Bb jex cross calves worth rearing?

[Cmoran]

I’ve been offered Belgian blue calves out of jex cows. these cows are not real narrow cows they are British friesian jersey cross. How do the calves turn out? I’ve bought his aax calves before and they were fairly good all graded Os. I’m not a big fan of bb as find them soft on slats and hard finished.

 

[sidjon]

@Cows 'n grass finishes them out of Jersey's very well.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

I keep 30-50 of mine a year out of pure jerseys and they do okay. We get them off to a good start then they are reared very extensively. They are all spring born and spend their first winter out on kale and their second winter they are in cubicles for 8-10 weeks. Other than that they are 100% forage fed on old pp.

These are the current lot of 22m ones. The kale ones (10m) are too muddy for photos.

I'm not a beef farmer, they just tidy up some rough ground I rent. I get a few R grades but mostly they will be O2s. I'm sure they'd benefit from some hard feed but it's just not that practical on steep ground with limited access.

If anyone wants to buy 200 bbx calves next month let me know. They are all by Crackly bank lord or cogent triple mix.

 

[thorpe]

credit to you, they would benifit from abit of grub it would pay you well. but to buy them and try to do a job of them i dont know. good luck.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

credit to you, they would benifit from abit of grub it would pay you well. but to buy them and try to do a job of them i dont know. good luck.

I put some of the very lean steers through the store ring this year and they paid better than the ones that went to slaughter. I'll probably put most of them that way going forward and let someone else feed them.

 

[sidjon]

I put some of the very lean steers through the store ring this year and they paid better than the ones that went to slaughter. I'll probably put most of them that way going forward and let someone else feed them.

How did you get on with the younger Herefords you were going to sell in the autumn?

 

[thorpe]

I put some of the very lean steers through the store ring this year and they paid better than the ones that went to slaughter. I'll probably put most of them that way going forward and let someone else feed them.

i whished good luck to you and iwhish the same to your store buyers. ps ive a couple of gurnsey x blues in the yards at the mo i think thell be ok.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

How did you get on with the younger Herefords you were going to sell in the autumn?

It was only a handful, they looked great and sold well but I pity who'd ever bought them, they'd been on 10 litres of waste milk so they probably made a lot of noise and melted fast.

 

[sidjon]

It was only a handful, they looked great and sold well but I pity who'd ever bought them, they'd been on 10 litres of waste milk so they probably made a lot of noise and melted fast.

Got the last 8 calves born still on waste milk, and think they'll do the same, just got to find someone to buy them under tb

 

[Cmoran]

I keep 30-50 of mine a year out of pure jerseys and they do okay. We get them off to a good start then they are reared very extensively. They are all spring born and spend their first winter out on kale and their second winter they are in cubicles for 8-10 weeks. Other than that they are 100% forage fed on old pp.

These are the current lot of 22m ones. The kale ones (10m) are too muddy for photos.
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I'm not a beef farmer, they just tidy up some rough ground I rent. I get a few R grades but mostly they will be O2s. I'm sure they'd benefit from some hard feed but it's just not that practical on steep ground with limited access.

If anyone wants to buy 200 bbx calves next month let me know. They are all by Crackly bank lord or cogent triple mix.

They actually look ok for pure jersey x the ones I’m getting will be from jersey x British friesian cows so hopefully will make R grade. Will chance them for this year and see. Thanks

 

[thorpe]

They actually look ok for pure jersey x the ones I’m getting will be from jersey x British friesian cows so hopefully will make R grade. Will chance them for this year and see. Thanks

some might be r grade but i bet they will be under weight or over fat , you cant win you know!

 

[Cmoran]

some might be r grade but i bet they will be under weight or over fat , you cant win you know!

Our local factory kills down to 210 kgs live once they have a cover of fat on a flat price so the plainer lighter ones can go there and better ones on the grid

 

[Cmoran]

some might be r grade but i bet they will be under weight or over fat , you cant win you know!

Also I buy all angus calves from same farm and they always do well mostly maling O grade and very easy finish. I’ve just never been a fan of bb as found them soft on slats and hard flesh of Holstein cows. But I’m hoping they be easier flesh of the jersey

 

[thorpe]

Our local factory kills down to 210 kgs live once they have a cover of fat on a flat price so the plainer lighter ones can go there and better ones on the grid

ok but those light weights dont come to much.

 

[Cmoran]

ok but those light weights dont come to much.

Ya I agree but I have a set price all this farmers calves that’s very reasonable

 

[Cows 'n grass]

Our local factory kills down to 210 kgs live once they have a cover of fat on a flat price so the plainer lighter ones can go there and better ones on the grid

I've never sent any as light as that. I know I've had the odd set of twins heifers that always stayed small but even they would have been 220-240 on the hook. Most will be 280-320 dead.

 

[Cmoran]

I've never sent any as light as that. I know I've had the odd set of twins heifers that always stayed small but even they would have been 220-240 on the hook. Most will be 280-320 dead.

Ya I’m the same with the aa cross usually from 260-320 depending on heifers or bullocks