|New ped Blue

[johnspeehs]

Different regions seem to want different coloured calves - down here in the SW the markets want blue and white calves - I think black and white Bluex heifers have in the past been passed off as pure Friesian or Holstein heifer calves but in the North, they prefer the darker colour. White bulls usually get blue and white calves.

Thanks GR, its the blue and white ones I like, I think the whiter ones show more towards the mother. They are hard to find round here so can't be too picky but I see some smashing ones on donedeal in southern Ireland, bigger numbers down there.

 

[Lovegoodstock]

More in terms of muscle than growth. Calve around 225 cows at the moment and you can tell when the calf hits the ground if it will muscle or not, though know we have discussed before , and funny but how different regions are after different types of cattle, and here its shape and 65 per cent killing out stores that make the big money, so guess just trying to produce what my buyers want, though not always successful

 

[Henarar]

More in terms of muscle than growth. Calve around 225 cows at the moment and you can tell when the calf hits the ground if it will muscle or not, though know we have discussed before , and funny but how different regions are after different types of cattle, and here its shape and 65 per cent killing out stores that make the big money, so guess just trying to produce what my buyers want, though not always successful

yep that's what you have to do, I don't say the shapely ones are the worst far from it but we find that something with more size about it will make more

 

[GenuineRisk]

yep that's what you have to do, I don't say the shapely ones are the worst far from it but we find that something with more size about it will make more

I agree, Steve but it's a bit daft, if you think about it - the air under the animal is worth zip if you're rearing for finishing. It's the make and shape which will get you the money at the end of the animal's life, no? Big frames mean big bone and, again, that isn't going to make you money either! It can cause you hellish calving problems, though. Jeez, all I've learned over the past decade plus is that the perfect beef breed just doesn't exist, no one breed will suit every farmer, that's for sure. If we breed really tall, muscled Blue bulls, buyers will worry about their cows calving in. If we produce a medium sized shapely bull, buyers worry will he reach their tallest cows (99% of the time yes, as long as you aren't over feeding him or not letting him get decent exercise - Blues can be surprising athletic !)...... Those AI beef bulls for dairy herds are often medium sized bulls and they do the job extremely well!

 

[Henarar]

Jools someone we both know said that a blue bull only needs to be as tall as he needs to be
The pics of our two stock bulls I put on another thread don't show the difference in height and conformation of our two stock bulls the younger one is much shorter but much more heavy muscled though they came out the same dam
A farmer that bought another bull from us looked at him and said he was way to muscled for him
We have only had a few commercial calves from him so far but they are looking good and not lacking height
he is the shortest stock bull we have had and could be a learning curve for us, it may work out it may not you live and learn

as you say the air under them is worth bugger all but I know what sells best to our market this may change though with the new grids and wanting beef animals finished at lighter weights, but this I wouldn't really know about
@gone up the hill

 

[gone up the hill]

Jools someone we both know said that a blue bull only needs to be as tall as he needs to be
The pics of our two stock bulls I put on another thread don't show the difference in height and conformation of our two stock bulls the younger one is much shorter but much more heavy muscled though they came out the same dam
A farmer that bought another bull from us looked at him and said he was way to muscled for him
We have only had a few commercial calves from him so far but they are looking good and not lacking height
he is the shortest stock bull we have had and could be a learning curve for us, it may work out it may not you live and learn

as you say the air under them is worth bugger all but I know what sells best to our market this may change though with the new grids and wanting beef animals finished at lighter weights, but this I wouldn't really know about
@gone up the hill

The new grid and especially the lighter weight limits, aren't good for any breed of cattle ( except dexters ) imo, if it goes to 380 max it will mean that cattle wont come to much money regardless of their breed!

 

[Alicecow]

The new grid and especially the lighter weight limits, aren't good for any breed of cattle ( except dexters ) imo, if it goes to 380 max it will mean that cattle wont come to much money regardless of their breed!

That's probably exactly what they'll do. Still sell it for mega bucks though

 

[Henarar]

That's probably exactly what they'll do. Still sell it for mega bucks though

yep its all a con

 

[kp_n_plghng]

Will the new grids hurt dairy beef the most since their the animals that we used to be able to take to heavy weights for good money.

 

[bob_01]

We've bought some pedigree blue embryos out of the society sales. My question is what would you blue breeders feed, 16/20 month old recipients on to get the best chance of the embryo to hold? I've p'd' two out of three recipts in calf as our first ever go at e.t (free blue embryos of a local breeder who packed up), but i feel we got lucky on nutrition as we just gave them beef blend that the fatterners are on but picked out the majority of the barely plus gave them ad lib silage and straw. I've little experience of embrio transfer but intrigued to learn as I find it very intresting. Also is there a preferred recipient? Ie blue X dairy or does it not really matter? If I'm lucky enough to get them to hold what would you feed the housed incalf recipients? Or is it a case of once they have p.d'd in calf treat them like a normal incalf Cow? Also are donor cows eating the same as recipients to give them a rising plane of nutrition before a.i and collection?

 

[Henarar]

We've bought some pedigree blue embryos out of the society sales. My question is what would you blue breeders feed, 16/20 month old recipients on to get the best chance of the embryo to hold? I've p'd' two out of three recipts in calf as our first ever go at e.t (free blue embryos of a local breeder who packed up), but i feel we got lucky on nutrition as we just gave them beef blend that the fatterners are on but picked out the majority of the barely plus gave them ad lib silage and straw. I've little experience of embrio transfer but intrigued to learn as I find it very intresting. Also is there a preferred recipient? Ie blue X dairy or does it not really matter? If I'm lucky enough to get them to hold what would you feed the housed incalf recipients? Or is it a case of once they have p.d'd in calf treat them like a normal incalf Cow? Also are donor cows eating the same as recipients to give them a rising plane of nutrition before a.i and collection?

@GenuineRisk

 

[GenuineRisk]

If you do a search on this forum about recips/ET transfers/embryos etc, you'll find plenty of info - tbh, have written about several times on here and too tired to do it again!! Or check the Paragon or LLM websites - real good info on there.

 

[Lovegoodstock]

No experience of embryo transfer, but thought a settled ration was important pre and post planting, though two out of three and I think you altered their diet rules that one out. Early posting of Henarar, that is what im against with ebvs. Years off being reliable enough imo. Went to look at a bull last week, he had two from embryos, full brothers born days apart. Completely different looking bulls, to be honest one very good one very average, would they not carry the same ebv figures? Except 100 day weight etc that on figures were again as good as identical. So you have a poor loking bull that turned out to throw average at best calves, and full brother looking the part throwing nigh on 90 per cent show calves. By sight eblex tell you that you cant select a good bull, well I will continue doing what I do which apparently is a bad job. Yet still very happy with my store sales

 

[Lovegoodstock]

In reply to kp then yes it probably will, there will be an odd place that will require them or search them in a live mart but sent to a standard spec abbatoir they will be. I said somewhere that so many variables within same breeds you cant say the big old sims and char will have had it compared to the earlier fleshing or lighter weight killing of say a lim or angus, as you will find some hard doing lims that need to be heavier at finishing as some ch or sim. Some bbs and blondes years ago reckoned to be hard doers, again an old view compared to many bulls available, but if those breeds crept and high killing out, they could be kept on good grub and hit weight limits at young age, so many horses for courses and variables

 

[bob_01]

Thanks @GenuineRisk. I've found what I needed to know of the paragon website. I was right to get rid of the barley but it sounds like I'm missing an energy source like sugar beet pulp.