Finishing FR bullocks

grazeaway

Have a few friesan bull calves that I'll hold on to over the winter. Usually sell them as weanings but prices are a bit ****e at he mo so was thinking of keeping them as finishing them myself. Haven't done this before so was wondering what age do you finish them at and can they be done off grass?

dzer2

grazeaway wrote: »

Have a few friesan bull calves that I'll hold on to over the winter. Usually sell them as weanings but prices are a bit ****e at he mo so was thinking of keeping them as finishing them myself. Haven't done this before so was wondering what age do you finish them at and can they be done off grass?

What age and what weight are they

grazeaway

they are feb and march calves, reckon the bigger lads are about 300kg maybe a bit more.

dzer2

Couple of options feed the around 8kgs a day of 18% ration and straw get them to 420 kgs by 1 yr old and sell as veal, The real big ones that is price is 3.95 dead weight. The others try to get to weight by 19 months and sell as bull beef for mickey ds you need to check factory prices for this.

Farmer Pudsey

You heading is finishing as bullocks. To do this you would have to grass them next year. It is hard to finish FRX before 700kgs and there conversion rate is very poor in a shed as bullocks however if you had them heading for 600kgs the end of next year and gave them meal october/november so that they were really forward when housed then they might finish in less than 100 day's inside. However I am always reluctant to finish any fresian bullock inside costs too much. At present ration prices you would have to factor them costing 3.50/day inside during the finishing period.

TBH if you have not finished cattle before I would be inclined to overwinter on silage and 1-2 kgs of ration and sell in march. Forget about veal as calves have to be on a milk diet and rose veal needs a high maize diet also you would have to make sure you have an outlet for them. 16-20 month bull beef is a specialist job they will eat 1.5 tonne's of ration (450 euro's) and only the best would be suitable

grazeaway

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

You heading is finishing as bullocks. To do this you would have to grass them next year. It is hard to finish FRX before 700kgs and there conversion rate is very poor in a shed as bullocks however if you had them heading for 600kgs the end of next year and gave them meal october/november so that they were really forward when housed then they might finish in less than 100 day's inside. However I am always reluctant to finish any fresian bullock inside costs too much. At present ration prices you would have to factor them costing 3.50/day inside during the finishing period.

TBH if you have not finished cattle before I would be inclined to overwinter on silage and 1-2 kgs of ration and sell in march. Forget about veal as calves have to be on a milk diet and rose veal needs a high maize diet also you would have to make sure you have an outlet for them. 16-20 month bull beef is a specialist job they will eat 1.5 tonne's of ration (450 euro's) and only the best would be suitable

Will be squeezing them as I have a few heifers to house over the winter too. I'll be putting them in the same pen as its easier to manage. Kept weaklings as bulls over winter a few years back and it was a lot of hassle. Waslanning on a silage and ration feed over winter then out to grass in the spring. Try to aim to have them ready by this time next year. Would that be doable?

mf240

grazeaway wrote: »

Will be squeezing them as I have a few heifers to house over the winter too. I'll be putting them in the same pen as its easier to manage. Kept weaklings as bulls over winter a few years back and it was a lot of hassle. Waslanning on a silage and ration feed over winter then out to grass in the spring. Try to aim to have them ready by this time next year. Would that be doable?

Not a hope they will break you in meal to have them finished as 18 month bullocks(as bulls you would) best thing to do is sell them as stores this time next year.

Farmer Pudsey

grazeaway wrote: »

Will be squeezing them as I have a few heifers to house over the winter too. I'll be putting them in the same pen as its easier to manage. Kept weaklings as bulls over winter a few years back and it was a lot of hassle. Waslanning on a silage and ration feed over winter then out to grass in the spring. Try to aim to have them ready by this time next year. Would that be doable?

on average after squeezing they will be between 3-350kgs in the spring now with plenty of grass they may put on 200kgs by October. you are still 150kgs++ short of finishing unless they are very small fresians. Very hard to finish freisians before they are thirty months even the lads that finish them as 2yolds out of the shed have to do them very well to kill 320kgs some lads can get ,more but a lot kill around 300-330kgs

I be inclined to either sell in the spring or in August. If you are buying more calf's in the spring by selling in August you will havee plenty grass for them in September.

grazeaway

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

on average after squeezing they will be between 3-350kgs in the spring now with plenty of grass they may put on 200kgs by October. you are still 150kgs++ short of finishing unless they are very small fresians. Very hard to finish freisians before they are thirty months even the lads that finish them as 2yolds out of the shed have to do them very well to kill 320kgs some lads can get ,more but a lot kill around 300-330kgs

I be inclined to either sell in the spring or in August. If you are buying more calf's in the spring by selling in August you will havee plenty grass for them in September.

I'll see how things go in spring so then.