![]() rear end – clean, with no sign of diarrhoea.eyes – should be bright and alert, not sunken.A sick calf can die very quickly, bring disease onto your property that you can never eliminate and infect other cattle. Never buy a calf that is not 100 per cent well. at least four days old (older is better).I prefer Murray Grey-cross calves as they have quiet temperaments (although too quiet and they can easily become a pet!), but all the beef breeds have done well for me. Most calves available are from the dairy industry and are a cross breed, a milking cow mated with a beef bull. If you can get a farmer to raise the calf until it is 7-10 days old, the calf will do a lot better and you will get an animal that is past the riskiest time period.īeef breeds will provide a lot more meat on killing than a milking breed, so it is false economy to buy the cheaper bobby calves. This is at the very least one, but preferably two bags of milk powder which are around $100 each. Be wary of paying more as it may be more economical to buy a weaner by the time you calculate how much milk powder it will cost to get the calf to the weaning stage. You can source a calf for less than $100 in season (July to November) but prices can be higher depending on demand. You will need a shed to shelter them in for the first few weeks. Price: approximately $100 or less, depending on the seasonīuying four-day-old calves and raising them yourself takes more work but is fun for the children to be involved. If they are receiving grain supplements, continue feeding it as you gradually change their diet to grass.ĭon’t force a sudden complete diet change on any livestock as their stomachs can’t digest the new food.Īge: four days old+, preferably 7-10 days Ensure the ones you buy are already eating grass, not just grain. These are calves old enough to eat grass. The easiest way to start is to buy two weaners. How to build a chicken coop with a living roofĪge: 8-12 weeks, over 100kg, the older the better The seller will also provide you with an ASD form (Animal Status Declaration) which shows their herd’s TB history. ![]() It’s also a good idea to take note of the seller’s NAIT number. A seller will require your NAIT number, and you will need to update your NAIT status when you get your cattle home. Register before you purchase your calves. The NAIT registration can be done online, but the TBfree requires a form to be completed which its help desk can provide details for. OSPIRI manages these two national programmes: (0800 482 463), .nz. TBFree – the stock control system which aims to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) in NZīoth are free services. NAIT – the National Animal Identification and Tracing scheme ![]() If you don’t have internal fencing, an electric fence system is an option and of course, every break/paddock needs water.Īnyone who owns cattle, even if it’s just one animal, must be registered with: Intensive farmers move their cattle daily (or more) but a weekly move onto new grass while the other paddocks regrow is sufficient. The more paddocks you have and the more you can break-feed the better. You need at least two separate paddocks, preferably more, so you can rotate your grazing. ![]() Ensure your boundary fences are stock proof.ĥ. To work out exactly how much grazing area you have, use the Google Maps area calculator tool to outline your paddocks.Ĥ. Graze the minimum number of beasts to start off with – it is much better to be understocked than overstocked. I raise two calves a year and have 5-6 beef cattle/calves grazing at a time.ģ. My 2.8ha (7 acres) of good Waikato grass can carry seven cattle of various ages. If that’s not your block, ask a neighbour what their stocking rate is to see what your land could possibly feed through a dry summer and a cold winter. By that, I’m referring to prime grass-growing land in a benign climate. You need a minimum of 1ha (2.5 acres) of grazing land for two mature cattle. Everyone needs a friend (who else is going to lick that scratch on their back?) so plan to have at least two beasts at any one time.Ģ. You should never have just one animal by itself – isolation is a form a torture. This is a lot of meat and will fill up a small chest freezer with top grade steak (whole eye fillet!), good sausages and everything in between.ġ. Raising a couple of beefies is a relatively easy way to keep your grass under control and provide the family with meat.Īn 18-month-old beast can provide over 150kg of beef.
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