Farmer Focus: A year of light calves and a poor scanning

Once the cows are inside for the winter and the calves have all been over the weigh crate, I sit down and work out the average weight of all the calves. For the past three years, they have averaged 335kg.

I had a good feeling about this year’s weights, but was disappointed when they averaged 332kg.

I then remembered that I had calved 29 heifers in 2022. This would be about double what we would have normally calved.

See also: Nerves over forage and costs before suckled calf sales

About the author

Steven Sandison

Livestock Farmer Focus writer Steven Sandison farms 90 Simmental and Salers-cross suckler cows on the Orkney Islands in partnership with his wife, Lorraine, on 134ha (330 acres). They have a 150-ewe flock of Shetland cross Cheviot ewes. Maximising grass is a priority.

Read more articles by Steven Sandison

Considering that the heifer calves can be anything up to 60kg lighter than a mature cow’s calf, our overall average is probably not that bad.

After such a good growing season, when the cattle have done so well and the finished cattle price has been at record levels at times this year, it is a shame that the calf sales haven’t seen much of a lift in price.

Our steers averaged £810, which was only a few more pounds than last year.

It is understandable with the increase in input costs, that finishers are reluctant to pay much more for the cattle they are buying.

Those of us with cows have also had to endure the increase in costs and something must give at some point. 

Scanning didn’t go too well. We had nine empty cows out of 97. Six had been with one bull, so I’m afraid his time is probably up.

I normally feed the cull cows on a bedded court until February in the hope that the trade improves.

But our straw still isn’t baled and feed is almost £400/t, so I don’t think I can watch them turn my dwindling stocks of straw into dung this early in the winter.

We have eventually joined up to a flock health group with our vets. We had been intending to sign up all year and never got round to it.

When the ewes were in for their pre-tupping bolus and dose, it seemed a good time to get them checked over.

Blood tests didn’t show anything to be concerned about, but the vet did think about 10% of the ewes were too lean.

They will be kept on the best grass after the tups come out, while the rest of the ewes will go onto rougher grazing.