Blonde bulls

Whitepeak

Member
Livestock Farmer
Iv also noticed this morning the Simmental NXT gen sale is on for females and the red ladies next weekend for lims.

Is there a reason why there isn’t or can’t be a blonde female sale at this time of year?
Could call it the blonde babe sale?
I actually think it would be a very positive and good advert for the breed if say some of the top breeders put forward a couple of there best heifers or cows?
Also I think it would open doors to lots of new breeders and some good top prices could be achieved?
It has been suggested and the idea thrown about at the odd council meeting. The latest was possibly one for the 50th year, which was meant to be last year but we all know what happened with events then. There has usually been a good entry of females at the October Carlisle sale, @XXFarmerJessXX has usually sold 1 or 2, but particularly with the Irish not able to come over entries haven't been as great in the last couple of years. Definitely an idea to try and push again.
I’d be very happy with a 94%.
I usually end up between 90-95% and I just end up putting them through the fat ring and just now there making very good money for the best ones.
I’m guessing the ones not in calf are pedigree?
Do they make good money for you through the ring?
Yeah, pretty chuffed with that tbh. Yep, all 3 pedigree cows. Yeah, usually get good prices took 3 into Bakewell in October and had one up to £1400, they were straight out the field and weaned that morning.
How do you find the herd watch app Iv heard good things about it but I’m not very good with tech.
I'm on Herdwatch as well, it's a brilliant app I wouldn't be without it now! Very simple to use. Any questions about it just ask.
 

davieogrutha

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Orkney
ill pm you about fb. yeah bit unfair but can understand (a little) if they kept coming to ours they would have had to charge us extra and it would end up being a fortune. To be honest, A.I rates are shocking if we look at all the conception rates for ours, we try and double up every time and they still don't always hold. got some Bradbury Evan and nothing will hold to that- But i don't know whether its old semen or just a bad time for A.I
I've been getting on better with the AI by waiting about 3 hours after they have been doing all their jumping about and are more settled with themselves. Also found using a mineral drench or a good go of powder bulling minerals leading up to heat makes a better heat and easier to serve. The other tip I got from a AI man before he retired was you have a shorter length of time to serve in the winter months compared to summer months. So the 3 hours I said before you can maybe extend to 5-6 hours in the summer. That's when being able to do it yourself comes in very handy.
Hopefully I'm not telling you how to suck eggs here 😬.
Sounds a nice list of bulls in your tank😀 always room for more is the problem I keep facing 🙈
 

Davy_g

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co Down
Great thread guys. Sorry im only logging in now for the first time in ages. Too busy. Hope you are all well and great to see positive Blonde discussions.
 

FarmerDanny1989

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Scotland
It has been suggested and the idea thrown about at the odd council meeting. The latest was possibly one for the 50th year, which was meant to be last year but we all know what happened with events then. There has usually been a good entry of females at the October Carlisle sale, @XXFarmerJessXX has usually sold 1 or 2, but particularly with the Irish not able to come over entries haven't been as great in the last couple of years. Definitely an idea to try and push again.

Yeah, pretty chuffed with that tbh. Yep, all 3 pedigree cows. Yeah, usually get good prices took 3 into Bakewell in October and had one up to £1400, they were straight out the field and weaned that morning.

I'm on Herdwatch as well, it's a brilliant app I wouldn't be without it now! Very simple to use. Any questions about it just ask.
I think it would be a great idea and can only be a positive for the breed as long as the breeders are going to support it well. If you get good sponsors and decent prize money for your champion and say highest price could only encourage the breeders and the more entered can only mean more people will to travel and support with buying! I’d certainly be one of them.

That’s a shame hopefully they hold next time fingers crossed for you!
Thats a great achievement well done.

Thank you for that info I’ll defo look into it.
 

FarmerDanny1989

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Scotland
I've been getting on better with the AI by waiting about 3 hours after they have been doing all their jumping about and are more settled with themselves. Also found using a mineral drench or a good go of powder bulling minerals leading up to heat makes a better heat and easier to serve. The other tip I got from a AI man before he retired was you have a shorter length of time to serve in the winter months compared to summer months. So the 3 hours I said before you can maybe extend to 5-6 hours in the summer. That's when being able to do it yourself comes in very handy.
Hopefully I'm not telling you how to suck eggs here 😬.
Sounds a nice list of bulls in your tank😀 always room for more is the problem I keep facing 🙈
What bulls have you all in your tank?
 

Davy_g

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co Down
Hi there,
I’m guessing your a blonde breeder?
what sort of bulls have you in your A.I tank?
Here you go Farmer Danny.
Budore Donald (100's)
Budore Farrell (Dollar X Landais)
Baltra Iceman
Ashtonlodge Tyson (Sire of Barney)
Jigsaw
Ballygrainey Jack (Sire of Ballygowan Noble)
Easterton Rowan
Aaron
Budore Bud
Droit Crystal
Allacott Herbert
Ballygowan Noble
Aneto
Budore Utah
Aga Kahn
Landais (only one left)
Budore Emo
Fauxeen
Ark Maverick

You did ask. I use Ai on heifers and the odd cow to get a bit of different blood. No consistency in calves unless you use a bull that you have picked to iron out what you deem to be the faults in your cows.
French bulls are every bit as inconsistent if not more so than UK sires. Click on the link to my website to see what im at - i will have to update it sometime after the show the other week.
 

