How can anybody be bothered with charolais?

[M-J-G]

Now I am no expert at beef cows (or any other types of cows, or other animals for that matter!), but when I read posts like this, I always see the ironic side of them. Sorry.

Why are so many British farmers so intent on breeding continental beef breeds?

There is so much grumbling about reducing prices for beef, which is ultimately driven down by reducing demand. And reducing demand is because less people are eating beef. And why are they eating less beef?

From someone who loves cooking (and farming), the beef in our supermarkets, predominantly from continental crosses is often a far cry from what great beef is really like.

So whilst appreciating many are rearing beef animals to meet the "demands" of the supermarkets, in doing so we are producing a mediocre product which will simply continue the downward spirral of demand.

I know that doesn't answer the OP's original question, but reverting to traditional British beef breeds may just help.

Breed has little to do with why supermarket beef is found lacking.

I've butchered and retailed continental cattle for years and I'll take it a thousand times over native bred supermarket beef.

 

[CollCrofter]

They called a bull, Fenian?!?!

 

[Agrivator]

The best and most popular family butcher in the whole of the Galaxy - Forsyth's of Peebles - buy nothing but Limousin cross cattle from local suckler herds.
They have customers who travel the 30 miles down from Edinburgh on Saturday mornings.

 

[shumungus]

They called a bull, Fenian?!?!

I know I was thinking that myself, it seems to be interperated differently in different parts of the country.

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

@DanielBennett you are spot on. The Europ grid rewards the wrong thing as far as the consumer is concerned. This is common knowledge in other countries where product is sold on eating quality. You can’t polish a turd no matter how long you hang it....

If this were true why do local butchers who rely on selling a quality product consistently buy Limousin heifers?

 

[Optimus]

Not had a charolais bull here for a few years now.wasn't so much lack of get up an go but calving issues every now an then.

I personally think the way the beef job is the charolais and limmy are going to decline. The lower the weight limit gets harder it is to get a finish on them.Native bred are away a lot quicker an you get a premium on them.

 

[Werzle]

Charolais are back in demand because they will finish in a shorter time while also getting as close to the weight limit as possible. Farmers breed what the market wants and pays the most for, when that changes for the majority then the majority of farmers will change.

 

[Hilly]

The best and most popular family butcher in the whole of the Galaxy - Forsyth's of Peebles - buy nothing but Limousin cross cattle from local suckler herds.
They have customers who travel the 30 miles down from Edinburgh on Saturday mornings.

My local butcher used to buy the same, was hardy fit for the dog to be honest.
Same butcher now works with native breed and is the most beautiful beef you will ever taste.

 

[Hilly]

If this were true why do local butchers who rely on selling a quality product consistently buy Limousin heifers?

Small and lean and habit.

 

[digger64]

[QUOTdon't spiring Peasants, post: 6798110, member: 198"]
If this were true why do local butchers who rely on selling a quality product consistently buy Limousin heifers?
[/QUOTE]
They dont want to trim fat , saleable meat % and carcass / joint size , customers tend to choose leaner if given a choice it's a" vicious circle " .

 

[neilo]

The best and most popular family butcher in the whole of the Galaxy - Forsyth's of Peebles - buy nothing but Limousin cross cattle from local suckler herds.
They have customers who travel the 30 miles down from Edinburgh on Saturday mornings.

A chap local to home built up a chain of butcher shops, with his own abattoir attached, and had a fantastic reputation for quality meats. He started buying old cull cows out of Banbury market and hanging them well, but obviously didn’t publicise that fact behind the counters.
‘Making a silk purse from a sow’s ear’ springs to mind.

 

[digger64]

[Qdon't ="Hilly, post: 6798146, member: 3575"]
My local butcher used to buy the same, was hardy fit for the dog to be honest.
Same butcher now works with native breed and is the most beautiful beef you will ever taste.
[/QUOTE]
I dont disbelieve this , but to get them to taste it they have to buy it first and they are indoctrinated so will always choose leaner looking meat

 

[Optimus]

Charolais are back in demand because they will finish in a shorter time while also getting as close to the weight limit as possible. Farmers breed what the market wants and pays the most for, when that changes for the majority then the majority of farmers will change.

