on their feet, new bull this year, breeding nice calves but terribly sluggish calves, v slow to get up and suck.

wiggy123

have 5 calves out of 5 so far--all going well..
4 female+ 1 male..only thing i am finding is the cows are calving,about 5-7 days before there date..accordding to AI date-on 280 days, if you get me drift!
also-calves slow to drink, unlike the angus breed...
but are lively..
contemplating letting some out the weekend, oldness calf is 3 weeks a Saturday...have no grass,but will feed them meal+silage out...
as shed is gettin full, another 2 cows due next week and 2 the week after..then thats my spring calving over!

whelan1

are they getting mineral s and are they cleaning ok , we too have 5 angus heifers and 1 bull so far

wiggy123

yep--there cleaning ok,and throwing the calves easily...
they have,minerals that lifeline lick bucket with them since b4 xmas..
i have them on slats-the cows,and they've all calved on them--i know,bad!but thats what i'm saying-there all calving before there due dates...is mad..
as i have an area for them to calve on-straw area-would hold maybe 2 cows...
so naturally i'm coming across the calves cold,disaster!
i live about 5 miles from sheds...and i do work in dublin
ah well--going well so far--5 cows calved with 5 calves...

Rant over

I have an angus heifer from ur dads bull PTJ whelan1...nice calf,long!
Calves so far,
1 heifer-a stock bull (by lawsonford bagattelle)
1 heifer-PTJ
1 heifer-a small squirt,by a young bull-an accident!
1 bull-MTL
1 heifer-Jetta...

whelan1

slats not good , we take them off the slats about 10 days before due daye and they go to a straw bedded shed where they can go out to field if they like - had the slats experience before and its not good , are the cows springing up ok? any ptj or jetta calves we had always went a good bit over their time

BeeDI

wiggy123 wrote: »

yep--there cleaning ok,and throwing the calves easily...
they have,minerals that lifeline lick bucket with them since b4 xmas..
i have them on slats-the cows,and they've all calved on them--i know,bad!but thats what i'm saying-there all calving before there due dates...is mad..
as i have an area for them to calve on-straw area-would hold maybe 2 cows...
so naturally i'm coming across the calves cold,disaster!
i live about 5 miles from sheds...and i do work in dublin
ah well--going well so far--5 cows calved with 5 calves...

Rant over

I have an angus heifer from ur dads bull PTJ whelan1...nice calf,long!
Calves so far,
1 heifer-a stock bull (by lawsonford bagattelle)
1 heifer-PTJ
1 heifer-a small squirt,by a young bull-an accident!
1 bull-MTL
1 heifer-Jetta...

Before time or not, you should have a good idea 24 hours to 12 hours before they actually calve that they are about to do it!!
Personally once any cow is even remotely near time up, I make a point of walking into the slatted pen, every morning and evening when they eating the meal at the feed barrier. Size them all up. Check pin bones, etc. You will have a thorough knowledge of each cow if you do this, and will definitely pick up on pre calving changes in the cow. Well at least 95% of the time.

B

wiggy123

not fully springing up--they have milk now mid you!
well all my calves, even the PTJ/Jetta calves were early!
2 cows due next monday..am panicing not.as loose area in shed is full,with 2 cows+calves(yesterdays)
i only rent these sheds...2 slatted sheds-with 3 pens in each...

wiggy123

beedi...i do check them at 5:30(fed silage) in the morning--then head to work,and recheck them when home, around 6 in the evening...
there is one cow--a 00 model has calved this 5 years in a row on the slats...she will either calf earlier than due date...somtimes up over a week..
i wouldn't be a great judge on that--the pins down..bad i know..am calving cows 10 years only..haha!

i do look out for uneasiness/blood/symtons maybe!

whelan1

MY DAD RECKONS THAT ALOT OF THE NUTRIENTS ETC WHERE washed away last year from the ground and that the cows need alot more than usual ours where going mad for one type of bucket we couldnt keep them with them so we changed and things are better , our calves wouldnt be massive either this year but these are the first calves out of our new bull

wiggy123

aleast there alive,is the main thing!
what breeding is the that bull whelan1?

whelan1

bought him from frank mc kiernan last year , he goes back to a great stock bull in the cavan are moynehall ulick and on the dams side sunset acres bang is there so there should be good size in the calves

wiggy123

ah right--sorry you told me that before..
good breeding in him so..is he big?has he got power/nice head!