Whitepeak

Member
Livestock Farmer
Here you go Farmer Danny.
Budore Donald (100's)
Budore Farrell (Dollar X Landais)
Baltra Iceman
Ashtonlodge Tyson (Sire of Barney)
Jigsaw
Ballygrainey Jack (Sire of Ballygowan Noble)
Easterton Rowan
Aaron
Budore Bud
Droit Crystal
Allacott Herbert
Ballygowan Noble
Aneto
Budore Utah
Aga Kahn
Landais (only one left)
Budore Emo
Fauxeen
Ark Maverick

You did ask. I use Ai on heifers and the odd cow to get a bit of different blood. No consistency in calves unless you use a bull that you have picked to iron out what you deem to be the faults in your cows.
French bulls are every bit as inconsistent if not more so than UK sires. Click on the link to my website to see what im at - i will have to update it sometime after the show the other week.
That's an impressive selection!
Which would be your pick for heifers? Or do you pick depending on the heifer?
I was quite tempted to try iceman until I saw his calving figures 😳
 

XXFarmerJessXX

Member
Livestock Farmer
How do you find the herd watch app Iv heard good things about it but I’m not very good with tech.
That sucks and it’s costly along with time lost! I’m guessing they will be going to the bull then. Which bulls are you currently using for stock bulls? Are you pleased with them. So you have a couple pedigree lims too?
that’s interesting to talk to you as I currently am mostly a lim man but I’m trying to move away from them and into the blondes.
Herdwatch is actually pretty good for what we use it for- easy to use, good app and stores a lot of information, brilliant for farm assurance because you can just pull off a report for medicines/ calvings etc. as we're doing any vaccinations or anything we just add the information in to the software on mobiles. very handy!

We have 2 stock bulls which so far have done well when it comes to serving/ calving but unfortunately one bull has completely gone off his legs after 2 years and the other has only just started serving, done about 8 cows/ heifers and is skin and bones so we've had to bring him in to feed him up! Next year we'll be using our own breeding i think and keep one back for ourselves. Home bred bulls have always worked better but needed some different pedigree to change it up a bit.

Blondes are easier, mature younger so when it's time to get them in calf they are ready, Lims unfortunately don't mature until later on in life so we're looking at getting them pelvic measured as blondes seem to have less issues with calving. Obviously something that the Limousin society don't want to advertise!! This farming lark is hard work loll
 

Davy_g

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co Down
That's an impressive selection!
Which would be your pick for heifers? Or do you pick depending on the heifer?
I was quite tempted to try iceman until I saw his calving figures 😳
I tend to jump about a bit with heifers to get different blood and once i get hard calving i dont repeat the experience. I used Ark Maverick on everything when I had him. Not a bother. I served my first Maverick bred heifer to Herbert. I had to pull a fairly big bull calf at 295 days. The second two were Ai'd to Glacon last year. One was a section - bull calf at 295 days. The second an unassisted heifer at 294 days. Both lovely calves born October and November '21.
My heifers are too well fleshed and to pull them down for autumn calving is really difficult so I've chickened out and went back to Wagyu with the 3 im serving now. The freezer needs filling again anyway.

I take pelvic measurements of all bulling heifers and cull the smallest 25%. Seems there is no exact science to it all.

I need to breed more bone (yet maintain or improving calving ability) as i can easily push a weaned calf off its legs and feet with just a few Kg of meal a day. A problem with continually selecting easy fleshing heifers.
 

FarmerDanny1989

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Scotland
Here you go Farmer Danny.
Budore Donald (100's)
Budore Farrell (Dollar X Landais)
Baltra Iceman
Ashtonlodge Tyson (Sire of Barney)
Jigsaw
Ballygrainey Jack (Sire of Ballygowan Noble)
Easterton Rowan
Aaron
Budore Bud
Droit Crystal
Allacott Herbert
Ballygowan Noble
Aneto
Budore Utah
Aga Kahn
Landais (only one left)
Budore Emo
Fauxeen
Ark Maverick

You did ask. I use Ai on heifers and the odd cow to get a bit of different blood. No consistency in calves unless you use a bull that you have picked to iron out what you deem to be the faults in your cows.
French bulls are every bit as inconsistent if not more so than UK sires. Click on the link to my website to see what im at - i will have to update it sometime after the show the other week.
That’s a very impressive selection! Do you know much about some of these bulls?
So you say inconsistent as in the will produce one bad and one good or calving problems etc? So do you have a stock bull you use or just A.I?
ok I shall thank you.
 

