Restocking - Suck Calves

lakill Farm

Hi All,

Ok im a small small time, hobby farmer for the love of it, more than anything else. Its it the blood :rolleyes:. Sold our first batch of heifers last week and time to plough the few euro straight back in.

Ok my major enterprise,:o, is purchase sulk calves at 3/4 weeks old, put on milk replacer and wean. ( I use Volaic milk and use twice daily feeds, tried only evening feeds with one batch and didnt like the results)
I purchased calves of last year in 2 batches of 10, one direct from a farmerand anothe 8 of a dealer :mad:.

But this year i want to buy autumn calves (black white headed/AAX heifers) and to be honest i want to source either direct from the farm or worse case the farmers local mart, as i find the calves direct from farm are in better condition.

Questions

I took the names of the farmers where my last batch of heifer were born off the card.(i bought off a dealer who bought in a mart) Would it be strange to write to them to see if they were interested in selling "Directly off farm"? or would it then push up the price

Whats the going rate off farm for HerfordX and AAX heifer calves off farm in cork/Kerry?

I would probably bring 20/22 calves, would they fit in a 12 x 6.6ft trailer? and could i use the sheep desks for these young calves?
it would be a 3/4 hour journey from Cork/Kerry to Midlands.

Whats the story with moving permits. ok the selling farmer needs to organise, but does he have to put the calf tag numbers when looking for the permit or is this done after. Ie this would limit my choice of calves or else i would have to do a pre purchase drive to look instead of going down and looking and buying in the one journey

Very open to suggestions and recommendations.:)

And can i thank everyone for all there help so far.:D

Muckit

Are you intent on buying calves?

If not, if you do your sums and factor in your time etc, you may be better off buying in light weanlings instead.

A neighbour of ours (small time like yourself) used to buy calves. By the time you factor in milk replacer/calf pencils and time he reckoned he was better off buying in weanlings.

Let the cow do the donkey work. Worth thinking about perhaps...

countryjimbo

I think some farmers are more open to selling direct than others, we normally sell direct from the farm and are happy doing it. Others may think that they'd get a way better price in the Mart and hold out for that, especially this year.


On the movements you must identify the tag so I'd see it as two trips, one to view and buy and then come back later to collect having allowed enough time for the movement permits to come through. A minimum of 2 to 3 days I think.

lakill Farm

Hi Muckit,
At the minute calves suit us best. We are limited on slatted shed room, finances were a big part last year as we had just got marred and bought a house with land and didnt want to then borrow to stock the farm. and to be honest herself loves to fed the calves.

Countryjimbo, Ye everyone is looking for top dollar this year. I saw a nice angus calf weaned the other night for 375 in the mart. I missed her weight but was on meal and grass only

The twice daily feeding suits us around our jobs and life. I just want to buy the calves in Winter, not spring.

pakalasa

lakill Farm wrote: »

...we had just got marred...

Was that a Freudian Slip?

lakill Farm

pakalasa wrote: »

Was that a Freudian Slip?

:rolleyes:

haybob

I cant see a lot wrong with your plan and its you time but would you consider some other breeds I like whitheads myself but we are in the minority.

you could get a better deal at a mart

lakill Farm wrote: »

Hi All,

Ok im a small small time, hobby farmer for the love of it, more than anything else. Its it the blood :rolleyes:. Sold our first batch of heifers last week and time to plough the few euro straight back in.

Ok my major enterprise,:o, is purchase sulk calves at 3/4 weeks old, put on milk replacer and wean. ( I use Volaic milk and use twice daily feeds, tried only evening feeds with one batch and didnt like the results)
I purchased calves of last year in 2 batches of 10, one direct from a farmerand anothe 8 of a dealer :mad:.

But this year i want to buy autumn calves (black white headed/AAX heifers) and to be honest i want to source either direct from the farm or worse case the farmers local mart, as i find the calves direct from farm are in better condition.

Questions

I took the names of the farmers where my last batch of heifer were born off the card.(i bought off a dealer who bought in a mart) Would it be strange to write to them to see if they were interested in selling "Directly off farm"? or would it then push up the price

Whats the going rate off farm for HerfordX and AAX heifer calves off farm in cork/Kerry?

I would probably bring 20/22 calves, would they fit in a 12 x 6.6ft trailer? and could i use the sheep desks for these young calves?
it would be a 3/4 hour journey from Cork/Kerry to Midlands.

Whats the story with moving permits. ok the selling farmer needs to organise, but does he have to put the calf tag numbers when looking for the permit or is this done after. Ie this would limit my choice of calves or else i would have to do a pre purchase drive to look instead of going down and looking and buying in the one journey

Very open to suggestions and recommendations.:)

And can i thank everyone for all there help so far.:D

lakill Farm

haybob wrote: »

I cant see a lot wrong with your plan and its you time but would you consider some other breeds I like whitheads myself but we are in the minority.

you could get a better deal at a mart

I like them and to be honest are easy on the pocket and herself is a townie :rolleyes: and no experience :eek: and dont think she would like the wilder heifers.

What are calves making down your way in the mart? Whiteheads or AAX

I guess some of my decision is based around safety as the crush is ok, and until my new designed crush area is built im not risking our safety.

whelan1

was 1 crappy angus heifer in our mart today around 2 weeks old went for €220... i get people ringing me that have bought my calves in the mart looking for more so ther would be no harm in you ringing the last guy you bought them off

lakill Farm

whelan1 wrote: »

i get people ringing me that have bought my calves in the mart looking for more so ther would be no harm in you ringing the last guy you bought them off

Thanks Whelan1, i think ill risk calling them and seeing what happens. Sure whats the worst they can do after all.

Calves off farms are just hard to source. i managed to buy 10 off a lad in Waterford last year and they were great even after 3 hours on the road and an ice cream stop over :rolleyes:.

Anyone have herefordX or AAX heifers for sale or for sale in the next 2 months:p

Injuryprone

countryjimbo wrote: »

On the movements you must identify the tag so I'd see it as two trips, one to view and buy and then come back later to collect having allowed enough time for the movement permits to come through. A minimum of 2 to 3 days I think.

If the seller is set up with agfood though, they could print out the movement permits there and then and it could all be sorted in the one visit. I sold a couple of late calves that way this year