Bull choice.....

[MJT]

Going to open a can of worms here, but changing one of our bulls, and wondering if to get another Lim, a shapey but not big boned Charolais, or maybe even a BbxLim . Will be used on AAxLim and AAxHereford cows . The current system the cows are right type and in the right condition to just get on with it at calving and are checked morning and evening, pull maybe 1-2 calves a year out of just over 100 cows.

The Charolais do do well down here in the store ring, but I don’t want to sacrifice easy calving .... like the look of some of the more shapely Charolais bulls , but worried this could cause calving issues with hip locks etc.

My thoughts are that a bbxlim would throw some nice shapey calves which would be very saleable, especially out of the lim x cows, and would be a cheaper alternative to finding a very well muscled Lim bull ......

 

[Werzle]

Don't fix what isnt broken, imo.

 

[JP1]

Not sure where "down here" is but if it's SW, frankly you can't beat a Charolais sired store through the ring

Buy a Cockeringham bull as I've heard good reports of them

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Angus...the stores are worth a fortune

 

[MJT]

Angus...the stores are worth a fortune

Not worth the money as 3-400kg stores here , seem to want them 500kg plus . Otherwise would have got another Angus .

 

[Agrivator]

Angus...the stores are worth a fortune

The best Angus x bullocks are worth a fortune. Plainer bullocks and most heifers are heavily discounted.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

The best Angus x bullocks are worth a fortune. Plainer bullocks and most heifers are heavily discounted.

Well best breed the best ones then

 

[milkloss]

Always been wary of crossbred bulls, I was told they could throw very variable calves and create some calving difficulty.

 

[Sir loin]

Have bred and used a bbxlim not again variable calves is my gripe. Pure lim for me would love that Eravelle bull of bob-01

 

[Sheep92]

We had a bluexlim bull he was the easiest calving bull we ever had, always on the look out for a similar one again

 

[harperfarmer]

Going totally off piste here but maybe a decent blonde would do a good job!? Counteract the native impact on the calf shape/middle etc!? But keeps some hybrid vigour by bringing another breed in!?

 

[liammogs]

For my 10p worth, with your type of cows id deffinatly be thinking more a charolais, that would be my first choice......second choice would be a blue! You get the shape but they shouldn't be freaks born out of them cows, low calving index pushing for smaller calves all helping for a easier calving.....might be food for thought, and who doesn't like seeing a field of roan/blue calves

As far as a limxblue it would be too hit and miss, end up with a calf with a muscle of a BB calving gestation of a lim your in trouble!! And for cattle different to sheep your calves wouldn't be as uniform, cattle are worth to much to loose on

 

[Whitepeak]

Going totally off piste here but maybe a decent blonde would do a good job!? Counteract the native impact on the calf shape/middle etc!? But keeps some hybrid vigour by bringing another breed in!?

I (obviously ) thought the same when I read what the OP was looking for. A Blonde will do all the things you want; should leave some nice shaped calves out of your cows with some added length that a lot of breeds are losing, will be easy calved due to being long slender calves, and you can buy a top Blonde bull for less than an average Lim.

 

[Henarar]

My thoughts are that a bbxlim would throw some nice shapey calves which would be very saleable, especially out of the lim x cows, and would be a cheaper alternative to finding a very well muscled Lim bull ......

Got a couple blue bulls sired by our stock bull who we are calving heifers to without much hassle, if its any use to you, won't be over much money

 

[MJT]

Going totally off piste here but maybe a decent blonde would do a good job!? Counteract the native impact on the calf shape/middle etc!? But keeps some hybrid vigour by bringing another breed in!?

Had some heifers calf to a blonde bull years ago, calves looked smart but weren’t hardy enough When wintered outside at 1200ft , never seemed to grow enough hair.....just looked miserable

 

[Whitepeak]

Had some heifers calf to a blonde bull years ago, calves looked smart but weren’t hardy enough When wintered outside at 1200ft , never seemed to grow enough hair.....just looked miserable

Ours are hardy enough, admittedly we don't outwinter but we don't tend to house until late November and we run to over 1300ft. The blondes might not be wooly little buggers, but the hair is very coarse and dense and they seem a bit thicker skinned than some continentals.

 

[juke]

Going to open a can of worms here, but changing one of our bulls, and wondering if to get another Lim, a shapey but not big boned Charolais, or maybe even a BbxLim . Will be used on AAxLim and AAxHereford cows . The current system the cows are right type and in the right condition to just get on with it at calving and are checked morning and evening, pull maybe 1-2 calves a year out of just over 100 cows.

The Charolais do do well down here in the store ring, but I don’t want to sacrifice easy calving .... like the look of some of the more shapely Charolais bulls , but worried this could cause calving issues with hip locks etc.

My thoughts are that a bbxlim would throw some nice shapey calves which would be very saleable, especially out of the lim x cows, and would be a cheaper alternative to finding a very well muscled Lim bull ......

Charolais the king of the store ring, plenty of finer boned shapely Charolais bulls about, this calving ease stigma really needs to be attached to the modern limousin in my opinion and not the modern Charolais.

 

[ISCO]

Charolais the king of the store ring, plenty of finer boned shapely Charolais bulls about, this calving ease stigma really needs to be attached to the modern limousin in my opinion and not the modern Charolais.

I agree. We have both and calve far more to limousin than charolais.