Dairy Calves 2024

Carrying time, difficult calvings and higher feed costs for the same kgs of milk a black and white can do can negate the calf price/ cull value fast enough. Not saying there is nothing positive about them but no matter what you go there are compromises and minding cows after a hard calving is one of the things most try to avoid.

Also have sold big bull calves of fleck crosses, down as SIX on cards in Ireland, and if they are black and white makes little difference to price down south in peak season the last few years

There is crux of the issue the difference in what dairy farmers want and beef farmers want. To have a more sustainable system there has to be give on both sides to find some middle ground. If and when exports of calves goes its going to be a cluster f*ck of a situation.

Accepting that small and subtle changes need to happen is key. Small increase in the carcass weight of bull. Look to review the DBI by penalising bulls with a negative or very low carcass weight a lot harder on the index. These would be very straightforward changes to help for everyone

Buying calves under 6 weeks old, Do these calves need to be tested once they come into the herd?

Thank you, Thought this to be the case but glad to have confirmed

Hard to get a good "Goldilocks" Hereford AI bull for selling calves, they're usually either too big or too narrow. Best one I've used, but sadly he's gone was HE2043. Funny enough he didn't have a great DBI.

Anyway since he's gone, for the last 2 year I used 3-4 different AI HE bulls in that if I found a Goldilocks, I'd buy a rake of straws off him. The best calves last year were off HE 7548, but they were a bit big and took a bit much out if the cow, best this year seem to be HE6364 but similar issues. The others are just throwing downright average calves.

The main observation I'm making though, is that the quality of the calf seems to have an inverse relationship to the sires beef value. I haven't noticed it as much in other breeds.

Maybe it pans out as the calf matures but that doesn't wash when they're sold at a month old.

Had to move a few 1 month calves today even though no chance of exporters in the market, so going to be given away. Month old, fed powder on an automatic feeder and needed the space now for heifers.

They are going to be shy of the 50kg I'd say. Very poor weight gain for the age. Great health...

What weight did the Ho bulls go in at?

No weights displayed

Didn't keep a record but it was mostly waste milk and I think that on normal feeding they would probably have drank more to get them to that size and weight because it would take at least another 3 weeks.

And the there was no work in them, The "Gentleman" trolley ferried the milk and they helped themselves.

Also you couldn't imagine how relaxed they were.

It is our first year with the "Power" feeder but I would highly reccomend it.

Why would a beef farmer pay what it costs to get a calf to 8-10wks? The cost is irrelevant it’s whatever the market rate is based on supply and demand. Do the milk processors pay Dairy farmers a price based on the cost of production or the market rate? Dairy farmers want it every way and up to now have had it their own way but the realisation is starting to dawn that they need beef farmers more than ever or else they will have to rear their own calves and cut cow numbers to allow for this.

Very smug of you ….I don’t or don’t want to get rich from beef or bull calves …I will rear them to 8/10 weeks if a buyer wants but an 8/10 week old calf will be near reared and have a lot of milk drank and the hard risky part of tearing is done …what’s so wrong with wanting what it cost in milk and meal and hay to get it there …I’ll rear it for no cost of my time …only for all this nitrates /banding /derogation shite I’d rear 80% of my calves