FarmerDanny1989

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Scotland
Herdwatch is actually pretty good for what we use it for- easy to use, good app and stores a lot of information, brilliant for farm assurance because you can just pull off a report for medicines/ calvings etc. as we're doing any vaccinations or anything we just add the information in to the software on mobiles. very handy!

We have 2 stock bulls which so far have done well when it comes to serving/ calving but unfortunately one bull has completely gone off his legs after 2 years and the other has only just started serving, done about 8 cows/ heifers and is skin and bones so we've had to bring him in to feed him up! Next year we'll be using our own breeding i think and keep one back for ourselves. Home bred bulls have always worked better but needed some different pedigree to change it up a bit.

Blondes are easier, mature younger so when it's time to get them in calf they are ready, Lims unfortunately don't mature until later on in life so we're looking at getting them pelvic measured as blondes seem to have less issues with calving. Obviously something that the Limousin society don't want to advertise!! This farming lark is hard work loll
I have been looking into Herdwatch Iv downloaded it on my phone just gotta work it all out but yes it does seem like it’s easy enough to use.
That doesn’t sound like your having much luck with stock bulls either! How much cows/heifers need to be served?
Out of interest which bulls are you using as stock bulls?
Im learning to use the blonde online database if that’s what you call it and it’s interesting to see all the different bloodlines and herds etc.
Well that’s very interesting to know I have around 120 ish sired lim cows and 35 heifers coming in and when I think about they are usually the ones needing an assistance my char lim Angus and even blue cows seem to be less trouble. Iv 5 lim stockbulls but looking to replace them in next year or two as I find the calves are too wild and climb the bloody walls!! Your right there!
 

XXFarmerJessXX

Member
Livestock Farmer
I have been looking into Herdwatch Iv downloaded it on my phone just gotta work it all out but yes it does seem like it’s easy enough to use.
That doesn’t sound like your having much luck with stock bulls either! How much cows/heifers need to be served?
Out of interest which bulls are you using as stock bulls?
Im learning to use the blonde online database if that’s what you call it and it’s interesting to see all the different bloodlines and herds etc.
Well that’s very interesting to know I have around 120 ish sired lim cows and 35 heifers coming in and when I think about they are usually the ones needing an assistance my char lim Angus and even blue cows seem to be less trouble. Iv 5 lim stockbulls but looking to replace them in next year or two as I find the calves are too wild and climb the bloody walls!! Your right there!

Its just updated recently. the most recent version is called herd watch but it has next gen written across the logo. the time consuming bit is adding the cows after that it's a doddle. when you get them pd'd next time just ask the vet to check their pelvic and look at sizing etc.. only something we've started looking into recently but the vet looked at our lim and said they were pretty small inside- just goes to show, you can ask the right questions about health status etc but you can still make the wrong choices.. we haven't started with the pelvic scoring as yet but next PD session we will be doing.
 

FarmerDanny1989

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Scotland
Its just updated recently. the most recent version is called herd watch but it has next gen written across the logo. the time consuming bit is adding the cows after that it's a doddle. when you get them pd'd next time just ask the vet to check their pelvic and look at sizing etc.. only something we've started looking into recently but the vet looked at our lim and said they were pretty small inside- just goes to show, you can ask the right questions about health status etc but you can still make the wrong choices.. we haven't started with the pelvic scoring as yet but next PD session we will be doing.
How many lim cows do you have? Have you a lim stock bull or just A.I?
Will you be getting rid of the lims then?
 

davieogrutha

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Orkney

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davieogrutha

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Orkney
That’s an impressive flask what like are Boxster and Sauveur for calving?
Never used Sauveur yet only got 5 straws to make up an order back when I first got the tank. Hoping to use him with a pure cow next year if I can get to her before the bull does. Had one calf to Boxster. Cow was in very good condition as she had aborted her calf the year before. Calf was overtime too so ended up being a C-section 😬. Have been told that he is suitable for heifers, but used hashtag on them since. Same again if I get a chance I might try him again on a cow this coming spring.
 
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FarmerDanny1989

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Scotland
Never used Sauveur yet only got 5 straws to make up an order back when I first got the tank. Hoping to use him with a pure cow next year if I can get to her before the bull does. Had one calf to Boxster. Cow was in very good condition as she had aborted her calf the year before. Calf was overtime too so ended up being a C-section 😬. Have been told that he is suitable for heifers, but used hashtag on them since. Same again if I get a chance I might try him again on a cow this coming spring.
You’ve just a few pedigree cows don’t you?
Is your stock bull easy calving?
She was maybe in too good a condition do you think or be more the bull?
 

FarmerDanny1989

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Scotland
That’s a great prize someone would of been delighted winning that!
Would they be the best in the breed with semen available?
What’s everyone’s thoughts on Polynices, is that the polled bull from Norbreck?
Has any one used him or plan to be?
 

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