M-J-G
Member
Do you have a supply of them from a proper Friesian herd?
Opinions on the "best" suckler cow
- Thread starter Up the Dale
- Start date
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
I did yes...still got some 18 years old
M-J-G
Member
What do you replace with now?
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
Been buying 3/4 lim heifers off him as he stopped milking and went into sucklers but can’t get enough off him so buying lim x blue heifers now
M-J-G
Member
Why aren't they better than the cows of yesteryear?
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
Just don’t seem to last as long or milk as well
- Location
- Fife
I may be able to source some. But it's a TB1 area. PM me if interested.
M-J-G
Member
We're self replacing here, but thanks for the thought
- Location
- Fife
What you running?We're self replacing here, but thanks for the thought
Chae1
Member
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
We once bought a batch of limousin x fresian cows, they all died from Johnes.
Could have been 25 years ago we bought them!
Could have been 25 years ago we bought them!
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M-J-G
Member
My own are Simmental so self replacing, we look after a farm near by where the cows are mostly Her x Fre/Hol bred back to polled Hereford, polled Simmental is being used so that a closed herd can be maintained.
M-J-G
Member
Less milk would be a given where terminal types like Lim and BB are used, I'd have thought the 3/4 Lim would have lasted well even if they were poorer milkers than 1/2 Lim.
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
The price cull cows are it doesnt worry me too much
I think a nice bit of native in a cow crossed to a continental bull, or just the opposite, continental cows crossed onto native bull.
One compliments the other. All native tends to go fat below ideal weights and all continental can give big cows with higher than desired finished weights needing meal.
Ideally I’d like a smaller native cow (easy to keep) crosses to a continental bull to give weaning weights at over 75% of the dams weight. Plus the cows could stay out longer at the back end and out earlier in the spring.
I’m committed to pedigree Blonde breeding and other than what my bulls are breeding I have little interest in commercial suckler cows. That said my cows although pedigree are still sucklers needing to pay for their keep, easy fleshing, milky, no big lumps of calves and a saleable bull from 14 months old.
Some other pedigree breeders find my replacement heifer selection strange. I don’t creep any heifers once weaned. It’s easy to see what heifers are capable of easy fleshing & sensible growth from silage or grass. I only keep 50% of my heifers in any given year so always looking to improve my breeding bulls. Bulls are ready for sale at little over a year and do very well on 4kg of meal a day. If they don’t - they are no use for me or my customers.
Your ground and farm location, plus what’s in your herd already will dictate what bull you need next.
One compliments the other. All native tends to go fat below ideal weights and all continental can give big cows with higher than desired finished weights needing meal.
Ideally I’d like a smaller native cow (easy to keep) crosses to a continental bull to give weaning weights at over 75% of the dams weight. Plus the cows could stay out longer at the back end and out earlier in the spring.
I’m committed to pedigree Blonde breeding and other than what my bulls are breeding I have little interest in commercial suckler cows. That said my cows although pedigree are still sucklers needing to pay for their keep, easy fleshing, milky, no big lumps of calves and a saleable bull from 14 months old.
Some other pedigree breeders find my replacement heifer selection strange. I don’t creep any heifers once weaned. It’s easy to see what heifers are capable of easy fleshing & sensible growth from silage or grass. I only keep 50% of my heifers in any given year so always looking to improve my breeding bulls. Bulls are ready for sale at little over a year and do very well on 4kg of meal a day. If they don’t - they are no use for me or my customers.
Your ground and farm location, plus what’s in your herd already will dictate what bull you need next.
CharcoalWally
Member
- Location
- West of Scotland
I had some 3/4 Lim cows as an experiment back in the 90's. When I saw how tbey performed they certainly didn't last long here.....??
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
i do like a good black Limousin with a white bag
M-J-G
Member
It's not really a good idea to creep feed heifer calves destined for breeding.
Are you increasing herd size by keeping so many heifers?
M-J-G
Member
What's causing the 3/4 to be culled earlier than your dairy X?
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
Well it’s usually 16 years old not 18 so I’m not going to complain
M-J-G
Member
So nothing wrong with them then.
Lucky you having to calve in so few heifers with them averaging such an impressive average.