Blue X heifer's

mum use to say when we were milking and milk recording that very often the cows that didn't give as much per day to start with but kept going and you had to dry off would give more milk in the lactation

so you are saying that anything much less than a month and colostrum quality drops right back ?
I have always thought this way but didn't know if it was right, I like more than a month really

Yes a cow with a flatter curve will often do well over the lactation, and they can often go back in calf better and last longer due to not burning themselves out in early lactation.

Re. colostrum, it was something I read maybe 20 years ago, and not a trial that I had experience in, but a months rest was minimum, longer may have extra benefits. Opinions may have changed since then.
 

Henarar

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Livestock Farmer
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Somerset
Re. colostrum, it was something I read maybe 20 years ago, and not a trial that I had experience in, but a months rest was minimum, longer may have extra benefits. Opinions may have changed since then.
it makes sense
some cows after being dry do start to bag up a fare while before they calve so I take it they are making colostrum ?
so if the same cow was not dried of and the calf is still sucking her she can't do this, or she can but the old calf will have it.
I know some cows will dry of on there own more than a month before they calve and that's fine if the old calf is still there, but some don't
I think leaving the calf on the cow till she calves again may well be asking for trouble
the first feed of colostrum is the most important feed the calf will have IMHO
 
If there are other types within other breeds , then surely it is up to other breeders within those breeds to tell us about it. Those of us who breed Simmentals have been totally open about the diversity in our breed , and have discussed the consequences , both good and bad.

If fans of the other breeds have got something to say , or some point to make , about different types within their breed , or if they want to talk about what they feel is wrong with their cattle breed of choice , then I wish they'd hurry up and get on with it , instead of sitting around moaning about outside breeders criticising their breed.

If you sit in silence , nothing ever gets explained.
Fair points, you keep a cow for a year it at least needs to rear a calf. We have had this before on creep feed or not? I gave up milking five years ago so almost all cows are bb or blonde cross british friesans, So bordering too much milk. Like a few pure blondes, biggest fault lack of milk, in what I have, gradually trying to improve but no major issue as I find cross suckling is normal after 3/4 months. Best cows produce a calf worth 1250 at 10 months old , worst probably 400 quid less. If creep required its not going to cost you that much though obviously better if you don't, lighter weights to me in abbatoir, but accept varies on peoples systems breeding and systems, means a better conversion on weight gain to kill out % is hugely beneficial. Not that I do at the moment, only due to volume of sheep, but creeping young, continueing to feed to kill steers at say 15/16 months at between 580/ 680 kilos at killing out % of 60 -65 can justify the end product even if its a slightly dearer way of getting there. Though corn price I would argue cheaper than long term grazing and reducing turn over? Tried Parthenais on heifers, great as small carcass but growth rates poor, best were phenominal shapely things, biggest problem we had putting them on bb and blonde crosses was the double muscling gene included their tongue, many needed suckling for days, often when they learned they would take most the day to suckle one quater
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
Photo4598.jpg
Here is the girls Mum
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
Do you see keeping more of your own homebred BBx cows as a route you'd go down?
All depends on the calf and the cow it came from, we have always kept a few that caught our eye but would still rather have a cross to sell,
that said I recon I have a home for the calf if she comes on ok she will end up put to a Lim
 

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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