Native x Kiwi suckler cows

[Woolless]

Anyone on here running them? Her/AA x sucklers from spring block-calving type herds?

Thinking about putting a few sucklers on, thought this cross might be a good bet for the type of system I would have in place. Probably calve May, winter cows outside with calf at foot, bales and some deferred grazing. Maybe alongside a little pedigree herd. Think I know where I could get some that would be as good as any of this sort.

Interested in any thoughts or experiences. Thanks.

 

[Agrivator]

Just buy a few Luing bulling heifers, and try to obtain an easy-calving Simmental bull.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Anyone on here running them? Her/AA x sucklers from spring block-calving type herds?

Thinking about putting a few sucklers on, thought this cross might be a good bet for the type of system I would have in place. Probably calve May, winter cows outside with calf at foot, bales and some deferred grazing. Maybe alongside a little pedigree herd. Think I know where I could get some that would be as good as any of this sort.

Interested in any thoughts or experiences. Thanks.

Yes, but I don't really count as we aren't pants-down for EUROP

 

[Woolless]

Just buy a few Luing bulling heifers, and try to obtain an easy-calving Simmental bull.

Luing isn't a bad shout actually. I was thinking that I would rather have a crossbred as a commercial cow, to benefit from hybrid vigour. I'm not sure how much they would retain this far down the line. Would probably be thinking of running an AA bull and possibly making use of AI for replacements and the pedigree side.

 

[M-J-G]

Anyone on here running them? Her/AA x sucklers from spring block-calving type herds?

Thinking about putting a few sucklers on, thought this cross might be a good bet for the type of system I would have in place. Probably calve May, winter cows outside with calf at foot, bales and some deferred grazing. Maybe alongside a little pedigree herd. Think I know where I could get some that would be as good as any of this sort.

Interested in any thoughts or experiences. Thanks.

We look after a herd that has some cows that are Her out of AAxFre, they've been put to a Polled Sim and the calves are pretty good.
Down sides are if they are paddock grazed they get way too fat (even though they are 1/4 dairy). If they aren't grazed well they just put the brakes on the milk supply.
More worryingly though is the fact that almost every one of them would kill you stone dead if they got you around calving. Which I'm blaming the AA for, as the rest of the herd is Her and HerxFre and and they are very quiet.

 

[Woolless]

We look after a herd that has some cows that are Her out of AAxFre, they've been put to a Polled Sim and the calves are pretty good.
Down sides are if they are paddock grazed they get way too fat (even though they are 1/4 dairy). If they aren't grazed well they just put the brakes on the milk supply.
More worryingly though is the fact that almost every one of them would kill you stone dead if they got you around calving. Which I'm blaming the AA for, as the rest of the herd is Her and HerxFre and and they are very quiet.

Hereford x would be my preference for this cross, with docility one of the main reasons. I would hope that 50% dairy genetics would help with persistency of lactation. Hopefully excess blubber would be worked off keeping a calf ticking along through the winter.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

All I can suggest is make sure it's a kiwi fresian the Hereford heifer comes out of. I was sold some, cheap mind. You could pick every one out that was out of a kiwi jersey cross as they grew. The ones out of the fresians made nice cattle, jerseys not so much. One got bulled by accident so is still here. Lovely quiet friendly cow, good milk quality but hwe calf every year throws back too the jersey. Not ideal, if she wasn't such a laid back cow she'd have gone by now.

 

[M-J-G]

Hereford x would be my preference for this cross, with docility one of the main reasons. I would hope that 50% dairy genetics would help with persistency of lactation. Hopefully excess blubber would be worked off keeping a calf ticking along through the winter.

The dairy might help work it off as there would be a will to milk, 3/4 Her and upwards aren't likely to milk off their backs.

 

[Woolless]

All I can suggest is make sure it's a kiwi fresian the Hereford heifer comes out of. I was sold some, cheap mind. You could pick every one out that was out of a kiwi jersey cross as they grew. The ones out of the fresians made nice cattle, jerseys not so much. One got bulled by accident so is still here. Lovely quiet friendly cow, good milk quality but hwe calf every year throws back too the jersey. Not ideal, if she wasn't such a laid back cow she'd have gone by now.

Any tips for picking out the Jersey ones early on?

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Any tips for picking out the Jersey ones early on?

They all looked very similar when they came! ? A pretty level bunch of 3 week old calves, I picked the ones I wanted out of a big bunch, so the ones that were obviously jersey bred stayed there.
By the time we got too 9 weeks and I started weaning it became pretty obvious which ones had dainty legs and an arse like a pencil. If you can source them ready reared you can pick them out easier but you lose the cheap and cheerful aspect.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

The dairy might help work it off as there would be a will to milk, 3/4 Her and upwards aren't likely to milk off their backs.

*arent likely to milk...* has been my experience with them! I like all my sucklers too be half dairy, plenty of milk, rear a real calf with a decent bull without needing creep from 1 month old. That being said I do like them out of the fresian, not the Holstein...

 

[Celt83]

Any tips for picking out the Jersey ones early on?
[/QUOTE}
You'll spot them a mile off! They remind me of a rat eating grass!

Unless you want to be an alcoholic when it comes to selling their calves then I would leave them well alone!

If your looking for a dairy cross I would try and buy a frisian cross angus or Hereford, good mothers with plenty of milk and a simmental or lim cross calf out of them is more than decent. (my opinion)

 

[ImLost]

So do the Jersey x not rear a decent calf then?

 

[Rob Garrett]

Hereford x would be my preference for this cross, with docility one of the main reasons. I would hope that 50% dairy genetics would help with persistency of lactation. Hopefully excess blubber would be worked off keeping a calf ticking along through the winter.

Stabiliser for temperament if calving outdoors. Assisted a heifer last year, just walked up to her in the field, put ropes on & pulled live calf. Hold BCS outwintered, hybrid vigour built in, calves grow/finish quick, will only grade R if kept pure though.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

So do the Jersey x not rear a decent calf then?

Rear, yes. Produce, no. Had a big shorthornx blue cow calve a nice lim bull then go down. day after my jersey x dropped a dead calf. quick adoption and the jersey is rearing a hell of a bull calf! its top notch milk, just very poor beef ability in the calves.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

These are some of my Jersey X blue heifers. I've always thought they'd make a good suckler. These are 27/28 months and have only ever seen rough grazing.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

These are some of my Jersey X blue heifers. I've always thought they'd make a good suckler. These are 27/28 months and have only ever seen rough grazing.

I saw these pics on a different thread the other day. I've never seen such good cattle out of jersey cows! real nice shaped cattle.

 

[Woolless]

These are some of my Jersey X blue heifers. I've always thought they'd make a good suckler. These are 27/28 months and have only ever seen rough grazing.

Lovely cattle.

 

[Woolless]

Rear, yes. Produce, no. Had a big shorthornx blue cow calve a nice lim bull then go down. day after my jersey x dropped a dead calf. quick adoption and the jersey is rearing a hell of a bull calf! its top notch milk, just very poor beef ability in the calves.

When the calf would only be at worst 1/4 Jersey, you wouldn't think it would have such an effect?

 

[Anymulewilldo]

When the calf would only be at worst 1/4 Jersey, you wouldn't think it would have such an effect?

I would like to think it wouldn't. But jersey cattle seem a bit like jacob sheep, the genetics take a long time to breed away from. happy to be proved wrong but thats what we've found over the years