options for pure dairy-bred male calves mary vickers
TRANSCRIPT
Options for pure dairy-bred male calves
Mary Vickers
A technical report• Veal production systems
• Bull production systems – intensive and including home grown forages
• Potential to graze bulls for part of the system
• Steer production systems - intensive and including home grown forages
• Advantages and disadvantages of castration
• Effect of birth date on production system/marketing date
GB finished steer prices
230
240
250
260
270
280
290
300
310
320
J F M A M J J A S O N D
2006-2010 Average
2009
2010
2011
p per kg dw
Source: AHDB/EBLEX
GB finished young bull prices
210
220
230
240
250
260
270
280
290
300
J F M A M J J A S O N D
2006-2010 Average
2009
2010
2011
p per kg dw
Source: AHDB/EBLEX
Outputs
• A technical report
• Veal production factsheet
• Case studies & material for knowledge transfer
• Recommendations for future work:
R&D work
Knowledge transfer work
On-farm demonstration work
Time scale
• Work started July 2011
• Due to complete December 2011
• Available at www.eblex.org.uk
• Ideas for follow up work welcome ……………