Calving Ease of Herd

[Blaithin]

I have talked to a Blonde herd owner, said they are usually culling their cows at 10 years old age not because they cant go longer but cow meat devaluated after 10 y.o age in France. He said their oldest cow was 20 years old and gave 17 calves. Destroying the studies.

Studies are controlled and focus on only a handful of variables. Genetics/lines, farmer management, feed, market, weather, herd size... so much is going to affect when and why an animal is culled.

In another thread it was discussed that Blonde's have smaller rumen capacity and perform better on a higher concentrate diet. Many of them will struggle on forage only diets. Higher grain diets do not as a rule promote longevity in cattle so anyone with lines of Blonde's that are requiring grain supplementation in any large quantity are not going to have long lifespans.

If you look for a study on something, you will find a study on something. On why high grain finishing is best. On why grass finishing is best. On why hormone use is fine. On why hormone use is not fine. The use of certain drugs. The castrating of bulls or keeping bulls intact.

 

[Woolless]

https://www.monitorfarms.co.uk/sites/default/files/theme_report_-_heifer_pelvic_measuring_final.pdf

Interesting little trial. The way they propose to use it, knocking out the heifers with the very smallest pelvises, seems like a sensible way to utilise the information.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Don't mention it. If I can help somebody.............?

How did they establish a good sound flock of ewes without performance recording?

 

[Turkish_FR]

If you look for a study on something, you will find a study on something. On why high grain finishing is best. On why grass finishing is best. On why hormone use is fine. On why hormone use is not fine. The use of certain drugs. The castrating of bulls or keeping bulls intact.

It is up to us to decide which info or info combinations will work for our aim. Most of beef cattle farmers are aiming to profit as much as possible but they may want to follow different ways to reach same aim. We build our way by using these zillions of informations flying around.

 

[Turkish_FR]

An Angus herd owner says they had cows that each gave more than 20 calves in their lifetime.

 

[Henarar]

How did they establish a good sound flock of ewes without performance recording?

Stockpersons eye

 

[Woolless]

Stockpersons eye

No reason why you can't use that and performance recording. I certainly try to!

 

[Turkish_FR]

I have seen the photos of easy calving Charolais herd. The owner says 48 cows out of 50 calved with no assistance, They look like white Angus, nothing bigger/larger.

 

[Turkish_FR]

"Producers should be aware that selection for pelvic area is likely to result in increased size of the entire skeleton and animal. Increased skeletal size of the dam will be reflected in higher birth weight and dimensions of the calf. Pelvic measurements, on the other hand, can be used to successfully identify abnormally small or abnormally shaped pelvises..................heifers with large pelvic measurements fail to calve more easily than average-sized heifers. However, heifers with abnormally small pelvises or abnormally shaped pelvises generally experience a higher than normal incidence of calving difficulty and should be identified and culled from the herd. "


https://extension2.missouri.edu/g2017

 

[Turkish_FR]

Another Charolais herd owner said their cow's average productive life time is between 9 to 11 years old and there are some exceptions with 14 yo age. His herd looks like white Angus as well.

 

[Agrivator]

Another Charolais herd owner said their cow's average productive life time is between 9 to 11 years old and there are some exceptions with 14 yo age. His herd looks like white Angus as well.

Or just short-legged Charolais.
In the UK, Charolais or Charolais crosses as a suckler cow have never really caught on. Too big and too little milk might be the main reasons. And they aren't regarded as being suitable for out wintering in poor weather.

SAC near Edinburgh had trial with them as cows some years ago - sponsored by the Charolais Society. But it fizzled out quietly.

The Limousin and its crosses on the other hand............. But what the Limousin breeders should do is concentrate on milkiness and udder conformation and easy calving. All its other traits are at an a adequate level.

And just shoot all the Salers. Or send them back to where they belong.

 

[Blaithin]

Can’t say I would use a 2-3 year old bull as an example of how Charolais are small. Plus there’s nothing to scale him. Put him by an Angus and you might see something different.

Also would need to keep in mind that modern Angus have been upsized quite a bit.

As Agrivator mentions, even if someone were to confuse them as White Angus, they do not perform like Angus. If Charolais were just like Angus they would be popular like Angus but they aren’t.

 

[Turkish_FR]

Or just short-legged Charolais.
In the UK, Charolais or Charolais crosses as a suckler cow have never really caught on. Too big and too little milk might be the main reasons. And they aren't regarded as being suitable for out wintering in poor weather.

SAC near Edinburgh had trial with them as cows some years ago - sponsored by the Charolais Society. But it fizzled out quietly.

The Limousin and its crosses on the other hand............. But what the Limousin breeders should do is concentrate on milkiness and udder conformation and easy calving. All its other traits are at an a adequate level.

And just shoot all the Salers. Or send them back to where they belong.

A Charolais with shorter legs, smaller head and smaller birth weight is technically a white Angus, is not it ? Trying to have an "easy calving" Charolais is to reverse the process of creating huge/muscular breeds.

Why you dont like Salers ?

 

[Henarar]

A Charolais with shorter legs, smaller head and smaller birth weight is technically a white Angus, is not it ? Trying to have an "easy calving" Charolais is to reverse the process of creating huge/muscular breeds.

Why you dont like Salers ?

because they attract all the nice girls

 

[Turkish_FR]

 

[Blaithin]

A Charolais with shorter legs, smaller head and smaller birth weight is technically a white Angus, is not it ?

No.

 

[beefandsleep]

Or just short-legged Charolais.
In the UK, Charolais or Charolais crosses as a suckler cow have never really caught on. Too big and too little milk might be the main reasons. And they aren't regarded as being suitable for out wintering in poor weather.

SAC near Edinburgh had trial with them as cows some years ago - sponsored by the Charolais Society. But it fizzled out quietly.

The Limousin and its crosses on the other hand............. But what the Limousin breeders should do is concentrate on milkiness and udder conformation and easy calving. All its other traits are at an a adequate level.

And just shoot all the Salers. Or send them back to where they belong.

If they could also spend a bit of time on temperament also we might have a winner.