Sourcing calves: What dairy-beef calf rearers should look for in 2024
The genetic makeup of the calf is critical warns Teagasc DairyBeef 500 advisor Tommy Cox.
What do farmers rearing dairy beef calves need to look out for when sourcing calves?Â
âWhen youâre sourcing a calf, what you want is a problem-free animal, an animal that isnât going to give you any bother throughout the rearing phaseâ, said Teagasc DairyBeef 500 advisor Tommy Cox, speaking to Catherine Egan on a recent Beef Edge podcast.Â
"What our farmers are doing is buying them from a trusted source. Theyâre buying directly off farms which theyâve been dealing with for years. Theyâve a relationship built up, and theyâre happy with the calf theyâre gettingâ.
Nearly 2,500 calves are reared on Dairy Beef 500 farms annually as part of Teagascâs campaign to maximise the potential of beef production from the dairy herd (there are about 15 of these farms, promoting and demonstrating DairyBeef systems with a net profit margin target of âŹ500 per hectare before subsidies).
âYouâre looking for a calf thatâs good and healthy, a clean damp nose, bright eyes, heâs alert when you walk into a pen, and no visible signs of any illness or ailment, such as scour, navel ill, or anything like thatâ, Tommy said.
The genetic makeup of the calf is critical. The Commercial Beef Value (CBV) selection tool enables those rearing calves to assess five traits: carcass weight, carcass conformation, carcass fat, docility, and feed intake.
Cattle with a high CBV will, on average, be faster growing, better shaped at slaughter, leaner, and will not eat as much per kg of liveweight gained. They will also be more docile. The CBV is expressed as a ⏠value. Generally, higher CBVs will mean better performance and higher carcass value.
âOur farmers will be looking for calves with sires recorded against them. Generally, if theyâre looking for calves, itâs within the four or five-star bracket across the breedsâ, Tommy said.
Any farmer rearing calves can ask a source dairy farmer with an ICBF HerdPlus profile for details of their CBV data. âThat will give them an indication of the star rating of the calvesâ, Tommy explained.
âMost of our farmers would be sourcing calves relatively locally, so there isnât a massive amount of stress being put on calves travelling long distances. Theyâre sourcing calves within an hour or so, when possibleâ, Tommy said.
If calves are travelling further, theyâre offered electrolytes for the first feed upon arrival on the rearing farm.
Milk replacer feeding starts after that. âSelecting the right milk replacer is hugely importantâ, Tommy said. âItâs the main part of the calfâs dietâ. A protein content in excess of 20% is key, he said. Replacer should have a fat content of 18-20%, an ash content of about 8%, and fibre content no greater than 0.15%.
âThe big one that youâre looking for is the milk-derived proteins, either from skim, milk powder, or from whey proteinâ, Tommy said. For the first two or three weeks of a calfâs life, milk-derived proteins are the only proteins it can digest efficiently.
âYou want a powder thatâs easily mixed as wellâ, he said. No residues should be left on mixing equipment. âIf thatâs the case, the formulation isnât completed correctly, and the calves arenât getting the correct consistency of milk replacerâ, Tommy explained.
There is considerable variation in calf-rearing systems. âThe big thing is to continuously monitor your calvesâ, Tommy said. Hygiene is crucial. Feeding equipment should be regularly cleaned, with continuous checking of teats on automatic feeders to ensure theyâre working correctly.
âNone of our farmers would be feeding once a day until the calf is at least 35 days old,â he said. âThey would be feeding six litres a day up to when the calf is at least 35 to 40 days of age, and then they would be stepping back the milk replacerâ.
As milk replacer is reduced, the calf will be eating an increasing quantity of concentrate. Developing the calfâs rumen is a key objective in the early rearing period, so that they will be able to digest grazed grass from the first summer onwards. The starter ration plays a vital role in developing the rumen. Feeding the calf a palatable starter calf ration should commence as soon as it arrives on farm, keeping that starter ration fresh and clean, and trying to encourage consumption. âThatâs a key key area. Once the calfâs rumen is developed, you shouldnât have that many setbacks out at grassâ, Tommy said.
âMost of our farmers would be weaning the calf more on weight rather than ageâ, Tommy said. âWhen the calf is eating in excess of or close to two kilos of meal per head per day, theyâre stepping back the amount of milk replacer, and once the calf generally hits 80-90kg, theyâre taking them off the milk replacerâ.
Some farmers use straw instead of hay to prevent potbelly in calves. âItâs an easier roughage for calves to feed on and digestâ, Tommy said. âWater is crucially, crucially, hugely important. Itâs important for the development of the calfâs rumen, and itâs important for them to keep hydrated. That will also entice the concentrate intakeâ.
