Spring 2020..... 1.5m Dairy calves.... discuss.

straight

mahoney_j wrote: »

Trade way better than some thought ,no point rearing fr calf for 5/6 weeks and expecting any sort decent price sell at 2 weeks and just take what u get and cut losses

I have them from 5 weeks to newborn. Was just hoping to get rid of them in 2 or 3 rounds instead of being out every day with then wasting more time with them. Was at the mart the other day and it was pretty pad. Alot of calves for under 20 euro.

K.G.

mahoney_j wrote: »

Trade way better than some thought ,no point rearing fr calf for 5/6 weeks and expecting any sort decent price sell at 2 weeks and just take what u get and cut losses

Which ever way u go the value is zero unless you hit it lucky and some poor sod takes a fancy to you calves and goes mad after them.i assume milk value 10e a week.
2 week old 20 euro -zero euro but no risk and no extra work.
Keep for 4 or 5 weeks.yeah get more in the ring and you can act the big man but 50 euro of milk 20 euro of straw and high risks with large numbers in shed and maybe a couple calves at home not looking so hot and all that work for nothing..either way your fr bull value is zero and probaly dear at that for the beef man.

straight

K.G. wrote: »

Which ever way u go the value is zero unless you hit it lucky and some poor sod takes a fancy to you calves and goes mad after them.i assume milk value 10e a week.
2 week old 20 euro -zero euro but no risk and no extra work.
Keep for 4 or 5 weeks.yeah get more in the ring and you can act the big man but 50 euro of milk 20 euro of straw and high risks with large numbers in shed and maybe a couple calves at home not looking so hot and all that work for nothing..either way your fr bull value is zero and probaly dear at that for the beef man.

But the beef man will pay 500 euro for one a year old. I don't understand

Say my name

mahoney_j wrote: »

Trade way better than some thought ,no point rearing fr calf for 5/6 weeks and expecting any sort decent price sell at 2 weeks and just take what u get and cut losses

It's this thinking that's ruining the calf market and destroying our reputation as a source for quality well reared calves.
Last year and this year it's really apparent of the mindset of certain farmers dumping underfed and badly bred young bull calves in the marts. And I don't care who I offend but there's a trend in that these are the 70 cow plus herds and it gets proportionally worse the higher the cow numbers.
A bit of pride and compassion has to come back or else I hope to God these farmers are slapped in the head with a call from the welfare orgs. It can't be all about money.
Lots of farmers need to cop on and see there's another picture that's being told about what they're doing.

If you're going to put your cow in calf there has to be a thought about the beef value of that calf if it does happen to be a bull.
What goes on in other countries where farmers happened to train in won't wash here.

Siamsa Sessions

straight wrote: »

But the beef man will pay 500 euro for one a year old. I don't understand

You’re right. Also hard to see the sense in paying €300-500 for coloured calves too. Talking to a dairy neighbour this evening and he has it from the local mart manager that CHx bull calves are north of €400 at the moment

mahoney_j

Say my name wrote: »

It's this thinking that's ruining the calf market and destroying our reputation as a source for quality well reared calves.
Last year and this year it's really apparent of the mindset of certain farmers dumping underfed and badly bred young bull calves in the marts. And I don't care who I offend but there's a trend in that these are the 70 cow plus herds and it gets proportionally worse the higher the cow numbers.
A bit of pride and compassion has to come back or else I hope to God these farmers are slapped in the head with a call from the welfare orgs. It can't be all about money.
Lots of farmers need to cop on and see there's another picture that's being told about what they're doing.

If you're going to put your cow in calf there has to be a thought about the beef value of that calf if it does happen to be a bull.
What goes on in other countries where farmers happened to train in won't wash here.

That’s the reality ,our compact spring calving system puts huge pressure on calf prices this time of year ,throw in ****e weather where calves can’t be exported and gets worse .i still stand over selling calves for whatever u can get at 2 week old ,goes without saying they should always get enough beastings at birth and fed same as u would your heifers up to sale day .

Say my name

mahoney_j wrote: »

That’s the reality ,our compact spring calving system puts huge pressure on calf prices this time of year ,throw in ****e weather where calves can’t be exported and gets worse .i still stand over selling calves for whatever u can get at 2 week old ,goes without saying they should always get enough beastings at birth and fed same as u would your heifers up to sale day .

