Is it better to sell or breed calves?

The most important moment in livestock farming has arrived, the time to wean the calves, but what should I do with them? Recreate them on the farm or sell them?

The first step is to know whether the farm has an established production system, that is, whether it works only in the breeding system or carries out the complete cycle.

On a farm that works in the breeding system, the calves that will be replaced by the matrix are generally reared, with the other areas filled with cows and breeders, with no space for the rearing of calves and cull heifers (those that will not remain for squad replacement).

In the rearing phase (time period from weaning to finishing) the animal has great nutritional requirements to achieve good performance, therefore the property must be prepared to offer pasture in quantity and quality, being able to complement the diet with the aid of supplementation in the trough. .

The farm that works with a full cycle system must be prepared to meet the requirements of these animals after weaning, as weaning is generally carried out in autumn, these animals can benefit from ILP (crop-livestock integration) or sequestered in confinement until the end of winter or drought, depending on the region.

To prepare, we must have planning of the production system, with a forage plan and stocking throughout the year. Planning is our guiding element, which will guide us along the way.

Market opportunity, normally the calf premium was around 15 to 25%, currently we have a premium reaching 50% on the price of fed cattle, all of this due to the appreciation of fed cattle and the scarcity of calves.

Be careful, when recreating this animal the premium tends to fall, the heavier the animal the lower the value paid above the fat cattle, so we must have an efficient breeding system.

Therefore, have a defined production system, forage and system planning, pay attention to the market but be very careful when trying to “embrace” all market opportunities by changing the system already defined within the gate. When changing the production system, have a good project in hand and know that it will be a long journey, remember that we must not harm our production system due to the momentary greed of the market.