Spring 2020..... 1.5m Dairy calves.... discuss.

The theory up until now was get animals onto ad-lib for the end of the finishing period. It was more efficient than feeding silage,even good quality silage. You only fed bullocks or heifers limited ration if they needed longer than 90 days finishing.

It too Teagasc up until 2-3 years ago to admit it was more profitable to carry Friesians back to grass for a third season. Even then there thinking was slaughter them During May/June.

Yes some He and AA can be slaughtered off grass at the end of the second season. Some will be good enough to finish out of the shed in in 60-70 days.

However over the last 5-6 years the price mid July has been as good or better than the Jan-March price. Processor's pay contracted finishers up to 40c/kg more than the small lad.

If you finish Friesian out of a shed they will eat most of the ton and still be a tad under finished. AA and HE unless having excellent genetic potential will eat 6-800 kgs and the AA may not weight because too many have poor genetic potential.

Contenintal /Dairy crosses will eat the ton easy. Some will weight some will not.

A lot of noise from vegans. There is a poster on boards that purports to be vegan but has a penchant for Turkey legs!

it's the whole lie that really kills their argument. I'm glad we know it's bs. not everyone does unfortunately.

Last week on the news at 1. The head of Teagasc was telling Dobson that the emissions from cows had been calculated incorrectly heretofore and that this would be proven shortly. Dobson got very ratty and didn't want to hear of using the correct calculation of emissions.

Independent media my a**e.

It's time we stopped paying licence fees to that shower of bribe takers.

There ye go now lads. Don't mind buying the "square" calf and look up at the figures.....

https://www.facebook.com/426875164071704/posts/pfbid02gXR8v2M6S4qKja1fKDYZouBcrG6VB4cRUA9XXFqpUMLDmMYfVajQA19iEaeBXfVXl/

From time to time I drive pass Maxwell's yard and always look forward to looking in at their stock. It doesn't matter if they are out in the clay/mucky paddock along the road or with their heads out along the feed rails, one with another they are lovely evenly batches of cattle to see.

Yeah - always seem to have the best of stock.

It's not good that in calves went without feed for such long periods - most of us wouldn't do it to calves that we bought in to rear. We (Ireland) can't very well hold our heads up high and spout about how super we are with our green image and grass based diet whilst now knowingly allow such practices to continue. I always thought that export calves made the journey within the time allowed for feeding.

I don't see any way to get around the continued export of unweaned calves and the EU Commission looks like it will probably implement the recommendations/changes (to the Animal Welfare during Transport legislation) that the Parliament recently voted on.

http://icos.ie/2022/01/31/european-parliament-vote-marks-milestone-for-the-future-of-animal-transport/

I presume that there will be some sort of TAMS grant to help dairy farmers to build additional calf rearing facilities. The majority of dairy farmers that I know had shed space for their heifer calves but limited space for the bull calves the majority of which are sold at 15 to 20 days old.

From what I remember 35 days on farm was proposed ….28 was what was settled on ….can’t move before that …..all this has to be signed off bull the wheeling and dealing is done

The suckler will need to go to make way for the loss of exports. Can't see how else it works.

There is approx 800-900k of dairy calvings in Munster annually. The 50k limit under 28 days is going to cause a serious impact on calf movement. This basically means that a large % of dairy farmers will be holding every calf to a min of 28 days.

Suckler farmers finishing stock are going to be slow to move toward ls dairy beef. Approx 60% of beef farmers rearing calves have pulled the pin on it over the past 5 years. Suckler farmers are use of having carcase weight. This is what pays.

Having a market for your stock is going to be the key for dairy farmers. Lowering LW of cows in the EBI rat race has had a serious impact on calf potential. Couple this with some beef bull breeding namely low carcass weight and short gestation AA and you are nearly dealing with JEX beef cattle.

Next spring is going to be more interesting for a number of factors. Milk powder is going to be at least 30-40% dearer on the back of strong milk prices and gas to run driers. The energy price is going to have an effect on the movement cost of the calf, sundries and finally the cost of ration. For many beef farmers this could mean reducing numbers or worse pulling the pull on rearing sucks.

Beef is a simple game, put the weight on as quick and a cheap as you can. Unless the raw material improves, Suckler farmers are going to stay away. Changing these factors through breeding is at least a 5 year project.