Surplus Calves Research Articles

Breeding objectives for beef cattle used in different production systems: 2. Model application to production systems with the Charolais breed

A general bio-economic model for beef cattle production was used to define breeding objectives for Charolais cattle to be utilized in a variety of linked production systems. Economic weights were calculated for 16 traits (some with both direct and maternal components) in three production systems (pure-breeding and terminal crossing with beef or dairy cows) and two marketing strategies (sale or fattening of weaned surplus calves). Economic weights for the total breeding objective were calculated as weighted averages, where weights were numbers of cows expected to be mated with Charolais bulls in each production system and marketing strategy. Results suggest that the direct component of calving performance and cow longevity were of primary economic importance in all systems. Conception rate of cows and weaning weight reached about 50% of the standardized economic weight of calving performance in purebred systems with sale of weaned calves, whereas in purebred systems with fattening the economic importance of the direct component of cow conception rate, losses at calving, mature weight of cows, weaning weight, and fattening traits were of equal importance (each approximately about 20% that of calving performance). In terminal crossing systems, weaning weight was important when calves were sold at weaning, and fattening traits were important for systems selling fattened animals. The bio-economic model performed well under the conditions of this demonstration and could easily be customized for other applications.

System expansion and allocation in life cycle assessment of milk and beef production

System expansion is a method used to avoid co-product allocation. Up to this point in time it has seldom been used in LCA studies of food products, although food production systems often are characterised by closely interlinked sub-systems. One of the most important allocation problems that occurs in LCAs of agricultural products is the question of how to handle the co-product beef from milk production since almost half of the beef production in the EU is derived from co-products from the dairy sector. The purpose of this paper is to compare different methods of handling co-products when dividing the environmental burden of the milk production system between milk and the co-products meat and surplus calves. This article presents results from an LCA of organic milk production in which different methods of handling the co-products are examined. The comparison of different methods of co-product handling is based on a Swedish LCA case study of milk production where economic allocation between milk and meat was initially used. Allocation of the co-products meat and surplus calves was avoided by expanding the milk system. LCA data were collected from another case study where the alternative way of producing meat was analysed, i.e. using a beef cow that produces one calf per annum to be raised for one and a half year. The LCA of beef production was included in the milk system. A discussion is conducted focussing on the importance of modelling and analysing milk and beef production in an integrated way when foreseeing and planning the environmental consequences of manipulating milk and beef production systems. This study shows that economic allocation between milk and beef favours the product beef. When system expansion is performed, the environmental benefits of milk production due to its co-products of surplus calves and meat become obvious. This is especially connected to the impact categories that describe the potential environmental burden of biogenic emissions such as methane and ammonia and nitrogen losses due to land use and its fertilising. The reason for this is that beef production in combination with milk can be carried out with fewer animals than in sole beef production systems. Milk and beef production systems are closely connected. Changes in milk production systems will cause alterations in beef production systems. It is concluded that in prospective LCA studies, system expansion should be performed to obtain adequate information of the environmental consequences of manipulating production systems that are interlinked to each other.

The use of autumn grass for weaned calves

On hill farms where breeding cattle are kept there are advantages in retaining until the following spring at least a proportion of the surplus calves. The ability to winter them presents wider scope in choice of markets, while the sale of calves in spring, in addition to the dung produced, can provide a greater profit margin if wintering costs are minimised. Grass used efficiently in autumn offers an opportunity to reduce the requirement of the relatively expensive hay, silage, other crops and purchased feed. The value of extended grazing throughout autumn and winter months has been demonstrated by Smith (1953-4) for Blackface ewe hoggs, and for store stock and in-calf heifers by Hughes (1954) and Corbett (1954). In the case of calves, however, the period when late grass can be utilised depends on the continuance of moderate temperatures and availability of shelter from wind and rain, and therefore in most seasons will be relatively short. With these considerations in mind it was decided to compare the performance of two groups of weaned calves, one of which was housed and fed in courts immediately after weaning, while the other remained on grass for several weeks prior to court feeding.

457. The sale of surplus calves in Great Britain, 1940–50

1. A record has been made of the volume of the trade in surplus calves in Great Britain for the period 1940–50; it has averaged one and a quarter million calves each year. The highest numbers sold in any year occurred in 1946 (Fig. 1).2. The seasonality of calf sales showing an annual increasing volume of autumn calves (with October the peak month) is a reflexion of the development of dairying and of the priority for winter milk (Fig. 2A and Fig. 3, Sheets 1 and 2).3. Of the total calves 46.7% were classified as bobbies and 50.8% as veals. The small remainder consisted of stirkies (other strong calves), casualties and those unfit for human consumption (Table 1).4. Nearly 63% of the veals were 3rd quality and only about 12% of the 1st quality.5. The seasonality of veal deliveries showed a maximum proportion in June (with a correspondingly lower proportion of bobbies in that month). The maximum numbers however correspond with the maximum gross deliveries in October (Fig. 2B).6. There has been an annual deterioration in the quality of the surplus calves as indicated by: (a) the lower proportions of veals in the total during each year, (b) the higher proportions of 3rd quality veals in the total veals each year, and (c) the reduction in the monthly proportions of 1st quality veals.7. An attempt has been made to relate the calf sales to calf births and populations of under 1-year-old cattle and of total cows.8. It is estimated that the calf crop as a percentage of the total cows has improved since 1940, and for the last 8 years it has averaged 92%.