EU Proposal on calf transportation. NO MOVE UNDER 35DAYS

First off most BF are only average cattle. Growth rate is too slow and they are three year old before they get into good weight.

There are many different types of HO. It's an education to join ICBF. Most Friesians you see in marts no matter how square are 70%+ HO.. a lot of the rest of the 30 % could be JE breeding .

Nothing wrong with a lot of the FR I buy most turn a few pound for me. Biggest issue is that some lads cannot manage to put weight on them. Yes there is definitely an issue with the beef bulls dairy farmers are using. Many are using extremely easy calving bulls that have no growth rate and will not gain more than 500 grams per day LW.

Had two great HO/AA heifers this year. Big plain heifers both killed 370 kgs at 29 months. No HE or AA bullock could match them. I doubt if they had to be pulled from the cow either.

Problem is a lot of dairy farmers were sold a pup. No allowance was made for calf value in Teagasc and FJ grassland model. It was assumed that all calves would have a positive value at birth. It would be a lot worse except for the demand for AA beef. The thinking that farmers could dump/sell calves off farm at 10-14 days was flawed.

Then there was no factoring in of labour costs. Back in 2012-2016/18 the thinking of consultant's was about a mystical eastern European couple that would milk and herd the cows 7 days a week to get over labour laws for a minimum wage. When they learned English they found other work. It probably costing the profit of 50 cows to pay a full time labour unit. So if you go from 100-150 cows it either work like a...... because if you have to pay labour you are at noting

Add calves or maybe the heifers that are contract reared and one blip and you have a mess on your hands.

If you milk 100+ cows and have no labour coming trying to manage all them suck calves and then in April manage a breeding program for heifers is an issue.

Contract rearing was going to cost a euro/day because some lad did not want to stock his farm as there was no money in suckler's or beef and you could even set f@@king achievement targets he had to meet.

Before that we had the wood chips pads and lined earthen bank slurry tanks. Then the external cubicles. As well you would have access to cheap bale silage at below cost of production. Lorry in the soya hulls or palm kernel if you had a problem.

Paper never refused ink.

TBH I cannot understand how some lads are staying digging. As I said from the start about it. It will not be allowed

Precisely. The debate above is being conducted without reference to the methane/climate problem.

This combined with a possible calf export ban generates the dilemma. Plus the fact that the existing dairy herd stays the same size or even grows modestly.

The measures for reducing methane haven't a hope in hell of working. Unless there is a calf slaughter scheme. It is inevitable and should be faced up to as soon as possible. If 400,000 plus calves could be exported each year there will not be a problem, even if the calves were sold at less than €50 per head. Chickens live 6/7 weeks lambs 4/5 months why not calves?

The 35 day thing is only for export? Calves can still be sold off farm at 10 to 14 days?