For my system they just didn't fit.bulls that were supposed to be easy calving but weren't. And I get Angus cross bullocks that could match them for growth , an better grades plus get a premium.understand why guys selling stores would have them but there just not for me.

 

[Doc]

Continentals are a metaphor for the Ag industry from 1985-2015. They look big’n’shiney but hell they take some keeping. You’ve always got to buy stuff and do stuff- calve them, treat them, give them special stuff to keep them going, repair your equipment, buy new equipment, trim their feet, take out personal injury insurance, feed them a lot etc,etc.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the look of them- a line of Char,Lim, Blonde Bulls are a fine sight at a show and a finished beast at market too.
There are many reasons why beef consumption has declined, I suspect poor eating experience is part of that story.

 

[neilo]

Continentals are a metaphor for the Ag industry from 1985-2015. They look big’n’shiney but hell they take some keeping. You’ve always got to buy stuff and do stuff- calve them, treat them, give them special stuff to keep them going, repair your equipment, buy new equipment, trim their feet, take out personal injury insurance, feed them a lot etc,etc.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the look of them- a line of Char,Lim, Blonde Bulls are a fine sight at a show and a finished beast at market too.
There are many reasons why beef consumption has declined, I suspect poor eating experience is part of that story.

What’s more important though, higher prices or higher profits? The latter won’t necessarily get you in the market reports.

 

[redsloe]

Better minerals/trace elements will sort your problem. We get the odd one but not much anymore.

Calving buckets or powdered minerals? We get a bit of trouble too!

 

[fgc325j]

The last 3 charolais calves we had all wouldn't suck the cows at birth. 2 different bulls. The last one was cavelands fenian. Born now 14 hours and still wont suck the cow. Itll suck her if i hold its head and turn the tit into her mouth and risk getting my brains knocked out but i cant hold it coz the calf is too strong and hurting my back. Its a big strong lively bull but pure dense.
The 1 before ended up on a drip or it would have died and the one before that had to be taken to the vet too.
Vets response was typical charolais, so it must be a problem with them.
Our limousins are up and sucking in an hour.
When the second one eventually sucked on the third day it only ever sucked the front 2 tits. If youve nothing else to do then it might suit but to have another job they dont work for us.
After vet bills and time and colostrum the big price at market doesn't look so good.

Gave up on using CH on our dairy cows after a very bad bout of difficult calvings in the mid-70's, i still remember the bull's
name - Silver Patrick

 

[digger64]

Continentals are a metaphor for the Ag industry from 1985-2015seeing look big’n’shiney but hell they take some keeping. You’ve always got to buy stuff and do stuff- calve them, treat them, give them special stuff to keep them going, repair your equipment, buy new equipment, trim their feet, take out personal injury insurance, feed them a lot etc,etc.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the look of them- a line of Char,Lim, Blonde Bulls are a fine sight at a show and a finished beast at market too.
There are many reasons why beef consumption has declined, I suspect poor eating experience is part of that story.

I think the original idea was to get something more saleable in terms of size and shape from a dairy cow seeing as the beef job pre milk quota was dairy based , they did achieve this .

 

[Ltec]

Are you calving to other breeds too?
Is it a breed thing or are you having a nutritional problem?

Yes we are calving to other breeds. We never had any other breed of calves do that before. All cows are getting pre calving minerals.

 

[Ltec]

Sounds like a management problem, wrong cow, wrong choice of bull, wrong feeding pre calving.

Its very rarely the fault of the breed of bull. Which breed had highest averages at Stirling bull sales.

We've had all the problems you mention. Changing breed of cow made biggest difference to us. Remember pulling massive calves, cow and calf didn't get up for days. Big dopey calves. No life for anyone.

The highest averages at stirling bull sales has nothing to do with charolais calves being to dopey to suck and with the vet bills and labour to keep them living at birth the prices mighnt be that impressive.
All of them calved on their on, no pulling, Cavelands fenian is a highly recommended bull.
All cows have pre calving minerals.
2 cows were saler and 1 simmental. I thought saler was supposed to be thee cow for charolais calves.
The fact we have never had problems like this with any other breed (an occasional big belgian blue needed help with first suck) tells me its not a management problem but a breed problem.
The vet knew it was a charolais before he seen it and he said typical Charolais, not i don't think your managing them right.