Dairy Beef - 6 Months (rearing)

Growing calves are fed a specialist feed as well as good quality hay or haylage.

Once calves on less intensive systems are thriving and eating high quantities of forage they can be turned out onto grass. They would usually be at least 5 months of age and animals would only be turned out to grass in the spring or summer.

Non-castrated calves will be kept inside in batches where growth rates and diet can be closely supervised. The majority of intensive beef cattle are bull calves born on dairy herds, partly because dairy breeds have a much poorer confirmation for beef production and this system is the only economic one for the male cattle.

In intensive systems a high protein diet (around 20%) is fed, supplemented by forage which may be silage and / or straw. Sometimes vegetable waste may also be fed.

Calves not reared on their mothers are susceptible to lung worm and may receive a vaccination before being turned-out. They may also be wormed regularly through the growing season.

Any weaned calf that is being reared for beef production but is not ready for slaughter is termed a "store". Although some farmers grow on and finish their own store cattle many weaned calves are sold on to other farmers, often through large specialist autumn and spring sales at livestock markets.