Go Charolais or No Charolais

[charleyman39]

Had been charolais bulls around this farm for years up until about 12 or 14 years ago. Hard calvings and loss of cows and calves prompted the Father to move to a blonde. Messed around with other breeds in the meantime, simmental and limos mainly and now I'm thinking I'd like to go back to the Charolais again. The demand around here for year old calves (which is what I sell them as) is fierce for good ch calves, maybe £100 more a head for a similar type of beast to a limo or blonde of the same weight. Question is am I mad thinking I'll find a proper easy calving Charolais bull that won't cause more damage than good?
I run 40 spring calvers, most of which calve in March, but I work off farm also and I've very little help. Should I be happy enough as I am with less money for the calves but less hassle?

 

[GTB]

We bought a Charolais bull with good calving ease ebv this time last year. First calves due any day. Time will tell.....

 

[liammogs]

I think the charolais have come a long way to what they were years ago, no more belly and shoulders!! We gone to try one this year!! But its the same as anything you got to find the right bull to suit your cows!! If i had straight cross herf and lim cows out of a dairy cow there be no other choice for me than a charolais!!

 

[NH8360]

I have always been Lim but tried a Charolais this year. Calving now and have been easier calved than previous Lims. Think my bull is from Phiston breeding, so far so good but have been more strict on not letting cows get very conditioned etc so maybe not a fair comparison

 

[charleyman39]

I think the charolais have come a long way to what they were years ago, no more belly and shoulders!! We gone to try one this year!! But its the same as anything you got to find the right bull to suit your cows!! If i had straight cross herf and lim cows out of a dairy cow there be no other choice for me than a charolais!!

Have a bit of a mixture of cows at the moment. Have a good few older beefy simmentals and limos, but the past few years I've been bringing through hereford cross dairys into the herd. I'm very impressed with the calves they throw out of a limo bull but I do think you're right in that the ch would be the real job for them. The milk they put to the calves is unreal and it really shows in comparison to the more beefy less milky cows. That's why I'm tempted, I know there would be top ch calves from them, but would they be a nightmare to watch at calving

 

[CharcoalWally]

I run 40 spring calvers, most of which calve in March, but I work off farm also and I've very little help. Should I be happy enough as I am with less money for the calves but less hassle?

^^^This.

You have to farm to suit your own particular circumstances. You can't be in 2 places at once. Far better a safe, live calf than a dead monster that might have been.......

We also have a moral responsibility to look after the welfare of our cows. I don't work off my farm - I'm here all day, but I still don't want bad calvings for the cows, it costs too much and is a drain on herd profitability.

 

[top char]

Had been charolais bulls around this farm for years up until about 12 or 14 years ago. Hard calvings and loss of cows and calves prompted the Father to move to a blonde. Messed around with other breeds in the meantime, simmental and limos mainly and now I'm thinking I'd like to go back to the Charolais again. The demand around here for year old calves (which is what I sell them as) is fierce for good ch calves, maybe £100 more a head for a similar type of beast to a limo or blonde of the same weight. Question is am I mad thinking I'll find a proper easy calving Charolais bull that won't cause more damage than good?
I run 40 spring calvers, most of which calve in March, but I work off farm also and I've very little help. Should I be happy enough as I am with less money for the calves but less hassle?

The modern Charolais type have came a long way from the scary hard calving types of the past, steer away from the renowned harder calving lines of the breed and you will be fine. Not downing any other breeds, they all have their place, but a lot of the others are getting harder to calve where as the charolais are going in a better direction. Even if you play it safe and go for a plainer type of bull, the calves as a whole will probably still have a weight advantage over others on calf sale day.

 

[Alicecow]

Why not try a polled charolais? They are supposed to be lighter in the skeleton but just as good with the flesh.

 

[Dave6170]

They have changed but still dopey brutes to get sooking

 

[Happy]

If you work off farm with little help I'd have a Lim before Char bull.
You get far more big dopey things that won't suck with the Charolais which can be very time consuming.
Even the newer types can still throw the odd monster calf once a year leading to a downer cow in my experience.

 

[GTB]

They have changed but still dopey brutes to get sooking

If you work off farm with little help I'd have a Lim before Char bull.
You get far more big dopey things that won't suck with the Charolais which can be very time consuming.
Even the newer types can still throw the odd monster calf once a year leading to a downer cow in my experience.

Oh Sh1t! You've got me worried now!

 

[charleyman39]

If you work off farm with little help I'd have a Lim before Char bull.
You get far more big dopey things that won't suck with the Charolais which can be very time consuming.
Even the newer types can still throw the odd monster calf once a year leading to a downer cow in my experience.

That's my fear. It's still ingrained in my memory how many calves had to be wrestled with to suck and the tubings and scouring tablets and all the rest! The limo calves we have at the moment are up sucking within 20mins with little to no assistance most the time. But that big framed ch calf is a beauty to look at both in the field and when you're standing up beside the auctioneer.

 

[Whitepeak]

Stick with the Blonde! All it takes is one rough calving and a dead calf or a ceasarian, and any perceived benefit in terms of calf value is wiped out.

 

[hendrebc]

A lot of limos are getting very big shoulders and heavy boned now. I had a hell of a job trying to find a limo bull that would be suitable for heifers this year. A lot were just red charollais from what i saw i dont know how much better off you would be with a limo unless your careful what you buy. A good slimline easy calving charollais would be just as good imo. Difference within breeds is greater than between them and all that

 

[Northeastfarmer]

A lot of limos are getting very big shoulders and heavy boned now. I had a hell of a job trying to find a limo bull that would be suitable for heifers this year. A lot were just red charollais from what i saw i dont know how much better off you would be with a limo unless your careful what you buy. A good slimline easy calving charollais would be just as good imo. Difference within breeds is greater than between them and all that

The limmys are turning into blues....and the blues are turning into limmys

 

[hendrebc]

The limmys are turning into blues....and the blues are turning into limmys

ive always said id never have a blue after bad experiences with them calving on a farm i used to help on and trying some blue heifers myself with disasterous results.... may have to reconsider one day if that carries on!

 

[Northeastfarmer]

ive always said id never have a blue after bad experiences with them calving on a farm i used to help on and trying some blue heifers myself with disasterous results.... may have to reconsider one day if that carries on!

One thing I don't like is shoulders the same width as the arse end, I've been very lucky with limmy bulls so far (touch wood) two coughs a fart and they're out

 

[hendrebc]

One thing I don't like is shoulders the same width as the arse end, I've been very lucky with limmy bulls so far (touch wood) two coughs a fart and they're out

As it should be

 

[Dave6170]

The limmys are turning into blues....and the blues are turning into limmys

Look at that limmy bull irish, martin has on this farming life!

 

[GTB]

ive always said id never have a blue after bad experiences with them calving on a farm i used to help on and trying some blue heifers myself with disasterous results.... may have to reconsider one day if that carries on!

Only time we ever had calving problems with a blue bull was if the cow had a touch of blue in her. ''Twas a recipe for disaster.