New Calf and incalf transport rules

Bass Reeves

The EU Parliament is voting today on new transport rules. The proposal is 35 days for calves and no transport of incalf animals for last third of gestation.

There is amendments but if it is passed it will change the cattle trade. Dairy farmers will be required to keep calves to 5 weeks and even then transport is limited to two hours.

For cow/ heifers it would mean no sale of springing animals and as well if selling with a calf it would have to be 35 days old

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/animal-transport-rules-would-discriminate-against-ireland/

cute geoge

90% of calves are 4 week + in marts s anyway so an extra week being kept by a dairy farmer is not a massive problem but the window for selling will be shorter under 6 weeks of age so more calves will be have a tb test like there will only be a 7 day window to sell a calf under 6 weeks from 35 days old to 42 days old .This is a big added cost which needs something done .

The problem with incalf cows sales is how will lads have clearance sales like if a farmer got sick and no one to tend to incalf cows what will be the deal?

Base price

New rules voted in - "The first amendment with strong Irish interest was to reduce the minimum age of transport of unweaned animals back to 28 days, and to allow transport below this age for journeys of less than 50km (where the farmer did the transporting). Does this mean that calf dealers can't buy these calves in the mart?

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/animal-transport-vote-meps-reject-most-severe-proposals/

Easten

How do these new rules affect the shipping of calves? The new rules state that the maximum journey for unweaned animals over 35 days old is 2 hours. Can a calf be Weaned at 35 days old? I doubt it

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118505614#Comment_118505614

My understanding is that calves under 28 days cannot be sold in a mart. A farmers may move them up to 50 km away. This may allow farm to farm sales. Dealers cannot buy calves in a mart until 28 days even then transport of a unweaned calves is limited to two hours??????

Is that two hours total transport going to and from a mart.? Will time in the mart be considered a rest period.? Will calves have to be fed in a mart before reloading?

Incalf animals can be moved for 4 hours. In last third of gestation so minimal effects. But it may limit long spins to and from a mart if mart not considered a rest period. Cows with a calf at foot cannot be sold until 28 days. Two hour limit on journeys. Mauty may not be happy as some dealers may no longer be allowed to buy from him. As well it will give an advantage to central marts in North Cork, Limerick and Tipperary over West Cork, Kerry and Clare marts. As this may allow export buyers to shift calves two hours from these marts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118505042#Comment_118505042

I very much doubt if 90% of calves are 28 days+, 21day + maybe bit not 28 days+.

Where the catch is where you calf is born 1-2days after your mart. Farmers may have to go to two marts to sell there calves. Depart officials will be on the watch for obiviously weak calves and selling a calf with a wet navel will be a no/no. Glut will now see stronger calves being sold over the glut timeframe.

Anto_Meath

So these are EU proposals but aren't singed into law here yet, I am assuming it will be a few years before they will come into effect around the mart ring.

Injuryprone

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220114IPR21025/animals-must-be-better-protected-during-transport

It would seem the 2 hour thing has been taken out, and it's only under 28 day olds can only be transported up to 50km by the farmer only. Doesn't seem to be any restriction on over 28 day olds from what I can see

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118508530#Comment_118508530

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118508375#Comment_118508375

Unweaned calves cannot travel more than two hours as far as I can see. The 35 days is reduced to 28 it has not impacted the unweaned calved AFAIK. Now it's all into the legislation that is bought in. There will be debate and negotiation on it.

It will probably be Spring '24 before it is bought in so we can expect that it will be in from 2025 on it will effect the trade.

The big thing is a push for enforcement. There is no way a 4 week old calf can be considered as weaned. 6 weeks is realistically the earliest. The biggest problem is lads trying to wiggle around birth dates to get calves to mart 7 days earlier. The lad just taking 2-3 days may not be noticed. It will be the lad opting for maximum flexibility that could draw attention accross the whole system.

Remember this is a time problem as well. It could force farmers to sell calves twice a week for 3-5 weeks of the calving season. You are definitely looking at carrying calves 7-10 days longer for a lot of farmers, especially Friesian calves.

Base price

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118509300#Comment_118509300

I'm reading it that calves under 28 days old cannot travel more than 50k??

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118509485#Comment_118509485

Ya that is correct, and then only by the farmer, which prevents dealer involvement. The original proposal had it much the same but 35 days. There was a sting in that unweaned calves over 35 days could not be transported more than 2 hours (160 km in a truck) the 35 day rules was ammended to 28 but the unweaned parts stayed AFAIK. I may be incorrect.

This would mean you could have farm to farm transfers under 28 days, but even I over 28 days onto 42 days+ would be limited to the 2 hours travel time. There would also be limits if the mart was not considered a rest period.

cute geoge

I am glad to tell you you are incorect ,there is no 2 hour limit on unweaned calves over 28 days .

You will have to think of another idea to get calves for nothing!!

