Feeding autumn born weanlings

Who2

I've a batch of autumn born (sep/ early oct) born calves ranging from 120-200 kgs. They are in on the cows, have their own feeder for silage and getting 2kg of 16% ration per day. Now are they being fed enough? How much are other lads feeding and will these be kept on or sold? My bulls will be sold heifers will be kept for breeding at the end of the year so will need to hit 450 kg for next nov.

Muckit

How are your cows doing and silage quality? If you are feeding that much meal it's going to work out expensive. The cow should be doing the job for you. Will you see the return when you sell?

Who2

Muckit wrote: »

How are your cows doing and silage quality? If you are feeding that much meal it's going to work out expensive. The cow should be doing the job for you. Will you see the return when you sell?

Silage 70 dmd cows are in reasonable condition and back in calf. I always feed meal just wondering what others are at. It always pays but I'm trying to work out the balancing point on it. I don't meal the cows as they'll get plenty of time to get back condition over the summer, but I'm seeing lads selling calves heavier than mine and all must be feeding an awful lot more meal, it can't be the cows either because with the autumn calvers I've thrown nearly every possible mix in as a trial and there honestly isn't that huge a variation in whether there' from dairy back breeding or not in daily gains, straight from shapey cows with just enough milk seem to pay better with a better confirmation . Are lads just throwing a shake of meal and stuffing the last few weeks or is it just a shake the whole time. Now they are going to need that bit extra seen as they don't have the same quality grass as a spring born lad of the same age would but I would like to hear others opinions.

The Cuban

Yep 2kgs of meal while they are on the cow is going to eat into any profit. I have a similar system running but am only feeding 1 kg per day plus I have a creep gate on the shed so the calves can go out side to pick grass during the day. Fresh grass is better than any meal.

Who2

The Cuban wrote: »

Yep 2kgs of meal while they are on the cow is going to eat into any profit. I have a similar system running but am only feeding 1 kg per day plus I have a creep gate on the shed so the calves can go out side to pick grass during the day. Fresh grass is better than any meal.

What sort of gains are you getting? 2kg of meal for 125 days say is 1/4 a ton or €60 . Until they are fully settled out on grass. Now this year I've everything from .6 off a dairy bred cow that in theory should be 1.6 a day to a couple doing 1.7. I've estrumated the poor performers and seperate dans feeding them but I'm trying to tweak every little aspect.

The Cuban

I dont know the exact gains to be honest but I usually sell them at 11 months, all averaging over 385kg (Some were 440 kg others as low as 345kg)
All of them missed the shippers boat as they were too heavy but average sale price was 1050 (Again some as low as 890 and the highest 1120).
I know the man that bought some of them, he sent them to the factory last week but I haven't heard how he got on yet

Who2

The thing is I want to try and move the bulls around April. I done well most years getting them out early and gone. How far can I push the bulls without leaving them as balls of fat?

Muckit

No farmer wanting cattle for grass wants a ball of fat. No room for compensatory growth. Maybe try incorporating soybean meal and gradually reducing ration

bogman_bass

2kg is a lot for calves still on cows IMO

The Cuban

You`d be better off with a higher protein ration too. 17-19% ration out their, might cost a bit more but you need only feed less than 1kg while on the cows to get great results. The extra protein will increase the animal size rather than lay down fat. and the grass men like big roomy Weanlens for the grass instead of smaller fat types that look like they would melt when they are let out to grass