Calf to beef thread

I think you posted photos earlier in the year of your Calfs? How are they doing now at the time they looked like great cattle

At what stage next autumn will you start feeding your bullocks and at a guess what weight would they be when you commence feeding?

So average 500kgs the start of September? I know someone that sent off heifers before Christmas that operates a system similar to yours and he got €1300, Angus heifers

So the bullocks would be a bit heavier? Is there much of a difference between the Hereford and Angus?

What would AI Simmentals be like out of British freisian cows? You would imagine they should grade well

Have you ever had Simmentals before?

I presume if you were keeping them till they are nearly 30 months the Simmentals would be ok as they would carry weight

We could be talking breed all week! The variation within breed is at least as important as the breed itself in calf to beef. Angus are simultaneously the best and the worst option from dairy herds.

My mix in recent recent years (unscientific) has been 60% good Angus, about 20% Fr ( get them early and cheap as part of the AA deal) and then a 20% mix of Aubrac/Limousin calves for the craic. Friesans hold their own when it's all added up.

Staying away from Blues, Simm and Char for the system. Will take Hereford buy don't go looking for them.

Have bought 10 calves here before Christmas a mix of BB, SIM, LIM and Angus heifers. 6 were weaned and 4 on once a day milk. Intend to bull all the Simmentals and Blues and sell as in calf heifers and will try and finish the Limmys and Angus. Cows are for the road and I intend to rear 30 calves this year and possibly 40 next year. I have put in for TAMS for an auto feeder so if it goes OK this year I will get JFC feeder for 2025. I'm using Grennans milk replacer for the past few years and have had no issues with it. Only hiccup so far is that a couple of cows have calved early and I'm in two minds what to do with the cows and calves.

Yeah that was where I was leaning, two beasts to sell and really the worst hardship is over.

A lot could change between here and 20/24 months time but I like the flexibility heifers give like you say if there's no market for bulling or in calf heifers you can push them on and finish them.

I'm hoping that the SCEP scheme will create a demand for starred heifers so I will have to genotype anything I wanna sell for that.

How much does it cost to get a calf to a year old? Just on the DD and see nice batches of yearlings and runners for sale at not serious money.