Go to the Mart though and it's absolutely shocking to see these calves selling for €5.
And your right about the exporting. If there's a backlog. They won't get a bid in the Mart.
Farmers are too quick to blame all other factors than between their own two ears.
Breed a calf that there's a demand for and even if times get tough and there's bad weather and no sailings, your calf will still sell.
Otherwise I hope a farmer has the land and facilities to rear that calf as they may very well have to do that.

Out in New Zealand they are throwing in some montbeliarde, Normande, British Freisian and Fleicvieh into the mix after their revulsion of the footage being shown of Bobby calves on national television a few years back.
We always seem to be five to ten years behind what occurs there. So maybe the penny might eventually drop here re what needs to happen here.

Austria have the right idea with their flecks. Then being the top of the most carbon efficient in dairying in Europe to boot.

johnnyw20

I don’t know why lads are paying north of €400 for CHX bulls and north of €300 for heifers because I brought 2 CHX heifers to the mart yesterday that we’re just turned a year old weighing 355kg and they were only bid to €580. I took them home with me. I have €210 for them as 3 week old calves

K.G.

Say my name wrote: »

It's this thinking that's ruining the calf market and destroying our reputation as a source for quality well reared calves.
Last year and this year it's really apparent of the mindset of certain farmers dumping underfed and badly bred young bull calves in the marts. And I don't care who I offend but there's a trend in that these are the 70 cow plus herds and it gets proportionally worse the higher the cow numbers.
A bit of pride and compassion has to come back or else I hope to God these farmers are slapped in the head with a call from the welfare orgs. It can't be all about money.
Lots of farmers need to cop on and see there's another picture that's being told about what they're doing.

If you're going to put your cow in calf there has to be a thought about the beef value of that calf if it does happen to be a bull.
What goes on in other countries where farmers happened to train in won't wash here.

Underfed calves have now become a self solving problem. Calves like that areattracting no bids so have to go home again.from what i can see guys will have to do the job right otherwse they ll be stuck with them. I have one calf that that got sick.might have to rear him as no one will buy him

whelan2

K.G. wrote: »

Underfed calves have now become a self solving problem. Calves like that areattracting no bids so have to go home again.from what i can see guys will have to do the job right otherwse they ll be stuck with them. I have one calf that that got sick.might have to rear him as no one will buy him

Put him on a cow.

jaymla627

Say my name wrote: »

Go to the Mart though and it's absolutely shocking to see these calves selling for €5.
And your right about the exporting. If there's a backlog. They won't get a bid in the Mart.
Farmers are too quick to blame all other factors than between their own two ears.
Breed a calf that there's a demand for and even if times get tough and there's bad weather and no sailings, your calf will still sell.
Otherwise I hope a farmer has the land and facilities to rear that calf as they may very well have to do that.

Out in New Zealand they are throwing in some montbeliarde, Normande, British Freisian and Fleicvieh into the mix after their revulsion of the footage being shown of Bobby calves on national television a few years back.
We always seem to be five to ten years behind what occurs there. So maybe the penny might eventually drop here re what needs to happen here.

Austria have the right idea with their flecks. Then being the top of the most carbon efficient in dairying in Europe to boot.

Offloaded 15 fleck heifer weanlings for beef here today, the state of the bags on my 1st cross flecks calving down resembling glorified goats made my mind up, the only heifers worth keeping are of more extreme 10k plus high type Holsteins, their a car-crash milkwise and type wise of the more commercial type smaller cows I have

Mooooo

jaymla627 wrote: »

Offloaded 15 fleck heifer weanlings for beef here today, the state of the bags on my 1st cross flecks calving down resembling glorified goats made my mind up, the only heifers worth keeping are of more extreme 10k plus high type Holsteins, their a car-crash milkwise and type wise of the more commercial type smaller cows I have

Have 3 second calvers milking here first cross. Black and white in colour will milk as well as any fr but not better, the one that may is because of her mother's breeding. Have 3 heifers of a different bull that have a bit of colour, not so confident in their milk potential and their calves still make no more than a normal fr. Not worth it tbh

Say my name

Mooooo wrote: »

Have 3 second calvers milking here first cross. Black and white in colour will milk as well as any fr but not better, the one that may is because of her mother's breeding. Have 3 heifers of a different bull that have a bit of colour, not so confident in their milk potential and their calves still make no more than a normal fr. Not worth it tbh

You'll get the hybrid vigour in extra fertility.

If you have a whitehead bull calf with a back it'll sell a lot better than the majority of freisians.
I have a Monty x still milking away at 15 years of age never missed a spring calving since 2 years of age.

