Update on Fritzie the Calf

EGAR

She will be 3 months tomorrow and is thriving!







I am weaning her slowly and she eats grass, ration etc

cotton

She's getting massive!

Love the last photo "hi, what are you? Dunno, what the hell are you?":p

morganafay

She is so cute, I want one

artieanna

What breed is she limousine or simmental... I can never tell the difference...

What was the story with her.... I missed it... could you post a link

As the local farmers would say "aye Shes a nice wan"

joyce2009

wow shes growing fast,,what a beautiful looking calf:D:D..i love the pic of her with the dog,,,very cute:)

Russian Blue

I love the pic with the dog laughing.

EGAR

She's neither, Artieanna. she's a Shorthorn .

There is an older thread here somewhere but I can't find it.

artieanna

I have searched for "calf" threads but can't find any except this one.

Could you give us a quick summary of her story Pleez:o:(;););)

EGAR

Found it: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055908972&highlight=fritzie

artieanna

Egar I have to say you are really brilliant, all the threads I have read here about all the animals you have saved. thank you

I am really disgusted to think that, that farmer couldn't be ar**d to rear that beautiful healthy calf. It makes completly no sense. We have reared calves on the farm here by hand many times over the years. They are a joy to have....

So many farmers breeding cows with hard calving bulls and alot of cases where the cow dies or is seriously injured giving birth. Its the bigger the calf, the bigger profit, its disgusting.

EGAR

In defence of alot of farmers around here (I can't comment on other areas), the land is poor and the face of farming in Ireland has changed massively. Alot of them have to hold part or full time jobs as well as they can't afford to live on farming alone.

I don't know how much Fritzie would be worth now if I took her to the mart but my guess is: not much.

So far she has cost me 3 bags of Wonderthrive Powder at 33 each = 99 Euros, 2 bags of calf creep ration at 8.50 each = 17 Euros. Thats 116 Euros. On top of that 4 square bales of hay at 3 Euro each, that is another 12 Euro.

So thats 128 Euros in feeding alone. Thats not counting my time, the electricity used to heat up bottles up to 5x a day, the diesel to go to the shop to buy her feed etc pp.

Lets say the whole lot comes to 150 Euros. I doubt there would be much profit unless some farmer on here could enlighten me as to the price of a 3 months old heifer calf?

Edited to say: I am sure alot of us have a romantic notion of farming but the bitter reality is that in most cases it's hard work for very little return.

artieanna

I know what you mean small farms like our own are struggling, prices are poor. I think small farmers now have to have another job if they can, because you could not live on the income from the farm alone, no way. If the payments from europe go, small farms of Ireland will be history.

Still I know from our prospective, we couldn't destroy an animal for profit. We have had calves that have cost alot of time and money to rear only to sell them at a loss.

I think farming ethics have hit an all time low when fine healthy animals are destroyed or worse neglected.

I think this old saying says alot:
Wilful waste leads to woeful want

easyeason3

EGAR wrote: »

In defence of alot of farmers around here (I can't comment on other areas), the land is poor and the face of farming in Ireland has changed massively. Alot of them have to hold part or full time jobs as well as they can't afford to live on farming alone.

I don't know how much Fritzie would be worth now if I took her to the mart but my guess is: not much.

So far she has cost me 3 bags of Wonderthrive Powder at 33 each = 99 Euros, 2 bags of calf creep ration at 8.50 each = 17 Euros. Thats 116 Euros. On top of that 4 square bales of hay at 3 Euro each, that is another 12 Euro.

So thats 128 Euros in feeding alone. Thats not counting my time, the electricity used to heat up bottles up to 5x a day, the diesel to go to the shop to buy her feed etc pp.

Lets say the whole lot comes to 150 Euros. I doubt there would be much profit unless some farmer on here could enlighten me as to the price of a 3 months old heifer calf?

Edited to say: I am sure alot of us have a romantic notion of farming but the bitter reality is that in most cases it's hard work for very little return.

To be honest I'm surprised that a farmer left a calf into you because they would either do their best to fatten it or they would be ringing the knackery.
I know of farmers that have pumped money into buying medicine & fodder to keep calves alive in the hope that they willl one day be able to sell them.
The only reason I can think of that they gave away the calf is that they didn't have the time to feed her by hand. The only farmers I know like that are either major cattle dealers or, as you said, working another job at least.
She's a very lucky calf.