Dairy Calves 2024

Liquid milk probably. Late rather than early

Similar to base here, the last of the fresian bullocks, 4 of them went just before Xmas, it's always the tail end of the them that take time. The last batch of cattle were killed in mid August.The margin wasn't there to to cash them in September. Personally I had the decision made in august that these were going to see the shed again for a short period, 30 months just doesn't matter with them, It was just their genetics and there was no point in selling them when the market was falling.

I'm calf to beef and suckler to beef, so well have a good handle what's in front of you. About half are finished out of the shed and the other half go back to grass, heavy ground forces my hand a bit in finishing more on grass in the summer. Have more heavy stock puts pressure on the system, more fertiliser, ground damage etc. Having a few less of these, let's better quality silage be taken out at ease. Having calves and yearlings, they are just lighter on the ground. I'm even thinking of letting out the yearling heifers to start grazing this weekend, the forecast is on the side. If they have to come back in, so be it

What is coming fit at the moment for the next 2 months is Dairy cross and Sucklers heifers, the poorer few are going back to grass and will be hung before the end of June. Heifers just come fat quick with a small amount of meal. Letting grass do the heavy lifting for the slower finishing stock is key. I kinda grade out stores at housing into 3 groups, top of the table ( spring finish), mid table( early summer) and the relegation battle ( forget about the 30 months and aim for early autumn / maybe Xmas)

Getting back to margin, on Sucklers it's a simple thing, bullocks have to be hitting and average of 350kg DW at 24months, this is down to management mainly grazing and genetics. The cow is costing to much to keep to be not producing.

The beef game is simple ( put as much weight on as quick and cheap as you can.) The only way to measure that is with a scales and the auld calculator. It's the bit in the middle that matters when the cheque comes in

I wouldn't be that exporters biggest fan, but he is not far off the mark on that one.

The actual story if what was true I was told by a source that wouldn't be a bulls***ter is alot worse, and wouldn't be a great news story to see in the mainstream press and give the anti farming crowd some serious ammunition

Ya it's not a good story apparently. Few smarter than everyone else outfits and the place they were trading through are getting fair combing through at the moment. Regular visits as well as a historical investigation for previous years.

I reckon that story never made it into the media 😏

so you want to add more cost to the calf by having to tb test every calf that is sold in the country

Tbh moving the tb test out to 120 days as they did during covid would prob help as much as anything else. Twud make fuckall difference in its transmission as nothing they do has when they ignore the wildlife aspect.

as for the fella above any attention he draws is purely for his own benefit so talking things down would be an obvious route.

Can't figure out the welfare element, what's the difference moving a calf at 2 weeks compared to 6.

What ages were they and how much did they drink?

He has his connections and routes set up. What he wants is for the farmer to be prevented from selling them to him for longer. So that he farmer has to pay to feed them longer. Then he can pick them up for next to nothing (very little competition) and make more money shipping them off.

Nobody is forcing him to buy calves at a younger age for shipping. Let him step aside if he wants and it will make space for someone else to fill that void. Seamus can then bid for the 8-week old calves if he wants.

I'd have no time for him either. He's on my list of bollox's

This 6 week think is a joke, 2 weeks is fine IMHO. Calves are less conscience of being moved at 2 weeks

3 weeks is a sweet spot as a calf rearer here. It has them over the hump of rota and crypto, being able to keep a bit warmth themselves.

How the fcuk do lads register calves before they're born? Talking rubbish there now in fairness

Funny how the Dairy lads are mad to register calves early and it's the opposite for the Suckler boys. The later the better.

If they weighed the calves in the mart, that would help pinpoint younger calves.