Opinions on the "best" suckler cow

[hally]

Just got back from my cows this morning, 2 week old calf lying dead nothing obvious why, just looks like it was asleep. This spring we have averaged just short of £1100 for these calves at 10 to 12 month so it’s a hell of a loss, spoilt my effing day. That’s the problem with sucklers imo if you lose a calf for any reason it’s a hell of a financial loss and therefore I find more stressfull than losing a sheep. Generally if you lose a lamb you can grab a spare and set it on but with a calf it’s a lot more difficult.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Just got back from my cows this morning, 2 week old calf lying dead nothing obvious why, just looks like it was asleep. This spring we have averaged just short of £1100 for these calves at 10 to 12 month so it’s a hell of a loss, spoilt my effing day. That’s the problem with sucklers imo if you lose a calf for any reason it’s a hell of a financial loss and therefore I find more stressfull than losing a sheep. Generally if you lose a lamb you can grab a spare and set it on but with a calf it’s a lot more difficult.

I had one exactly the same last week, 2 weeks old laid dead, out in the field, out of one of my best cows....wasn’t even cold, took it straight down for a post mortem, initial results are it was perfect....sent parts away to check for clostridials
This year has been a proper shite one, good job prices are good or it would be very sickening

 

[hally]

I had one exactly the same last week, 2 weeks old laid dead, out in the field, out of one of my best cows....wasn’t even cold, took it straight down for a post mortem, initial results are it was perfect....sent parts away to check for clostridials
This year has been a proper shite one, good job prices are good or it would be very sickening

Yeah hell of a year, funny thing we've had a really good lambing but the calving has been a bloody nigjtmare so far

 

[CharcoalWally]

I remember visiting the late Stephen Hart in Oxfordshire about 30 years ago and his ideal suckler cow was an Angus x Jersey (i.e. as small as possible) to which he would put a Charolais bull. He reckoned that was the most efficient way.

Maybe in the balmy, fertile South this might appeal to some , but I think that here in the North and West of Scotland that Jersey cross genetics would have little to recommend themselves for a hardy, low maintenance cow. Too thin skinned and fragile for the weather and needing too much management.

Plus it's a mixture of genetics that are know for being, shall we say, a little "feisty. " Not necessarily desirable in a suckler cow. I had a friend who kept a small number of Jersey crosses some years back. He didn't speak of them in flattering terms.

 

[juke]

I had one exactly the same last week, 2 weeks old laid dead, out in the field, out of one of my best cows....wasn’t even cold, took it straight down for a post mortem, initial results are it was perfect....sent parts away to check for clostridials
This year has been a proper shite one, good job prices are good or it would be very sickening

if that is a clostridium problem do you inject pregnant cows to protect the unborn calf or do you vaccinate new born calves?

 

[M-J-G]

Just got back from my cows this morning, 2 week old calf lying dead nothing obvious why, just looks like it was asleep. This spring we have averaged just short of £1100 for these calves at 10 to 12 month so it’s a hell of a loss, spoilt my effing day. That’s the problem with sucklers imo if you lose a calf for any reason it’s a hell of a financial loss and therefore I find more stressfull than losing a sheep. Generally if you lose a lamb you can grab a spare and set it on but with a calf it’s a lot more difficult.

I take it you don't have any twins running?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

if that is a clostridium problem do you inject pregnant cows to protect the unborn calf or do you vaccinate new born calves?

Yes you can put the cows into a heptivac style system, give them a booster a month before they calve, or alternately you can jab your calves

 

[hally]

I take it you don't have any twins running?

Fraid not

 

[NZDan]

Jersey x hardy British.
Every breed comparison trial done in the world has had the Jersey cross cow as the best performing cow and the Jersey cross meat as the best quality meat.

 

[ajcc]

Jersey x hardy British.
Every breed comparison trial done in the world has had the Jersey cross cow as the best performing cow and the Jersey cross meat as the best quality meat.

So why would anyone choose anything less!???

 

[NZDan]

So why would anyone choose anything less!???

Because in life we rarely choose what is 'best', but choose what is best for ourselves.

 

[M-J-G]

Jersey x hardy British.
Every breed comparison trial done in the world has had the Jersey cross cow as the best performing cow and the Jersey cross meat as the best quality meat.

I can't argue with what's the best in the world, but I found them unsatisfactory at several levels.
It blows beef EBVs out of the water a little, if the crucial genetic ingredient to the best beef dam on the planet has no/poor beef EBVs.

 

[Ysgythan]

I can't argue with what's the best in the world, but I found them unsatisfactory at several levels.
It blows beef EBVs out of the water a little, if the crucial genetic ingredient to the best beef dam on the planet has no/poor beef EBVs.

Perhaps that means Beef EBVs aren’t fit for purpose?

 

[NZDan]

I can't argue with what's the best in the world, but I found them unsatisfactory at several levels.
It blows beef EBVs out of the water a little, if the crucial genetic ingredient to the best beef dam on the planet has no/poor beef EBVs.

Perhaps that's because most of us ignore the ebvs that are actually infl7ence profit. The key drivers to beef profit are fertility, cost of keeping the cow and weaning weight. The Jersey excels at all of these, they are one of the most fertile breeds, they are small and very easy calving as a cow, and while they lack growth they have milk to spare for calves sired by big growthy bulls.

 

[CharcoalWally]

Perhaps that's because most of us ignore the ebvs that are actually infl7ence profit. The key drivers to beef profit are fertility, cost of keeping the cow and weaning weight. The Jersey excels at all of these, they are one of the most fertile breeds, they are small and very easy calving as a cow, and while they lack growth they have milk to spare for calves sired by big growthy bulls.

Yes, I think everyone knows this, but a cow also has to be practical enough to suit her environment, and this is where a lot of us would find problems with Jersey X cows.

 

[Baling Hay]

Perhaps that's because most of us ignore the ebvs that are actually infl7ence profit. The key drivers to beef profit are fertility, cost of keeping the cow and weaning weight. The Jersey excels at all of these, they are one of the most fertile breeds, they are small and very easy calving as a cow, and while they lack growth they have milk to spare for calves sired by big growthy bulls.

Jersey x Belgian Blue put to a Charolais bull is king.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Jersey x Belgian Blue put to a Charolais bull is king.

I thought jerseys were killing machines?

 

[Baling Hay]

I thought jerseys were killing machines?

Some of the quietest cows I have ever worked with.......pure bred Jerseys that is.

 

[bert]

Jersey x Belgian Blue put to a Charolais bull is king.

We had one of them, got ten calves out of her to the charolais, always really nice calves but you defiantly didn't want to be there when the calved, or for 2 weeks after

 

[Henarar]

it all depends on your market