Gauteng Smallholder Gauteng Smallholder August 2017 | Page 28

LIVESTOCK
How to raise a bought-in calf
About this time of year, with
spring not far off, some
people get the idea that it
would be a good idea to buy
in a couple of calves, with a
view to rearing them to earn
some extra income.
If you are serious about
making a profit or even
covering costs, then you must
budget to see how things will
work out. Here is a list of
items to put in the budget:
K Calf price.
K Feed, including colostrum,
milk, milk replacer, fodder,
meal (concentrates)
K Bedding, eg shavings
K Veterinarian fees - drugs,
vaccinations and visits
K Disbudding/castration
K Ear tags
K Deaths. Plan to keep
these below 2-3%,
K Transport (specially if you
do not have your own
suitable vehicle or trailer),
K Selling commission (6%)
K Bank interest
K Power
K Labour
If you are still keen to do this,
keep the job simple. On a
smallholding don't buy more
than half a dozen calves,
preferably fewer.
The calves will need to be
housed in a clean, dry and
draught free environment
with access to sunlight and
shade. They will need space
to get up, lie down and move
around comfortably. They
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should not be left to sleep in
mud or on wet bedding.
They also need company and
to see and hear other
animals.
You will also need a 20 litre
bucket, a calf milk feeder
with teats for all of the calves,
a rain-proof and bird-proof
meal feeder for the paddock,
along with a paddock hay
rack and some good hay.
Find a top dairy farmer who
has a good, healthy herd and
make an arrangement to buy
and collect the whole group
in one pick up. The advan-
tage of this is that all the
calves will be of similar age,
and they will all have had
plenty of colostrum. When a
calf is born, the milk from the
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