The first of the 2024 born dairy-beef calves have began to arrive on the ABP Demo Farm.
These calves are purchased directly off dairy farms, and as of Thursday, February 29, a total of 79 calves have arrived – almost twice the amount that arrived the same time period of last year.
The farm buys approximately 400 dairy-beef calves every spring, and takes them through to beef as either heifers or steers.
Speaking to Agriland, ABP Food Group’s Advantage Beef Programme farm liaison officer, Sean Maher explained that the earlier in the spring that calves begin to arrive on the ABP Demo Farm, the better.
Some of the 2024 calves on the ABP Demo Farm:
He said: “It’s hard to beat the early calf for performance levels throughout their first summer at grass.”
The average calf arrival weight to date this year has been 58kg, similar to what it is has been over the last number of years.
The calf breeds purchased by the ABP Demo Farm to date this year include:
- Angus;
- Hereford;
- Friesian;
- Belgian Blue;
- Limousin;
- Aubrac.
These calves arrive to the ABP Demo Farm at approximately three-weeks-of-age, and generally spend approximately six-to-seven weeks on milk.
Calves are deep bedded in straw and have access to fresh water, feed-quality straw from a rack and fresh concentrate feed at all times.
When the calves arrive to the ABP Demo Farm, they are graded into pens and are vaccinated intranasally against pneumonia.
Sean said: “Temperatures have been low in recent days, so we have cheap and cheerful canopies made up as shelter in the pens for calves.”
These shelter canopies are made up of gates with mesh and a layer of straw, which can help create a draught-free micro climate in the pens for the calves.
“Smaller calves will get jackets if we see fit, and the calves receive a small bit of extra milk and straw bedding on colder days,” Sean explained.
Yearling cattle on the ABP Demo Farm
The yearling spring 2022-born cattle are now being turned out to grass, and the first 40 were let to grass on Thursday, February 29.
Sean said: “The 40 lightest yearlings were let to grass first as the spring grass will give these a boost and help them to get a head start in their second grazing season.”
It is hoped the remaining 360-odd yearling cattle will be let to grass on the farm over the coming month.
Sean said: “These cattle will be weighed as they are turned to grass and the lightest batch that went out on Thursday had an average weight of 300kg.”
GreenFeeds binse are in use indoors with the last batch of yearlings carrying out their training programme on the GreenFeeds, which measure the me methane emissions from the cattle.