Blonde bulls

[Whitepeak]

Anyone able to give me any information on this guy? Would he be easy calving? Thanks.

We've used an Ardmore Gargoyle son for several years and done well with him. Used him on heifers, as well as cows, generally easy enough calving but then throws the occasional big calf.
We've done really well with his progeny, certainly stamped them. The heifer I showed this year, Shelby, who got 2 Interbreeds, 3 reserve Interbreeds and junior champion at the Blonde national show was by the Gargoyle son.

 

[FarmerDanny1989]

I'm tempted to try a few straws tbh

What would you put him over?

 

[FarmerDanny1989]

We've used an Ardmore Gargoyle son for several years and done well with him. Used him on heifers, as well as cows, generally easy enough calving but then throws the occasional big calf.
We've done really well with his progeny, certainly stamped them. The heifer I showed this year, Shelby, who got 2 Interbreeds, 3 reserve Interbreeds and junior champion at the Blonde national show was by the Gargoyle son.

Ok so with him being a Gargoyle grandson he would/should be easy calving? Would he be good on heifers?

 

[Whitepeak]

What would you put him over?

Not sure yet, going to pelvic score my heifers before I make any decisions on what to use.

 

[Whitepeak]

Ok so with him being a Gargoyle grandson he would/should be easy calving? Would he be good on heifers?

I'd have thought so, Silverwood Mark has a ok proof for calving ease

 

[FarmerDanny1989]

Not sure yet, going to pelvic score my heifers before I make any decisions on what to use.

Would Plato be suitable for heifers? How are you finding the pelvic scoring working for you?

 

[Whitepeak]

Would Plato be suitable for heifers? How are you finding the pelvic scoring working for you?

I don't know tbh, and I'm not brave enough to try without knowing first.
Not sure yet, the first heifers we scored are due to calve in Jan. So I'll tell you better then. Although it was interesting that the day we scored the heifers, we ended up having a C-section on a heifer whose full sister had the smallest pelvis of the group!

 

[FarmerDanny1989]

I don't know tbh, and I'm not brave enough to try without knowing first.
Not sure yet, the first heifers we scored are due to calve in Jan. So I'll tell you better then. Although it was interesting that the day we scored the heifers, we ended up having a C-section on a heifer whose full sister had the smallest pelvis of the group!

I’m like that hence why I ask on here. I don’t know enough about the breed yet and all the genetic lines of what works with what.
Well that’s interesting I’m guessing those things are genetic?
how many heifers did you pelvic score and what were your results like? Did you have many you couldn’t breed from?

 

[Davy_g]

Anyone able to give me any information on this guy? Would he be easy calving? Thanks.

I seen Salah as a calf. Lovely, smartest calf in the field. He maybe wasn't the most powerful or biggest when shown at 8 months old or so. He was correct, balanced and not strong boned. Id expect he would be ok for heifers.

 

[FarmerDanny1989]

I seen Salah as a calf. Lovely, smartest calf in the field. He maybe wasn't the most powerful or biggest when shown at 8 months old or so. He was correct, balanced and not strong boned. Id expect he would be ok for heifers.

Interesting to know why a semen company bought the bull if he wasn’t the most outstanding bull available on the market to purchase? I think I’ll just buy 20 straws and stick him in some 2nd calvers, maybe 1 or 2 heifers see how they do then go from there. I’d like to see more figures on blonde bulls everything available on the British market seem to have none.

 

[FarmerDanny1989]

I’ve also just acquired semen in a home flask which contains Harpon, Hackleton Mellors, Hayton Ike, Hadley Hank, Ganaway Jasper, Fronfedw Arawn, Whistley Dollar, Abricot, Whitefield Leader, Ballygowan Noble, Blackwater Jockey, Lythvalley Outlaw, Ark Diego and Budore Utah. Has anyone ever used any of these bulls and if so what on any information would be greatly appreciated

 

[Vader]

I’ve also just acquired semen in a home flask which contains Harpon, Hackleton Mellors, Hayton Ike, Hadley Hank, Ganaway Jasper, Fronfedw Arawn, Whistley Dollar, Abricot, Whitefield Leader, Ballygowan Noble, Blackwater Jockey, Lythvalley Outlaw, Ark Diego and Budore Utah. Has anyone ever used any of these bulls and if so what on any information would be greatly appreciated

Used harpon, Hadley hank, whitefield leader, all good.

Used whistley dollar, gave us our best calfs in all time we had blondes.
Any straws that come on market normally make good money.

Abricot was dollars dad I think, so assume will be good.