If you were ai'ing angus females this year,i'd recommend MTL (minit of liss) PG have him,i have a great bull from him last year-1 prob,not be big enough.is well compact! same cow had a bull calf again ytday...its john mc enroes bull,talking to him-last year!he said he was a nice bull--but to use on big cows..naturally enough my cow-is average size!

will try him this year on one of my rather bigger cows!

Plan to use a few new bulls this year that PG have..
spread them over the cows...more variety..haha!

wiggy123

calf number 6 last night--4 days earlier--like most of my cows this year!
all going good for me...6 calves from 6 cows..
5 heifers+1 bulls...prefer more bulls(as there pedigree angus)bulls sell better..ah well--a live calf is good...

Quick question--planning on letting some out 2mrrw,(maybe the older calves-which are 3-2 weeks old) gd or bad idea??...not much grass for them out...no fert out yet! plan to get Urea out next week,if temp rises!
here's hoping...it does...
plan was to feed them baled silage+meal(maybe flake maize or barley just)till grass appearrs!
making a hut at mo--for calves to lye in..old oil tank-cut in half,and done with inch+half piping...about 5ft high..will close off sides,plywood, and put straw in it for them...

whelan1

shud be ok .... just a quick question what brand of mineral lick are you using for precalvers , ours can go in and out as they like as we have a shed in the field

wiggy123

lifeline bucket..does me!

can the cows go into that shed whelan1?

BeeDI

wiggy123 wrote: »

calf number 6 last night--4 days earlier--like most of my cows this year!
all going good for me...6 calves from 6 cows..
5 heifers+1 bulls...prefer more bulls(as there pedigree angus)bulls sell better..ah well--a live calf is good...

Quick question--planning on letting some out 2mrrw,(maybe the older calves-which are 3-2 weeks old) gd or bad idea??...not much grass for them out...no fert out yet! plan to get Urea out next week,if temp rises!
here's hoping...it does...
plan was to feed them baled silage+meal(maybe flake maize or barley just)till grass appearrs!
making a hut at mo--for calves to lye in..old oil tank-cut in half,and done with inch+half piping...about 5ft high..will close off sides,plywood, and put straw in it for them...

Congrats on calf number six. The more I read on this forum about the way people treat their cattle, the more I think I must be a totally dark ages farmer:eek: You worry about letting out young calves, and if / when you do, you make a hut for them etc,!! Me, well cow calves. I make damn sure I know about it before hand, and keep an eye on proceedings to ensure all is ok. Next day, calf is tagged, and occasionally polled using my stash of caustic. Sometimes that may be 3 weeks later, due to calf producing buds later. In any case, cow and calf go out to the silage ground at 2 or 3 days after calf is born. A bit later if I expect a bad night. No huts, no oil barrels, no pampering whatsoever. Absolutely never. Cows fed silage and nuts. When first calves getting to 3 weeks I start to put a dash of starter crunch in the creep feeder.
I mentioned on another thread that I never yet fed mineral licks to cows, and cows have not suffered any negative side effects. Others on here think I damn lucky to get away without minerals etc,.
And so on. I have simple slat house with no creep area. Total purchase of straw per year is 3 round bales. Just for calving shed at calving time.
Calves born Feb / early March. Sold first week November. Average bullock weight 390kg. Avg heifer weight 300kg. I still do not make a whole pile of profit before the SFP.
I now ask myself, would I get bigger output and and sales revenue, if I were more modern in my approach. Cows and calves housed longer with the attending costs. Mineral licks. Rakes of straw. Danger of scour in housed calves.
I'm not saying my way is the right way. I'm just wondering how far wrong I am going

adne

BeeDI wrote: »

