How can anybody be bothered with charolais?

Sharpy

Member
Livestock Farmer
I AI'd Sim heifers with Saler in the quest to breed the ultimate Suckler cow based on all the great things I'd been told about them, but I'll never do it again.
They were the most mental calves I've ever known. At a few months old they'd have ran at you flat out bawling of they felt under any kind of pressure.
They never made it as cows as I couldn't get them off the farm quick enough as weaned calves.

A mate of mine bought a herd of Saler cows and put a daily update on FB at calving time, cows trying to kill him, a heifer killing her own calf she was so mental, things like that.
He said he was glad when one of his Lim x cows calved down just for a break from the intensity of it all.

I know a fairly successful Saler breeder reasonably well, and I often pick up on him saying "shes quiet for a Saler"
I've also noticed him say similar about them being a bit hard fleshing.

I know a hill place that has them on a ranching style system , and they like them, but I know someone who buys heifers from there and they say they are pretty lethal as cows so they are moving away from them.

I hear some say they can be ok for temperament, but there is too much talk of them being bad for there not to be something to it, so I'd tread with caution.
The only herd of Salers I know are chilled, most tame cow we have ever had was a Saler cross.
 

ISCO

Member
Location
North East
I think there are certain strains of Saler that are mental. Personally the Saler x cows I have are great to handle and I really rate them for suckler cows.
We have had Salers cows for 15 years and not had a problem with temperament.
I was told when first looking at them there was a particular bull whose progeny were temperamental but can't remember his name.
We are going to buy another Salers bull for replacements.
 
What is it that’s different about them? Obviously udders in some way but why. Do they favour a different cross than other parts of the country?
There seems to be a general tendency to lean towards big coarse and heavy boned types with big loose briskets, which tend to have poorer bags and have have high birth weights.

The same selection seemed to take their Suffolk sheep in the same direction.

Each to their own, but those types are of no interest to me as I've found too many down sides to that kind of animal.
 

Turkish_FR

Member
Mixed Farmer
He says comparing Limousin with Charolais or BBlue is like comparing Rols Royce and Mercedes. I am not sure whether or not he praises Charolais.

 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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