Base price

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118509485#Comment_118509485

I think I'm correct on this part. I assume then that calves over 28 day can travel more that 50k and that there are no hourly restrictions in place which still allows us (Ireland) to export dairy bull calves albeit at 28+ days old?

Anto_Meath

If you take the shippers away from the ring for the calves it will knock the price well back especially for the FR bulls.

The dealers will find some way around it, they nearly aways do.

Between this & the new ABP scheme they are really trying to stop movement of cattle.

Easten

It really all depends on what age or state they define a Weaned/unweaned calf at. I'm sure there is plenty such as powdered milk suppliers who would argue a calf is unweaned until at least 8-10 weeks old

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118509664#Comment_118509664

First off I do not buy calves so it kinda of immaterial to me. The more that is exported the better as far as I am concerned. However I am a realist and realize that the export system.is under pressure. This is an agriland article after the vote

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/icos-welcomes-realistic-vote-on-animal-transport-in-the-eu/

MEPs on the ANIT committee voted to reduce a proposed age limit, before which unweaned calves should not be transported, from 35 days to 28 days.

Just above is an extract from the article. It would seem that the unweaned two hour travel time is still in place. Now it very hard to justify a 4 week old calf as weaned. The devil will be in the detail. But if unweaned calves are can only travel two hours it means calves up to six weeks at least cannot be exported.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118510078#Comment_118510078

IMO 6 weeks is the minimum and even at that calves are only started to be weaned then so if it takes a week to wean properly you are at seven weeks.

This is far from over the legislation cod be more severe than many think. An export incident in the next 13 months could change the complete picture.

_Brian

I'd rather see all calves stay on farm for 6 weeks minimum..

Grueller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118511248#Comment_118511248

I know if you breed them you have a responsibility to them, and just to say, I do keep all of mine and will sell as yearlings. BUT, I do believe the welfare issues for calves forced to be kept on dairy farms not set up for them with adequate facilities and labour is a far greater welfare issue for the calf than going through a journey.

alps

" Now it very hard to justify a 4 week old calf as weaned."

Look...if the buyer decides to start feeding milk to the calf again, I guess thats their business..

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118511489#Comment_118511489

Article in the FI Today by the editor Margaret Donnelly. She says that those that think last Thursday's vote was a victory are short-sighted. She said there will be a greater emphasis on enforcement and compliance. She said we can quote science, common sense to prevail, our welfare standards, our transport record, and being an island nation. However she said it only a matter of time before long journeys and live exports are banned.

But in the meantime the emphasis will be on enforcement of existing and new legislation.

alps

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118533520#Comment_118533520

She often pissis all over farming.. doesn't have to make a living from it, doesn't have to defend it.

She will do her utmost to cause a sensation.

Bass Reeves

I would not agree actually. She questioned the way BPS payments were redistributed, especially with the effect to tillage.

Farming organisations seem to have an issue with bringing/explaining the bad news. There seems to be an emphasis on enforcement this time. One way would be calf weight where they would have to be 75 or 80 kgs before they can be exported along with a minimum age before they could be exported.

nklc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118533723#Comment_118533723

You would need to be very short sighted not to see the 35 day rule coming eventually And then 50 and then 75 . That is where animals welfare is heading. It’s what the consumer wants , the consumer gets .

Base price

The heavier/older the calf the less will fit on a lorry therefore the transportation costs are carried by fewer head. Is it even viable at that stage??

I really hope that live calf exports continue as ABP are gearing up for a bonanza with the introduction of their new bonus scheme.

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/abp-launch-bonus-scheme-for-suppliers-674400

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118534189#Comment_118534189

I think the whole point of much if this legislation is to indirectly stop exports by making them unviable. Add cost into the system and suddenly it's not viable any longer or the numbers significantly reduce.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118534149#Comment_118534149

If the legislation goes ahead as is unweaned calves cannot travel for longer than 2 hours. That means calves less than 6-7 weeks at a minimum cannot be exported.

The real stickler is if on top if that you had strict enforcement.

alps

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118534149#Comment_118534149

The consumer doesn't want anything other than cheaper food and no farmers..

There is never any logic to what the consumer wants.

They just want other people to do stuff..

kevthegaff

I don't see whats wrong with a calf 2 to 3 weeks old going on a ferry once their well minded. Would they not be more conscious at 8 to 10 weeks old

Good loser

These restrictions on calf transporting have no basis in science that I am aware of. Also having reared calves for many years I cannot see ANY logic in what's being suggested. Plus it is a serious discrimination against our island and being so far from the continent.

Calves will lie for hours voluntarily on straw after being fed. What does it matter if it's in a calf pen or on a lorry?

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118535122#Comment_118535122

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118538409#Comment_118538409

Like Margaret Donnelly said its immaterial. The general public have a bee in there bonnet about animal welfare issues but as consumers they want a burger for a euro. But when they vote the two do not connect.

\just as an aside

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/vets-accompany-irish-livestock-exports-twice-over-two-years/