Beef cows, recommendations?

[haretarn]

Does anyone have any reccomendations on what beef breed to get for a first time cow owner? Looking at getting a couple of hand reared/weaned calves to start. Was thinking about a rearing scheme to gain more experience but don't really want to be messing about with someone elses stock?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

This should be fun

 

[AGN76]

Here we go!!

 

[haretarn]

Am i missing something? lol

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Am i missing something? lol

Everyone has their own preferences about cows

 

[AGN76]

Where are you and what sells best where you Are?

 

[haretarn]

Where are you and what sells best where you Are?

Im in Lancashire, I am just doing my research but Limis, Charolais and BB do well up here, even Aberdeen Angus

 

[GTB]

What sort of farm? Hill? Wintered inside or out?

 

[haretarn]

What sort of farm? Hill? Wintered inside or out?

Flat grassland with a couple of unused barns so could be wintered inside or out, just short of 30 acres in total so only want a couple for now

 

[HundyMundy]

If you are starting a beef herd don't worry about beef breed to start with. It will probably take you a good few years what type of cows you want. To start with get health status right, bvd, Johnes, lepto.

But if I had to pick a breed/ breeds Angus X Simmental are working well for me.

 

[GTB]

I would start off with dairy bred heifers probably. Anything cross holstein will produce a big calf and have plenty of milk but will need housing over winter. You could use a suitable bull on them so you could keep your own heifer calves as replacements.

 

[juke]

I think it's been said before but to appease the forum the beef animal of choice is a simmental x lim x charolais x Angus x hereford x saler....

 

[AGN76]

I think it's been said before but to appease the forum the beef animal of choice is a simmental x lim x charolais x Angus x hereford x saler....

You forgot BBx

 

[Cowgirl]

Try to go and look at a few different types and if they run away with heads and tails in the air when you look at them, for a newbie that probably isn't a good sign....

 

[Anonymous...]

We had Angus X out of dairy cows
Brought up on bucket from 8 weeks , bulled to whitbred shorthorn at 16 months had very nice calfs, and cows were docile
BUT ... it's a long (expensive?) time bringing them from that age to bulling, it did give us time to learn and to get to know the cattle job though

 

[choochter]

I think it's been said before but to appease the forum the beef animal of choice is a simmental x lim x charolais x Angus x hereford x saler....

Ahem

 

[Doc]

Long but rewarding project. I'm assuming you have a full time job.
Buy 10 BBx heifer calves(4-5wks) at Gisburn, preloved or off 'sell my livestock .co.uk' , TB4.
Try to get as many off one unit as possible. Wean at 10-12 weeks (bit stronger imo) and winter inside as a group, you are in Lancashire where it rains non stop and outwintering is not realistic. Give rispoval 4 to all at 12weeks. Turn out in May or earlier if weather is good. Choose the best 5 at 15-16 months and borrow/hire a AA/short gestation bull to serve. Sell the other 5 to raise some cash. Test all keepers for BVD antigen and Johnes before bulling.
They will be quiet and give you a good practice run. If you get a random nutter, sell it with calf at foot.
After this then decide if you want to add different breeds for further aggravation.
Easy, nice cattle that don't cause management hassle may not be the 'top pen' at auction but compensate you in other ways- break less equipment, eat less and don't take all day to move, t.b. test etc.
You will get 100 opinions here. That's just mine as I'm time poor and want an easy life.

 

[M-J-G]

You forgot BBx

No he didn't!

 

[GTB]

Cheapest and quickest way into suckers would be to buy a few old/cheap/lean/second quality cow and calf units at the mart. You will buy everyone else's problems but as long as you accept that you should be ok. Just vaccinate for bvd lepto etc and you will be ok. You'll have calves to sell within six months to a year and any problem cows can go as culls. There's more money in scrap than gold.

 

[Anonymous...]

Cheapest and quickest way into suckers would be to buy a few old/cheap/lean/second quality cow and calf units at the mart. You will buy everyone else's problems but as long as you accept that you should be ok. Just vaccinate for bvd lepto etc and you will be ok. You'll have calves to sell within six months to a year and any problem cows can go as culls. There's more money in scrap than gold.

We've had a few out of mart, and with a bit of tlc they went on to be good cows and gave good calves