Calf to beef thread

No matter what breed they are, you still have to feed them. Like my own, have the steps fallen off of this lads tractor

I finish nearly everything off grass. So most cattle are slaughtered at 28-30 months. Some go over the 30 months. There is always a couple that end up finished out of the shed most would probably be over 30 months.

Will the better ones leave a higher margin I am not sure. Never bought expensive cattle. Up to this year I started buying early summer. I always find the earlier an animal is in the earlier off grass he is slaughtered and the bigger the margin.

In total we bought 11 of those light Friesians (I picked up 4 one day as well slightly heavier) with mart fees etc they probably cost around 2800 euro. If I bought 11 fancy 300 kg CHx I probably be parting with the bones of 9k+. Now I probably will not pick up as cheap in the next few weeks.

Usually when I was buying before Christmas I had a target of 2/kg for light coloured cattle ( He/AA), 1.5/kg for FR and 2.2 for nicer sucklers

If you can manage to keep your wintering costs sub a euro a day and gain 500+ grams a day( most of these sort of cattle will have a bit of it)

Taking it you can not get until April 1st assuming that they are onntge farm 100 days yours costs Inc dosing should be 100 euro( I be 20-30 less than that).

Take those light Friesians @220 euro and they weighted badly at 150kgs they be probably 220/230 kgs April 1sr costing me 300 euro. 70-80 euro will be grazing costs next summer and assuming they do 230 kgs at grass they be 450 at housing next November

Fair play to you. New back window and a few more essential bits and you’ll be right then!!

When was that ground reseeded that you cut the silage off? I’m aiming to cut better silage myself this year

How do you find the red clover?

How so?

Interesting. Have seed for 8 acres to sow that never got done last year.

Assuming you dont tedd it out or cut with a conditioner mower how long wilt you typically leave (an almost impossible question given the variables 😀).

What are the signs that it’s the right stage to cut?

Had Red Clover 8-10 years ago. Personally not a fan of it. It smothers tge grass within 3-4 years. Wilting is grand during the summer but hard in September or April/early May or a summer like last year.

You cannot graze in spring or Autumn.

you have a couple of light one that need to be put in a seperate pen

If they came in at the right money, which from following you @Bass Reeves I am sure they did then they will leave a nice twist. They are long term but nothing wrong with that once you have a system.

Going by that they should be 330 kgs by the end of march,the lmx and 345 the bbx, that would be good weights

Maybe, however the small Friesians will push in anywhere. The softer ones I bought are actually struggling more than the lighter ones. Have not got another pen, mind you they have plenty of space IMO. The pen is nearly 16' square. I have plenty of room for the ration as I can feed back and front. They were finishing a bale last night and they only have access to silage along about 9-10' of the front barrier. They will not clean it tonight.

Last three bullocks going to the factory Friday. Ya that will make pen space available, however I be slow to unsettle this crowd. Will be trying to buy another 20 of similar type cattle

Ya a load of lads have a mental block about waiting for your money but when you solve the 10-24 month mental block the money is coming in every year.

Cashflow is Vanity, Profit is Sanity

Not really it's all about time. They are 18 month cattle. 5-550 euro will finish them in my system

It never pays to breed a bad one it often pays to feed one.......John Shirley quote

I try not to buy cattle that you CAN gather money off ( in that you can go back to the mart to sell), I buy cattle that WILL gather money ( as in they will leave a profit).

There is a profit in cattle like that but it only really for one person. I try to be that person.

The lighter FR were 220, the heavier Fr ones with the two Sim I posted the price on this thread I think about 300 euro the Sim's were 400 ish. The HE a bit with 400, the black LM about 450 ( suckler bred 270 kgs I think), the Friesian with the nice red LM heifer 120 ( he got pneumonia over Christmas but has recovered, the red LM heifer 380-400 euro, she a good one 170 kgs ( I think) the day I bought her.

That is all off the top of my head was watching the final of the darts in the local.

Ya longterm cattle. From the prices above I think they will leave a good twist.

Fair play to you Bass. Were you able to lease a bit of land to expand or did you purchase? Did you ever consider running a flock of sheep along with the cattle?

2.25 to 2.5 round. Tend to be be a touch more as they are packed better. Straw must be bone dry from the big squares as they can get a bit mouldy. If I have a choice its big squares. Less storage space easier to work with.

ho would you define someone about not doing bucket fed Calfs right? Apart from not making money!

Fair play for posting photos, this could become the most realistic Boards thread on beef with that type of honesty.

Can I ask have you silage tested? Just a constructive observation, it looks a bit stemmy for growing stock. Leafier stuff could give you 20 to 25kg extra gain over winter for no cost. Compensatory growth wouldn't make up for it.

Good luck with the batch of runners.

What I meant was define a calf system that you think there’s no money in, I was in a lot of marts last Autumn and any Angus or Hereford 500kgs were freely making €1200 to €1300 with the odd lot making more even 450 kgs were making over €1100

@Bass Reeves "If you can manage to keep your wintering costs sub a euro a day and gain 500+ grams a day( most of these sort of cattle will have a bit of it)"

What do you feed them in their first and second winter? Thank you for all the information, great to learn from each other.

I never said there was no money in any calf system. What i was saying they are busy fools whom I and others make money from. I don't fancy running around with milk powder, scour, vet bills and extra mussels. I don't need to feed cattle at some un godly hour in the morning before work. Add up that.I was out in the marts last Autum too and there was many sellers losing money selling bucket reared stores.

You mentioned figures above. Those prices are good but are only so if their age was appropriate for their age. If not those were poor prices. If they were age appropriate why were those farmers selling them? If they were such good farmers why did they not finish them? It would only take Hereford and Angus cattle about 8 to 10 weeks at those weights.

You need to factor in that this years back end was good for store cattle. In another year those prices might not be achievable.

Oh I should have mentioned mortality.

My neighbour that milks120 British freisian cows sold his store cattle last autumn end of August early September, a shrewd operator

all bullocks, averaged

Angus 440kgs €1220

Herefords 440kgs €1200

limousine 405kgs 1160