As we enter peak calving season in many parts of the country, dairy farmers are being reminded of the importance of turning out quality calves if bringing them to a mart to sell.
Calves which are taken to the mart and are not well presented leave mart managers in an awkward position trying to find customers for this type of stock.
While beef-sired bull and heifer calves are an easy sell and clearing €500 in some cases, the lighter, plain, dairy-bred bull calf is proving a harder sell.
Customers in mainland Europe as well as many calf rearers at home are keen for Friesian bull calves – on the condition they are lively, healthy and full of vigor.
With the strict disease protocols and excellent hygiene standards in place on most Irish dairy farms, calves that are taken to the mart are brought to be sold and dairy farmers are reluctant to bring calves home.
With this in mind, it is important when selling calves to present a calf that is lively, healthy and performing to the very best of its genetic potential to ensure it will be of interest to calf buyers.
In some cases, to do this with certain types of calves, it may result in a negative margin on the calf itself. However, dairy farmers must remember that turning out a quality calf for sale is their responsibility and milk produced from the dam afterwards will quickly recoup any costs incurred by rearing the calf to the point of sale.
There is a mindset among some dairy farmers that it costs a lot to bring a bull calf to a good sale weight, but they should be reminded that a social licence to produce milk is what they’re paying for.
It is important that dairy farmers have a well-presented, well-fed calf on offer when selling surplus calves and before taking a calf to the mart, ask yourself: ‘If I was buying this calf, would I be happy with the way it is presented?‘