Jdunn55
Member
- Location
- Helston, cornwall
Absolutely not
British friesian bulls
- Thread starter Friesianfan
- Start date
Jdunn55
Member
- Location
- Helston, cornwall
The aim is for strong healthy and fertile cows who can compete with jerseys and crossbreed cows for kg of solids produced but cheaper cost of production.
All whilst maintaining calf and cull value and making cows who look smart enough for the show ring - but not like they'll keel over with a good gust of wind.
Martyn
Member
- Location
- South west
Totally agree, iv been milking them 10-12 years now and historical bulls like Deangate Quintin & lakemead breeding, think a herd called Langley or similar have motored on and on, these newer bulls just arnt lasting and your not benefiting from beef quality dams either.
Holsteinfriesian90
Member
- Location
- Cornwall
Didn’t you use judd last year? What are the calves like? Must admit I’m not so impressed by these modern bulls.
Martyn
Member
- Location
- South west
Not chunky traditional breeding. My gut feeling is the older style bulls may not of had the best figures verse today standards but where managed on simple cake in parlour & silage nothing fancy, today top bulls are from cows fed tmr, and fancy ingredients, when the progeny comes to us it doesn’t cope well on our system.
Holsteinfriesian90
Member
- Location
- Cornwall
I think you’re right. It’s like all the inch bulls I believe are bred off Holsteins.
Martyn
Member
- Location
- South west
We want calf qualities like these not the narrow leg stuff that we seam to be getting more & more off. I can’t recall a name but we brought stock from a Welsh farm on the side of a mountain that had bulls with genus, you could hardly reach the farm, and all old wood & tin cow sheds, cobble yards, abreast parlour, fantastic cows, these places are becoming rare.
Jdunn55
Member
- Location
- Helston, cornwall
One of my pure friesian bulls
Jdunn55
Member
- Location
- Helston, cornwall
First calved pure Friesian heifer
currently doing 18l a day, back incalf 1st service sexed semen, expected calving interval 340 days, expected yield of 5000 litres at 5.4% fat and 3.9% protein never had antibiotics or been lame
she will be for sale when fresh this autumn/winter
currently doing 18l a day, back incalf 1st service sexed semen, expected calving interval 340 days, expected yield of 5000 litres at 5.4% fat and 3.9% protein never had antibiotics or been lame
she will be for sale when fresh this autumn/winter
Jdunn55
Member
- Location
- Helston, cornwall
My least favourite heifer, 50:50 holstein friesian heifer, incalf first service to the bull
expected calving interval of 325 days
Never had antibiotics, never been lame, will be calving her second at 30 months old
Expected yield of 3800 litres at 5.6% fat and 4% protein
She will be for sale when fresh this autumn
expected calving interval of 325 days
Never had antibiotics, never been lame, will be calving her second at 30 months old
Expected yield of 3800 litres at 5.6% fat and 4% protein
She will be for sale when fresh this autumn
Martyn
Member
- Location
- South west
This depth & width would be what I’m looking for.
Jdunn55
Member
- Location
- Helston, cornwall
2nd calver pure friesian, doing 35 litres at 4.6% fat and 3.5% protein expected yield of 8500 litres
bulling today, hopefully 365 day calving interval
Never been lame never had antibiotics
bulling today, hopefully 365 day calving interval
Never been lame never had antibiotics
Jdunn55
Member
- Location
- Helston, cornwall
6th calver on rhe left, never had antibiotics never been lame,
Back in calf 3rd service, expected calving interval 380 days,
Expected yield 9,000 litres at 5% fat and 3.6% protiein
Heifer on the right, back in calf 1st service sexed semen, never been lame, never had antibiotics
Expected calving interval 340 days, expected yield of 4000 litres 5.5% fat and 3.7% protein
Back in calf 3rd service, expected calving interval 380 days,
Expected yield 9,000 litres at 5% fat and 3.6% protiein
Heifer on the right, back in calf 1st service sexed semen, never been lame, never had antibiotics
Expected calving interval 340 days, expected yield of 4000 litres 5.5% fat and 3.7% protein
Jdunn55
Member
- Location
- Helston, cornwall
Pure friesian
4th calver, just had her first service which if she holds would put her at 340ish days interval
Shes doing 48 litres at 4.1% and 3.5%
never had antibiotics never been lame
4th calver, just had her first service which if she holds would put her at 340ish days interval
Shes doing 48 litres at 4.1% and 3.5%
never had antibiotics never been lame
Martyn
Member
- Location
- South west
Who will you sell through Kivells?
Jdunn55
Member
- Location
- Helston, cornwall
Yes I suspect so. It will only be certain cows, all my non-pedigree cows will unfortunately have to go. Theyre really really good cows, will be very sad to see them go.
Anything 3 quartered will go And some of my non-favourite pedigree cows will go.
They'll all be solid cows though. Anything not decent will go straight to cull.
I will not have my name associated with dodgy stock.
Martyn
Member
- Location
- South west
Why are you selling good non pedigree if they are paying your bills, I would think best forget what is or isn’t and pick out everything not paying its way. Cull price up to £4kg look carefully at auction commissions, washing costs, transport. Your 3/4 probably best cull or keep.
Jdunn55
Member
- Location
- Helston, cornwall
Hadn't considered the cost of selling, I'll find out first, or may sell privately.
I'm selling them so that I can farm better, they pay the bills but it isn't working here the way things are. By selling half my cows I can stop using one cubicle shed which keeps red tractor happy. It also means I have enough slurry storage with dirty water no longer existing. I can go back to just making bales so dont have to worry about the clamp flooding and not being safo complient. In general I think it will just work better having 70 cows + youngstock for now.
In future I can increase again once I am in a better position financially, physically and mentally. I'm, just absolutely drained at the moment, and I cant physically face another winter like this one.
In summary, have 70 cows that are my absolute best, that are farmed really well and see what happens. Rather than 130 farmed mediocre as they currently are.
Go back to basics, milk from forage, graze and maybe have a bit of a life.
I know people have said about selling the youngstock and keeping the cows and doing flying herd, I understand the view point, and I actually did consider it, but there's several reasons why I have chosen against, some are personal reasons (obviously one being I like breeding cows), others are financial and situational.
- Location
- somerset
nice looking cow.
but very different to the fr l grew up with, 50/60 yrs ago, we thought the hol was magical when we started milking the 1st cross hfrs, OM never bought another fr bull again, or used fr semen.
but that's 'progress', the 'old' fr needed a fresh look, hol replaced it, went to extreme, and now back tracking. Reckon the 'ideal' black and white cow, is where the two breeds meet, improving the fr, and breeding back the hol.
- Location
- somerset
we reckon it costs about £100, to sell a cow, haulage, time, wash and prepare, plus commission. Sounds a lot, but time is taken to do the records etc, TB premovement etc.