Adding a new breed to a suckler herd

choochter

Member
Location
aberdeenshire
Pure Bazadaise and BazadaiseX yearling heifers, daughters of current bull, which will be AI'd
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Grahamc94

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Scotland
very much so.
I could (well, have) write/written books on it.

After FMD I bought (Galloway) cows from various sources.
One group-the largest group of course- had been shunted before they came here, after a marriage breakup.
I'd say they hadn't heard many kind words.
They were very difficult, and the first crop of calves were so bad they were all killed....just when I NEEDED home bred replacements.
but....They leered (hefted) very well on the hill, and performed well....but remained grumpy a55holes in every respect.

Then, as time went on -and I'd killed one or two of the worst, they started to settle.
Subsequent calves became increasingly quiet.
By the time the last one left here in her mid teens, they were no worse than any other of my Galloways. Many of the progeny have been sold onto smallholders, been shown, and become much loved beasts.
It's in em....I still get the occasional wrong'un turn up. but generally, quiet handling has made all the difference.

and then....
I wanted some genetics off a pal, whose cattle I much admired.
He doesn't normally breed bulls, but kept a selection of calves entire for me.
A group of us went to see the cows in question, and they stood in a ring in front of a gaggle of calves, pawing the ground like beserkers.
The oldest/lead cow stood stock still in the middle of the group, pretty much in charge of operations....their owner clearly warned us 'she's the one to watch'.
@JP1 was there, and will attest how bad they were.

Now the family concerned are league division 1 stockmen, hardcore hill livestock men of the highest calibre.
But they do everything off quads with dogs, and bed cattle with a blower......and it shows in the cattle's behaviour.

I bought the bull calf off that lead cow, along with the rest of the batch.
Unsurprisingly, they arrived no quieter than a trailer load of red deer calves straight off the mountain.
but they settled, and the bull went on to become the dopiest chap you ever met.
One of his daughters is currently being coo'ed over like a pet by the 2 y/o granddaughter of a friend.
Quads and dogs are great for sheep but a dangerous combination with cattle, especially in the wrong hands. We’ll only use the quad if we need to bring them in to calve which is never much faster than walking pace unless it’s a heifer which usually requires a lot of patience. Even checking with the quad is done at a gentle pace but tend to use the pick up or a tractor
 

Grahamc94

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Scotland
I’m going to post some pictures of our stock for anyone interested


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An AI experiment with stabiliser. Sired by Stan the Man, which was available from cogent
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same calf at 4 moths
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Her calved a 22 months with a Hereford heifer which will probably see the bull this summer at 13 months
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Simmental x Friesian heifer with Hereford heifer calf which will also see the bull this summer. Same age as the stabiliser
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Shorthorn x cow with Hereford heifer.
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our oldest cow, nearly 10, she’s had 11 calves (3 sets of twins) in calf again to an Angus
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our old limousin bull, home bred born 2013. Son of Newhouse fullback
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Lim x Holstein with her 5 week old bull calf, sold the calf at 8 months 400kg
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Homebred AA heifer with her Hereford calf, both sold at a breeding sale in October 2021
 

egbert

Member
Livestock Farmer
Quads and dogs are great for sheep but a dangerous combination with cattle, especially in the wrong hands. We’ll only use the quad if we need to bring them in to calve which is never much faster than walking pace unless it’s a heifer which usually requires a lot of patience. Even checking with the quad is done at a gentle pace but tend to use the pick up or a tractor
no quads here at all, and I don't work cattle with the dogs....cows are mostly dead quiet.
My boy wants to work the cows with dogs....but impetuous youth eh?
 

Grahamc94

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Scotland
no quads here at all, and I don't work cattle with the dogs....cows are mostly dead quiet.
My boy wants to work the cows with dogs....but impetuous youth eh?
No dogs here. Bought some bullocks two years ago that had been hammered with a quad, went to check them once with it and never done it again.
 

Anymulewilldo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
more than one of each or you then, good luck with that
My brunette tells me regularly “you couldn’t keep up with a blonde darling, keep dreaming” 😒

back too cattle, we never had any problems with our blonde calves. Only problem was the bull was pig ignorant so when we lost a piece of cow ground too the builders it was an easy choice which bull went!
 

crofteress

Member
Livestock Farmer
I think @crofteress has had some Baz sired calves off of Luing cows and some Limousin sired calves as well.
Yes baz luing heifers make great cows do produce a shapey calve. All the baz x calves selling at 8/9 months probably surpass the lim x in dwg, average £880 and 350kg over the years. baz x really well onto blue x cows. Have a baz x luing 24month heifer for sale now will be going to Dingwall on the 9th
 

Happy

Member
Location
Scotland
Totally agree, although I find simmental x very docile, get the odd nutter but they don't last long

Don’t think the Sim breed as a whole is as docile as it once was.
Seem to have introduced a wilder strain since the fashion went from lighter coloured ones to the now dark red almost burgundy ones that predominate.
 

Jockers84

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Caithness
Yes baz luing heifers make great cows do produce a shapey calve. All the baz x calves selling at 8/9 months probably surpass the lim x in dwg, average £880 and 350kg over the years. baz x really well onto blue x cows. Have a baz x luing 24month heifer for sale now will be going to Dingwall on the 9th

Hi, I spotted a thumper of a BAZ bull being out wintered just north of Aviemore, is that you?
 

Bwcho

Member
Location
Cymru
My brunette tells me regularly “you couldn’t keep up with a blonde darling, keep dreaming” 😒

back too cattle, we never had any problems with our blonde calves. Only problem was the bull was pig ignorant so when we lost a piece of cow ground too the builders it was an easy choice which bull went!
But it would be fun trying 😂
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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