Congrats on calf number six. The more I read on this forum about the way people treat their cattle, the more I think I must be a totally dark ages farmer:eek: You worry about letting out young calves, and if / when you do, you make a hut for them etc,!! Me, well cow calves. I make damn sure I know about it before hand, and keep an eye on proceedings to ensure all is ok. Next day, calf is tagged, and occasionally polled using my stash of caustic. Sometimes that may be 3 weeks later, due to calf producing buds later. In any case, cow and calf go out to the silage ground at 2 or 3 days after calf is born. A bit later if I expect a bad night. No huts, no oil barrels, no pampering whatsoever. Absolutely never. Cows fed silage and nuts. When first calves getting to 3 weeks I start to put a dash of starter crunch in the creep feeder.
I mentioned on another thread that I never yet fed mineral licks to cows, and cows have not suffered any negative side effects. Others on here think I damn lucky to get away without minerals etc,.
And so on. I have simple slat house with no creep area. Total purchase of straw per year is 3 round bales. Just for calving shed at calving time.
Calves born Feb / early March. Sold first week November. Average bullock weight 390kg. Avg heifer weight 300kg. I still do not make a whole pile of profit before the SFP.
I now ask myself, would I get bigger output and and sales revenue, if I were more modern in my approach. Cows and calves housed longer with the attending costs. Mineral licks. Rakes of straw. Danger of scour in housed calves.
I'm not saying my way is the right way. I'm just wondering how far wrong I am going

each and everyone to their own...... What works for one man may not work for another man.....
There are a lot of variables that dictate how a farmer should approach things.....

wiggy123

i'd be same other years..once they calf..out after a few days..but this year--with it being -5 some nights..mayb calves would want a bit of warmth
some years-- i calf outside..cleaner--for mum+calf!
also i offer pre calver lick buckets-about 2 mths b4 calving..i might just go through 3 buckets in told..so no huge expenses!
i will inject cows with trodax + pour on, before letting cows out..and that be it--till back end of summer--b4 dosed/injected all goin well..might have a odd thin cow...needs more attention during th summer!

I think this year,spring has ben the worst in years..
its dry but cold on animals

reilig

I don't think you're doing anything wrong at all. Its a very cost effective way of keeping cattle. As was said earlier, the meal that you feed probably contains all the minerals that your cattle need.

I too tend to sell some of my weinlings in late october or november and I have about the same average weight, but the ones I sell are born from September to December leaving them 11 to 12 months old when I'm selling them. How do you get them to that weight so fast??? You must feed a world of creep meal?? I feed a lot of creep to mine and use forward feeding grass creep gates to always have the calves on the best grass ahead of the cows.

If you can have them at that weight in such a short time, then your system is better than 95% of suckler farmers in the country. What breeds of cows do you have and what type of bull are you using? I have mostly Limousin x cows and I use a stock bull that's off CF52.

If you're getting your average weights to that in such a short period of time, then you have to be making a reasonable bit of profit?? Your animals should be prime targets for export buyers? The younger and heavier the better for those guys. Although prices weren't that great last november, anything that was suitable for export made a reasonable price.

Anyway, well done with it and keep it up!!

BeeDI wrote: »

Congrats on calf number six. The more I read on this forum about the way people treat their cattle, the more I think I must be a totally dark ages farmer:eek: You worry about letting out young calves, and if / when you do, you make a hut for them etc,!! Me, well cow calves. I make damn sure I know about it before hand, and keep an eye on proceedings to ensure all is ok. Next day, calf is tagged, and occasionally polled using my stash of caustic. Sometimes that may be 3 weeks later, due to calf producing buds later. In any case, cow and calf go out to the silage ground at 2 or 3 days after calf is born. A bit later if I expect a bad night. No huts, no oil barrels, no pampering whatsoever. Absolutely never. Cows fed silage and nuts. When first calves getting to 3 weeks I start to put a dash of starter crunch in the creep feeder.
I mentioned on another thread that I never yet fed mineral licks to cows, and cows have not suffered any negative side effects. Others on here think I damn lucky to get away without minerals etc,.
And so on. I have simple slat house with no creep area. Total purchase of straw per year is 3 round bales. Just for calving shed at calving time.
Calves born Feb / early March. Sold first week November. Average bullock weight 390kg. Avg heifer weight 300kg. I still do not make a whole pile of profit before the SFP.
I now ask myself, would I get bigger output and and sales revenue, if I were more modern in my approach. Cows and calves housed longer with the attending costs. Mineral licks. Rakes of straw. Danger of scour in housed calves.
I'm not saying my way is the right way. I'm just wondering how far wrong I am going

westlander

reilig wrote: »

I don't think you're doing anything wrong at all. Its a very cost effective way of keeping cattle. As was said earlier, the meal that you feed probably contains all the minerals that your cattle need.

