Minimum weight /age for factory

onyerbikepat

I have a young calf that damaged his hip. He's just drags his leg behind him and hops along on 3 legs. Vet examined him and said he wont come right.
What options do I have with him, as regards the factory?
I can't sell him in the mart and I don't fancy wintering him, if I can avoid it. I'd have to put him in the cubicle shed with the suckler cows. His full brother (same cow & bull) was 430Kgs last year in the Autumn, so he may finish up over 350Kgs come sale time.
Would the factory take him at that age/weight?

restive

I think it is 280kg carcass for Kepak. Under that and i think there are penalties.

O2b

In a similar situation here. Doesnt make sense to winter, trying to work out whether it makes economical sense to butcher for freezer either though! Butcher might charge €150.

vanderbadger

had one there a year or two back, kept him on straw for winter, suppose he was well over 300kg but had a right twist in his back, he broke his hip as a calf..anyway the good leg was struggling to support him so i asked a chap with an abattoir would he kill him..he killed him but reckoned he was only good for mince and gave me 100 euros..i felt a bit hard done by but wasnt sure what to do with poor animal.. a neighbour had a similar case and he sold him to a factory agent and got 400 euros

bogman_bass

I had a 400 kilo limo that broke his leg but was fit to get on the trailer. got 600 for him

Muckit

restive wrote: »

I think it is 280kg carcass for Kepak. Under that and i think there are penalties.

So a little over 500kg live? Good to know. God a lad could be a while looking at a straggler trying to get to that weight.

_Brian

Muckit wrote: »

So a little over 500kg live? Good to know. God a lad could be a while looking at a straggler trying to get to that weight.

Yea.
And surely as he approaches that weight his other leg and hip will be under serious pressure and very likely to give way resulting in a total right off.

I'd always think getting them out the gate at aNy money now would be better. Small loss now is better than a large one later. And then there is the lost opportunity for a good animal to eat the feed, take space in the shed and your time too.

blue5000

Don't try and winter him, get him in the freezer in sept, butcher shouldn't charge more than €100 to slaughter and bag it. Make sure it's blast frozen. Also because it will be a smaller carcase than usual don't hang it for more than 18 days, but a butcher will know more than me.

49801

Get animal on 5kg of meal for 4-6wks ASAP and get a butcher to hang for your freezer.

Base price

The official rule is that unless an animal is fit to walk ONTO and OFF a trailer or lorry then they are not fit for human consumption.

As others have said, cut your losses now.