September 23, 2025 • 6 mins
Veronica Oostveen of Dairy NZ looks at calf weight targets.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Veronica Ousphine out of Darien's. It joins us this afternoon
on the muster. A little bit of Johnny Cash to
see us in there. Great tunes by the way, Veronica,
Good afternoon, hell segs Hi.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Things are good.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Busy time on the farm at the moment. A lot
of calving is getting well through now. Talking to a
few people yesterday, they're onto the lates, so the end
is now. But all of a sudden, we'd look at
what's happening around mating and the likes. But getting those
calves up to weedingwey something you want to touch on today.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, definitely. I think we've had I've had quite a
few conversations with people recently about eating targets, even our
one targets. This time of year, there's a lot, Like
you said, there's a lot going on. We might even
still have Calason crop all the way through to thinking
about our our ones. So it's just it's a really
busy time. We're thinking about a lot of things. But
(01:15):
we probably want to make sure that we don't lose
sight of our you know, our halfer mating and our
half for plans, because yeah, that really sets us up
for next season.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Is it something you've seen recently though, regarding heapaways and
the likes, has it been a concern ongoing concern with
such So generally it's pretty good.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
I think it's a bit of a mixed bag. Like
last season was really challenging to feed heifers. Even some
of the best halfer grazing we've seen still struggle to
feed them. Like, they don't like bad weather, they don't
like getting wet, they don't like wet feet, you know,
they just kind of run circles around a paddock. Really
challenging to feed them last year. So we saw those
(01:55):
ones coming into the herd this year were potentially a
little bit underweight because of that that rough time. So
when cat when heifer's are are ones kind of turned
to R twos, that's around twelve months of age, they
should be fifty percent of their live weight at that
kind of twelve month's point. If R twos are significantly
shorter than your mature caves pre calving, this will be
(02:18):
due to a feed management problem pre puberty. So right
now is when we really want to be looking at
those animals and be like, are they hitting their fifty
percent mark? Because that's like a huge benchmark to make
sure they're hitting that on time.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
The arguments there anything born last season, you're going to
have to check their host to see if he's any
webbing in there.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
It was that weight though, yeah, exactly what they've developed fins,
So yeah, I think, yeah, that's that's a big one.
And then also there's been a lot of concern around
weaning weights with cabs feeding calves through there are a
lot of extra cabs being reared this year. We know
that through Bobby schedules that are lighter. So we just
(03:01):
wanted to kind of drive home those kind of best practices,
which you can find all this on our website of course,
and all these tools, but that looking at that weaning
rate around that kind of ninety to one hundred kilos
give or take the breed of the animal, or eating
enough drive feed and when we say enough drive feed
kind of best practices, they're eating about a kilo a
(03:22):
day of meal. You also want to look at which
meal you're giving them closer to weaning because they need
different protein percentages, and we have some table breakdowns if
you kind of look up or google on our website
search that hafer management. A lot of this will come
up and it'll show you what weight they should be
at at which age with which spart like target that
(03:45):
you're shooting for as an R two, So that kind
of maps it out as well as seed requirement, nutrition
requirements that they need throughout those first two years.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Supplement a side, What are the fade people's like at
the moment?
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Veronica all over the place to be and Andy Stilt,
Like I've heard different parts of the region are still
swimming in grass, and then there's like the likes of
Northern Southland that is actually kind of struggling for cover
at the moment. So yeah, it's it's a little bit
all over the place. And then even into like Clinton
(04:17):
or like the Tyree as well, lower lower growth rates,
so and then yeah, Winton and the South has been
a bit wet. So yeah, it's it's all over the
show at the moment. But I have heard that it
is going to be difficult to kind of or most
are starting the second round this week, and it looks
like there's a potential quality issue coming in so that
(04:40):
affects our mix stage cows as much as those are ones.
Maybe like our ones need really good high quality feed
to grow they need more to be able to turn
that into live weight, just like good mixtage cows need
emy to turn that into milk production. So don't try
and force these young cows in these high cover to
(05:00):
clean up a paddock. I mean, you can eventually force them.
They will get hungry enough they will eat it. But
you'd be better off to use a lot of animals
to bring pasture covers down and kind of go back
in and graze with different aged animals, then force one
group of animals to eat a paddock down.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Veronica Events coming out with Dary Indeed, what's the happenings.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Yeah, so on this topic. Actually we've partnered with Dairy
Women's Network, Well, Dairy Women's Network has partnered with US
I should say, and that South and we are going
to be having an event on October night talking about
weaning and young stock management in Odepiri and you can
find that information on their website as well as we've
got a lot of events kicking off in October. Some
(05:43):
discussion groups have come back in which is great to
see around the region, as well as we have some
partnered events with Fonterra happening the second week of October.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Johnny Cash the musing today. You're a fan of South Sco.
But it's pretty good.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yeah, I'm a fan.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Definitely nothing wrong with Jay Cash on a Wednesday. Veronica, Hey,
thanks for your time as always and we'll catch up again.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Thanks so much, Andy appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
I walk the line good shownes if I do say
so myself. Veronica, who's feen out of dairy and Z?