I too tend to sell some of my weinlings in late october or november and I have about the same average weight, but the ones I sell are born from September to December leaving them 11 to 12 months old when I'm selling them. How do you get them to that weight so fast??? You must feed a world of creep meal?? I feed a lot of creep to mine and use forward feeding grass creep gates to always have the calves on the best grass ahead of the cows.

If you can have them at that weight in such a short time, then your system is better than 95% of suckler farmers in the country. What breeds of cows do you have and what type of bull are you using? I have mostly Limousin x cows and I use a stock bull that's off CF52.

If you're getting your average weights to that in such a short period of time, then you have to be making a reasonable bit of profit?? Your animals should be prime targets for export buyers? The younger and heavier the better for those guys. Although prices weren't that great last november, anything that was suitable for export made a reasonable price.

Anyway, well done with it and keep it up!!

Not sure if its the right way or wrong way but we usually keep our cattle for 2-3 yrs and then send them to the factory. We never bother with the mart. I know you have to keep an eye on mart prices/factory prices..but I often wonder are we better off trying the mart and maybe selling them there instead of waiting for the factory!

whelan1

just back after letting 2 cows and calves out , great to see the calves legging it up the field , yes wiggy cows and calves can come in to the shed , going to introduce the creep feeder next week , we changed from the lifeline buckets as they where going through them like nobodies business

wiggy123

to true--they do eat them fast...the buckets...
also have salt licks with them

is a great sight, what makes farming worthwhile...
what age the calves?
it a slatted/or dry bedding shed whelan1

what age u start creep feeding at?
i must mayb do same this year..normally only introduce meal in august ish...
was told before by a pedigree charloais man--than a handful of ration from day 1 to a calf..is better than lbs of it--come august/september before and after weaning...

whelan1

we put in the creep feeder around 3 weeks they get calf starter in it , its a straw bedded shed , along the motorway , we using immuboost buckets now better minerals in them

wiggy123

never heard of them now...
ah right..do you give them much--increase as get bigger! what would they be getting each by weaning time..a kg a day?
shed not get dirty easily..say they make use of it--at night

whelan1

no this is a big 3 link shed that they can go in and out as they like , we move them on to calf grower and then a beef ration

wiggy123

costly...does it pay

reilig

westlander wrote: »

Not sure if its the right way or wrong way but we usually keep our cattle for 2-3 yrs and then send them to the factory. We never bother with the mart. I know you have to keep an eye on mart prices/factory prices..but I often wonder are we better off trying the mart and maybe selling them there instead of waiting for the factory!

Sure its impossible to say. If you can make money by keeping cattle that long and putting them into the factory, then stay at it. We did it at home for several years but weren't able to turn a profit from it. I am making a small bit of profit at what I'm doing, but the emphasis is on small.

Maybe just to give you an example:

A 450kg bull calf that's 12 months old and sold in November for €850.
What does he cost: AI = €30, Feed for cow €100, meal for him €100, Vet Fees €50, Fertilizer & other expenses €100. (approx €400 + my time).

If I keep him for a second year and he reaches 650Kg, my extra costs will be:
Meal = €100, Silage €100, Vet = €50, fertilizer = €100, Misc = €100 Total = €50 + my time)

That's €850 in costs for the 2 years.
What would he be worth in the factory at current prices?? I doubt if he would make €1200. If he did I'd have €350 in profit / as pay for my time.

But if I sold him after year 1, I'd have €450 in profit and only half the time spent on him.

whelan1

the shed is 30 years old and the meal is alot cheaper this year than other years

wiggy123

true..meal is cheap this year--for the time being anway!