Albert Johnson

johnnyw20 wrote: »

I don’t know why lads are paying north of €400 for CHX bulls and north of €300 for heifers because I brought 2 CHX heifers to the mart yesterday that we’re just turned a year old weighing 355kg and they were only bid to €580. I took them home with me. I have €210 for them as 3 week old calves

I don't understand the logic behind giving that money for continental sucks especially given you'd buy nice weanlings off the cow for circa €600-€700 in the back end. As for the 2 heifer's you mentioned I'm thinking either they were very average quality (doubtful given there reasonable weight for age) or it was a slack trade because locally anything half decent in continental weanlings is €2 a kg and upwards.

Bass Reeves

A few very good videos on agriland.ie on calf rearing. Well worth a watch for any lad rearing calves

johnnyw20

Albert Johnson wrote: »

I don't understand the logic behind giving that money for continental sucks especially given you'd buy nice weanlings off the cow for circa €600-€700 in the back end. As for the 2 heifer's you mentioned I'm thinking either they were very average quality (doubtful given there reasonable weight for age) or it was a slack trade because locally anything half decent in continental weanlings is €2 a kg and upwards.

I was last lot Into the ring and there was absolutely no one there to buy them. Only 4 dealers around the ring. No farmers present. They are good scopey heifers. I’ll throw up a pic in a while

Siamsa Sessions

Bass Reeves wrote: »

A few very good videos on agriland.ie on calf rearing. Well worth a watch for any lad rearing calves

Must have a look later: https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/tag/calf-health-management-series/

straight

The FR bull calf market is the worst yet. What are the options regarding keeping onto them. I don't have enough land for them but could I leave them in a slatted unit and feed them silage. Sell them at 12 months our of the shed?

Grueller

I can see marts closing in the next week or two. Calves will be a serious problem then on many farms.

GrasstoMilk

straight wrote: »

The FR bull calf market is the worst yet. What are the options regarding keeping onto them. I don't have enough land for them but could I leave them in a slatted unit and feed them silage. Sell them at 12 months our of the shed?

You could but I would say they'll cost you every bit of the money you'll get for them at 12 months old. You'd be better off taking what ever you could get now

GrasstoMilk

Grueller wrote: »

I can see marts closing in the next week or two. Calves will be a serious problem then on many farms.

6 fr bulls left here. Onto beef now and we're keeping those till 12 month olds

3 the square

Grueller wrote: »

I can see marts closing in the next week or two. Calves will be a serious problem then on many farms.

Could calves be sold out of the farm yard ??

Siamsa Sessions

3 the square wrote: »

Could calves be sold out of the farm yard ??

Officially or unofficially?

straight

3 the square wrote: »

Could calves be sold out of the farm yard ??

Ya, they'll pick out the best of them and give you 40 euro if your lucky. After costing you at least 200 euro at that stage.

3 the square

Awful amount of calves on dd this spring

wrangler

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Officially or unofficially?

There's no ban on farm sales pending.

DukeCaboom

wrangler wrote: »

There's no ban on farm sales pending.

I remember in 2001 we'd to get a permit to move cattle from the yard to take them out to grass.

When the marts reopened up there was a pile of fr runners in marts, father for the first time in his life bought a good few to draw the punching... Theyre still paying there way its funny how lucky they turned out.

Bass Reeves

Some frightening stasticd from the FI today. So far this year there had been 50k extra dairy calf's registered, 15K extra suckler's calves registered. So far exports are down by 33k and expected to be down 50-60k before year's end. 120k extra beef cattle in the system for 2022 compared to this year.

Dozer1

Saw that alright,
but surly if one hopes there will be an end to restrictions in 2021 and there will be a huge amount of global sporting occasions on will there not be an unprecedented demand.

the eternal optimist in me thinks there will have to be at some stage.

Grueller

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Some frightening stasticd from the FI today. So far this year there had been 50k extra dairy calf's registered, 15K extra suckler's calves registered. So far exports are down by 33k and expected to be down 50-60k before year's end. 120k extra beef cattle in the system for 2022 compared to this year.

The 15k sucklers I would think are down to lads doing a combination of things. Autumn calving sucklers are dying out fast around here so lads are carrying a few extra spring calvers. The Autumn calvers will die altogether imo when lads exit the bdgp scheme this fall and a lot of cows will go on the hook. Also as lads are tightening up suckler numbers they are getting rid of late calvers so that may even out as the next 2 months or so pass.