Cattle / calf question

Hi All,

Live on 6 acres, 5 acres of paddocks. We already have 4 sheep and 3 goats and am wanting to get a calf or two for lawn mower / meat.

Questions:
Can I fit two cavles / cows on my property (plenty of green grass)
What breed? (Hereford / angus ???)
And where can you just buy 1 or 2 from? (saleyards?)

Any advice would be great,

GG
 
What's your rainfall?

If it's the same as Melbourne, just 650 mills or so, I'd think 2 calves would be pushing the carrying capacity on their own, without the sheep and goats. When they get to 6 months old or over, they will be eating far more than the sheep and goats do now.

If you are getting say 1000 mills, it might be possible if your chucking out some hay or something during the dryer summer period.


See ya's.
 
What breed? (Hereford / angus ???)

GG


Both angus and herefords are fairly docile. I'd think that would be important for your situation. I've got a limo bull, as they throw nice calves that meat buyers want when put over our hereford/angus/dairy cross cows, but crikey the calves are wild when half limo.!

See ya's.
 
What's your rainfall?

If it's the same as Melbourne, just 650 mills or so, I'd think 2 calves would be pushing the carrying capacity on their own, without the sheep and goats. When they get to 6 months old or over, they will be eating far more than the sheep and goats do now.

If you are getting say 1000 mills, it might be possible if your chucking out some hay or something during the dryer summer period.


See ya's.

Hi TC,

Thanks for your replies. The grass on my 5 acres is becoming overgrown, the sheep and goats aren't keeping it down, they even struggled to keep it down over winter.

I have plenty of waterforthem as i have a spring feed dam.

So are you saying I should only get one calf? I read that it is good to have at least two (herd animals)

Cheers

GG
 
grass on my 5 acres is becoming overgrown, the sheep and goats aren't keeping it down, they even struggled to keep it down over winter.

Hi GG

I'm nowhere near the authority on this matter as TC is but are you basing this opinion on a year round experience? There's a fine line between under and overstocking, particularly towards the end of summer from what I can tell. I believe pasture growth in a wet winter is usually pretty good in comparison...

Perhaps you should start with one and see how it goes for a full year before getting the second? Carting feed because of overstocking is not a fun job...
 
So are you saying I should only get one calf? I read that it is good to have at least two (herd animals)


Possibly. I don't know how productive your land is though.

I will take a rough guess though and say two 500 kilo steers or heifers will eat twice as much as your 4 sheep and 3 goats currently do. Is that a guide?

See ya's.
 
You should be able to put two on there if you went for a smaller boutique breed like a square meater or dexter. Don't really know that much about these breeds except from speaking to people showing them beside our cattle at the Ekka last year. They are bred for people with small "town" blocks. Jump on the web and you should be able to find local breeders in your area.

If you didn't want to have one of the mini breeds, I'm a bit biased about Angus cattle as I've just finished working for a meat export company for the past few years and they have an Angus-cross herd, and they produce a beautiful bit of meat.

I just sold 100 or so of my steers (charbray/droughtmaster), you could have bought one of them but trucking costs down there may have been a bit much! :) Check at your local saleyards, they should have a pig and calf sale once a month and you can get one there.
You'll need to apply for a PIC (propety identification code) if you haven't done so already as all cattle movements need to be recorded by NLIS.

No need to worry about having one calf by itself, chances are with you hand-feeding it, it will be quiet in no time.

Got a few mates working on studs down Vic way and can pass their details on if you get stuck.

P.S. Unless you have a heart of stone, you'll never be able to eat one of your poddies!
 
GG

Why don't you put some of your paddocks up for agistment for horses? Make some money each week.

I am currently feeding a calf. Just turned 5 weeks old. We have been feeding it since it was a day or two old. Not sure of the age you were considering, but if it was going to be a newborn, you will be up for $100/bag of milk replacement. We are just finishing our 2nd bag. Also poddy pellets and hay. They will start on these around the 2 week mark.
Also either 1 or 2 feeds per day. We hope to wean him off milk before Xmas.
Anyway, I just wanted to point out the expense of raising a young calf.

Kinga
 
GG

Why don't you put some of your paddocks up for agistment for horses? Make some money each week.

I am currently feeding a calf. Just turned 5 weeks old. We have been feeding it since it was a day or two old. Not sure of the age you were considering, but if it was going to be a newborn, you will be up for $100/bag of milk replacement. We are just finishing our 2nd bag. Also poddy pellets and hay. They will start on these around the 2 week mark.
Also either 1 or 2 feeds per day. We hope to wean him off milk before Xmas.
Anyway, I just wanted to point out the expense of raising a young calf.

Kinga


Hi Kinga,

Not really interested in horses.

I have just raised to lambs from 2 days old abd yes it is costly :rolleyes:

GG
 
Don't envy you GG. Sheep and goats need to be wormed often. More expense. Are your sheep the self shedding variety or do you need to find a shearer when the time is right?

As I don't think you will eat your own, you must already have your PIC in order otherwise you will be unable to sell. I assume in Vic your sheep need to be tagged when you sell. Same for cattle.

Kinga
 
Don't envy you GG. Sheep and goats need to be wormed often. More expense. Are your sheep the self shedding variety or do you need to find a shearer when the time is right?

As I don't think you will eat your own, you must already have your PIC in order otherwise you will be unable to sell. I assume in Vic your sheep need to be tagged when you sell. Same for cattle.

Kinga

My sheep are Whiltshire horns, self shedders :)

GG
 
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