Length Important In Calves

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31659, 20 April 1968, Page 9

Length Important In Calves

A well-known fattener of beef cattle, Mr R. D. Gould, of, Amberley, told a field day group recently that the main attribute he looked for in buying store calves was length. This was what counted when the cattle came to be killed. A short, stocky beast, which appeared to be equal to other cattle, actually weighed 1001 b less. Mr Gould, who regularly buys In calves to fatten to a dressed weight of 5001 b, said he was on lighter land than most fatteners, and he tried to buy calves which would fatten in six months, and could be sold fat at up to 12 months after purchase, depending on the season. Last year, he said, he bought in 280 calves for an average of $46. They were good medium-grade calves, and he began selling them off in October at around 4501 b. Shortly after he had sent the first draft away, an officer of the Sheep and Beef Cattle Survey came and weighed his remaining cattle. The ten heaviest beasts weighed 8841 b, and the ten lightest 7401 b, for an average of 8271 b. On the financial side, Mr Gould said that in buying calves—taking last season as an example—he aimed to sell a $5O calf for $BO. He thought that if a fattener paid extra for a good calf, he would get correspondingly more at the time of sale. Mr Gould said he tried to have his yearlings fat as they came out of the winter, as he had found they then required little to carry them through the summer.. On occasions, he had carried cattle through to the

Fat Stock Show in August. One beast had at that stage weighed out at 8001 b. It was rising two years of age. Discussing spraying cattle for lice, Mr Gould said the cost was small in relation to the benefit obtained. After spraying, cattle did much less rubbing on fences. He was, however, not so certain about the benefits of drenching. He planned to drench only the slower-thriving cattle at the end of the winter. Discussing wintering requirements, Mr Gould said that last winter he fed out a bale of hay for every ten beasts. They were on prairie grass and turnips. But at this rate of feeding hay they were a little lighter than in the previous year, when he had beasts kill out at 5001 b by Christchurch Show. Mr Gould placed some stress on the value of prairie grass. “I do not think I would do so well without it,” he told fanners. “A good prairie grass paddock will give three feedings, and there is still some left for ewes and lambs at the end of the winter.” Asked about the prevalence of bloat, he said he had lost only four beasts in 12 years. If a paddock appeared rather lush, he fed out ryegrass straw, and this prevented bloating. Mr Gould said that in spite of his attempts to forecast the markets, he decided to sell his cattle last spring, instead of carrying them into the autumn. He thought this had cost him “quite a bit of money, but that’s the way it goes.” Questioned about stocking rates, Mr Gould said this was hard to estimate. However, a 30-acre paddock of prairie grass and turnips had supported 100 weaner calves for 10 months. They had, in addition, been given a ration of one bale of hay to 10 beasts during the winter. Addressing farmers later, Mr P. D. Shea, senior cattle buyer for the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, at

Christchurch, said few farmers would be able to get the results achieved by Mr Gould. The average fattener would not be able to get his cattle to weigh out at around 5001 b until they were 16 or 17 months of age.