You're listening to the muster up next? Nick Bewley at
a news talk zibbing gold Sport.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I find it very very easy to be true. I
find myself alone when each days through
Veronica Ousphine out of Darien's. It joins us this afternoon
on the muster. A little bit of Johnny Cash to
see us in there. Great tunes by the way, Veronica,
Good afternoon, hell segs Hi.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Things are good.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Busy time on the farm at the moment. A lot
of calving is getting well through now. Talking to a
few people yesterday, they're onto the lates, so the end
is now. But all of a sudden, we'd look at
what's happening around mating and the likes. But getting those
calves up to weedingwey something you want to touch on today.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, definitely. I think we've had I've had quite a
few conversations with people recently about eating targets, even our
one targets. This time of year, there's a lot, Like
you said, there's a lot going on. We might even
still have Calason crop all the way through to thinking
about our our ones. So it's just it's a really
busy time. We're thinking about a lot of things. But
(01:15):
we probably want to make sure that we don't lose
sight of our you know, our halfer mating and our
half for plans, because yeah, that really sets us up
for next season.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Is it something you've seen recently though, regarding heapaways and
the likes, has it been a concern ongoing concern with
such So generally it's pretty good.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
I think it's a bit of a mixed bag. Like
last season was really challenging to feed heifers. Even some
of the best halfer grazing we've seen still struggle to
feed them. Like, they don't like bad weather, they don't
like getting wet, they don't like wet feet, you know,
they just kind of run circles around a paddock. Really
challenging to feed them last year. So we saw those
(01:55):
ones coming into the herd this year were potentially a
little bit underweight because of that that rough time. So
when cat when heifer's are are ones kind of turned
to R twos, that's around twelve months of age, they
should be fifty percent of their live weight at that
kind of twelve month's point. If R twos are significantly
shorter than your mature caves pre calving, this will be
(02:18):
due to a feed management problem pre puberty. So right
now is when we really want to be looking at
those animals and be like, are they hitting their fifty
percent mark? Because that's like a huge benchmark to make
sure they're hitting that on time.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
The arguments there anything born last season, you're going to
have to check their host to see if he's any
webbing in there.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
It was that weight though, yeah, exactly what they've developed fins,
So yeah, I think, yeah, that's that's a big one.
And then also there's been a lot of concern around
weaning weights with cabs feeding calves through there are a
lot of extra cabs being reared this year. We know
that through Bobby schedules that are lighter. So we just
(03:01):
wanted to kind of drive home those kind of best practices,
which you can find all this on our website of course,
and all these tools, but that looking at that weaning
rate around that kind of ninety to one hundred kilos
give or take the breed of the animal, or eating
enough drive feed and when we say enough drive feed
kind of best practices, they're eating about a kilo a
(03:22):
day of meal. You also want to look at which
meal you're giving them closer to weaning because they need
different protein percentages, and we have some table breakdowns if
you kind of look up or google on our website
search that hafer management. A lot of this will come
up and it'll show you what weight they should be
at at which age with which spart like target that
(03:45):
you're shooting for as an R two, So that kind
of maps it out as well as seed requirement, nutrition
requirements that they need throughout those first two years.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Supplement a side, What are the fade people's like at
the moment?
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Veronica all over the place to be and Andy Stilt,
Like I've heard different parts of the region are still
swimming in grass, and then there's like the likes of
Northern Southland that is actually kind of struggling for cover
at the moment. So yeah, it's it's a little bit
all over the place. And then even into like Clinton
(04:17):
or like the Tyree as well, lower lower growth rates,
so and then yeah, Winton and the South has been
a bit wet. So yeah, it's it's all over the
show at the moment. But I have heard that it
is going to be difficult to kind of or most
are starting the second round this week, and it looks
like there's a potential quality issue coming in so that
(04:40):
affects our mix stage cows as much as those are ones.
Maybe like our ones need really good high quality feed
to grow they need more to be able to turn
that into live weight, just like good mixtage cows need
emy to turn that into milk production. So don't try
and force these young cows in these high cover to
(05:00):
clean up a paddock. I mean, you can eventually force them.
They will get hungry enough they will eat it. But
you'd be better off to use a lot of animals
to bring pasture covers down and kind of go back
in and graze with different aged animals, then force one
group of animals to eat a paddock down.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Veronica Events coming out with Dary Indeed, what's the happenings.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Yeah, so on this topic. Actually we've partnered with Dairy
Women's Network, Well, Dairy Women's Network has partnered with US
I should say, and that South and we are going
to be having an event on October night talking about
weaning and young stock management in Odepiri and you can
find that information on their website as well as we've
got a lot of events kicking off in October. Some
(05:43):
discussion groups have come back in which is great to
see around the region, as well as we have some
partnered events with Fonterra happening the second week of October.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Johnny Cash the musing today. You're a fan of South Sco.
But it's pretty good.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yeah, I'm a fan.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Definitely nothing wrong with Jay Cash on a Wednesday. Veronica, Hey,
thanks for your time as always and we'll catch up again.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Thanks so much, Andy appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
I walk the line good shownes if I do say
so myself. Veronica, who's feen out of dairy and Z?
You're listening to the muster up next? Nick Bewley at
a news talk zibbing gold Sport.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I find it very very easy to be true. I
find myself alone when each days through
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.