The decision to source dairy-bred calves locally came about seven years ago when Mr King began to experience health challenges in bought-in cattle. The value of mixed farming has long been recognised by the King family, who traditionally ran pigs and cattle alongside the arable.

“What’s the point when you can feed the real thing, get the muck back and produce a product the market wants?” Sourcing calves “Big arable farms are turning to AD plants and they’re feeding the concrete cow,” says Mr King. This could be particularly attractive to arable farms looking to address diminishing soil fertility by reintroducing stock. Construction business: K&J Construction – fabricates and manufactures steel-framed agricultural buildings.Grass and maize for cattle are bought at cost rate from Wix Farms by WL King & Son.Grows winter wheat, winter barley, spring peas, potatoes, onions and maize and grass leys for cattle.Will King is also part of Wix Farms, a co-operative farming arrangement with two neighbouring arable farmers.162ha at Old Oaks Farm, including 121ha of arable.Will King farms in partnership with parents, Brian and Judy (WL King & Son).

With Arla among a growing number of milk processors moving to stop the slaughter of dairy bull calves under eight weeks old, Mr King’s model could prove useful to dairy farmers looking for an outlet for calves. “We’re feeding them waste products – while still providing a quality diet – and homegrown feed such as potatoes and homegrown fodder beet this year. “I’m buying a low-cost animal that no one has tried to get a profit from before me,” explains Mr King. See also: Target daily liveweight gains to cut beef finishing times Buying “waste” dairy bull calves and finishing them on low-cost feed and crop waste is helping to keep feed costs low while improving arable ground.Įach year, Will King buys 1,000 dairy bull calves and dairy cross beef calves from the three main commercial dairy herds in Essex.Īfter rearing, they move on to a low-cost ration that uses unsaleable crops from the arable business and bought-in feed waste.

Raising a bull calf