Think you hit jackpot their mate

 

[Whitepeak]

I’ve also just acquired semen in a home flask which contains Harpon, Hackleton Mellors, Hayton Ike, Hadley Hank, Ganaway Jasper, Fronfedw Arawn, Whistley Dollar, Abricot, Whitefield Leader, Ballygowan Noble, Blackwater Jockey, Lythvalley Outlaw, Ark Diego and Budore Utah. Has anyone ever used any of these bulls and if so what on any information would be greatly appreciated

That's a good find, there's some old bulls in there! Our very 1st blonde cow was an Outlaw daughter, who came with her Hank heifer calf at foot and her leader daughter. They were nice cows, shame they never bred us any heifers, although we used a bull out of the Hank who left some nice females.
Think dollar is the most used bull in the breed, he has over 1300 registered progeny!
@Davy_g will know all about those bulls. I'm guessing he'll have used most of them, plus he bred one of them.

 

[FarmerDanny1989]

Used harpon, Hadley hank, whitefield leader, all good.

Used whistley dollar, gave us our best calfs in all time we had blondes.
Any straws that come on market normally make good money.

Abricot was dollars dad I think, so assume will be good.

Think you hit jackpot their mate

How were they to calve and DLWG good? Good grades etc? Did they make good mothers if you retained heifers by those bulls?
Think so? I had not much idea who most of them were.
What bulls do you use these days?

 

[FarmerDanny1989]

That's a good find, there's some old bulls in there! Our very 1st blonde cow was an Outlaw daughter, who came with her Hank heifer calf at foot and her leader daughter. They were nice cows, shame they never bred us any heifers, although we used a bull out of the Hank who left some nice females.
Think dollar is the most used bull in the breed, he has over 1300 registered progeny!
@Davy_g will know all about those bulls. I'm guessing he'll have used most of them, plus he bred one of them.

Yeah I didn’t know that when I bought it wasn’t until I got home wrote some of them down then looked them up on the data base. I’ve a few more in a smaller flask I’ll have to look through.
Interesting to know that thank you. I’ve 30 straws of him so I’ll give him a bash and Hank I’ve 18 I think.
iv got 28 straws of Dollar. So do you think he’s the best out of that bunch to be using?

 

[Vader]

How were they to calve and DLWG good? Good grades etc? Did they make good mothers if you retained heifers by those bulls?
Think so? I had not much idea who most of them were.
What bulls do you use these days?

Never had a blonde that was a bad mother.
Rarely have calving problems with blondes, it's why we used them. Slimmer calfs then grow well.
Grade wise, would thought top end as our blondes rarely were out of top end of price at market.
Blondes always grade well anyway.

Sold bulls last year.
Selling last few cows before xmas.
Then we done sadly.
Only me on the farm and could not find a worker.
If I were still doing the cattle I would have offered to buy every whistly dollar and abricot off you!!

 

[FarmerDanny1989]

Never had a blonde that was a bad mother.
Rarely have calving problems with blondes, it's why we used them. Slimmer calfs then grow well.
Grade wise, would thought top end as our blondes rarely were out of top end of price at market.
Blondes always grade well anyway.

Sold bulls last year.
Selling last few cows before xmas.
Then we done sadly.
Only me on the farm and could not find a worker.
If I were still doing the cattle I would have offered to buy every whistly dollar and abricot off you!!

That’s good to know. Were you a pedigree breeder or commercial?
That’s a real shame you’ve had to do that!

Iv got 21 blonde calves born in the spring I’ve just weaned them. Birth weight they averaged 38kg and they have just averaged 403KG, heaviest being 419kg @ 8 months. which is a higher average than the other batches by 12KG, my heaviest being a Charolais @ 412kg @ same age!
So I’ll be using more blondes from now on.

 

[Vader]

That’s good to know. Were you a pedigree breeder or commercial?
That’s a real shame you’ve had to do that!

Iv got 21 blonde calves born in the spring I’ve just weaned them. Birth weight they averaged 38kg and they have just averaged 403KG, heaviest being 419kg @ 8 months. which is a higher average than the other batches by 12KG, my heaviest being a Charolais @ 412kg @ same age!
So I’ll be using more blondes from now on.

Mainly commercial, but had dozen or so pedigree blondes as well.
Used blonde bull on the commercial herd.
No dairy blood in the herd but always plenty of milk.
Buyers always liked finished blonde beasts as very good KO rate.
Never understood why they were never more popular sires.

 

[Whitepeak]

Bridge Elmo still doing the business

 

[FarmerDanny1989]

Mainly commercial, but had dozen or so pedigree blondes as well.
Used blonde bull on the commercial herd.
No dairy blood in the herd but always plenty of milk.
Buyers always liked finished blonde beasts as very good KO rate.
Never understood why they were never more popular sires.

That’s good and they obviously performed well for you on and off farm!
What sort of bloodlines were your pedigrees and stock bulls?
What is your herd name?

Im going to fatten these blonde x myself and see how they perform. So be interesting to see the KO to my other breeds.

Im struggling to understand that myself now I’m seeing there DLWG and they look good also not so well fleshed maybe but they have serious length and top.