Pedigree cows for commercial beef

dannewhouse

Member
Location
huddersfield
I think you're looking at the complete wrong way around.

Imo a pure blue cow will be one of the more expensive cows to run?
Harder calving, more feed, possibly less milk?

The other end is a first cross out of dairy or a native breed, I have both, cross to continental and get a decent calf. You then want a better calf so go more continental type cow (I have a few ped Lims now) but you can end up short of milk, so a better calf but not as grown/more creap so back to same point.

My worst calvings are blue cross cows to lim bull. Not much room in them and throw a big square showy calf but sometimes c section which takes the profit.
 

Vader

Member
Mixed Farmer
All,

What are your thoughts on using pedigree Belgian Blue cows crossed with an easy calving Limousin or Shorthorn for commercial beef ?
We have got some bb x limo cows.
Bought as heifers.
Put them to blonde bull.
Cracking calfs, no problem calfing them and plenty of milk.
But we don't bull stuff till they nearly 2 year old so grow to full potential so more room to calf.
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
All,

What are your thoughts on using pedigree Belgian Blue cows crossed with an easy calving Limousin or Shorthorn for commercial beef ?
Lim bull on blue is a good cross, personally I wouldn't be so keen to use a shorthorn bull on blue cows though.
Went on a vist to see a herd where they keep pedigree blues and they also keep pedigree lims but most of their cows were a cross between the two, they would cross them one way then back again, fantastic calves, there were creep feeders out but even so.
 

Whitepeak

Member
Livestock Farmer
We have got some bb x limo cows.
Bought as heifers.
Put them to blonde bull.
Cracking calfs, no problem calfing them and plenty of milk.
But we don't bull stuff till they nearly 2 year old so grow to full potential so more room to calf.
And with a Blonde bull you have a good chance of getting that roan calf everyone seems to go mad for 😉
 

Hesstondriver

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Huntingdon
Just because the OP mentioned BB and Lim.
A BSH cow is an excellent cross with a Sim, but I'm guessing the OP is looking for wee fancy pants type show calves if he's going to the extremes of keeping pure BB cows.
(y)

i suppose id say the simmy would have more room and more milk , unless it was a very traditional Belgium bred blue ?
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.9%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 63 34.2%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.3%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.3%

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

  • 1,287
  • 1
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/
Top