Perfect Suckler cow??

[Romeogolf]

Best suckler Cow?


Someone else’s.

 

[JSmith]

Bull her at 11 and a half months!!!!!!!???????
Dont think so

I didn’t say I would, I said gecko has bulled down to less weight than that, I’ve had three month old heifers get bulled by their sire at grass, and the age is correct!! I don’t bull at twelve months as a rule but I have in the past with no detrimental affects

 

[Hilly]

24 months, fine, with a suitable bull.
Dont know if I'm keen to go younger than that.

Tis a probelm if only spring calvers as 3 they get two big hell of a wait for any return and they do grow on …

 

[choochter]

Tis a probelm if only spring calvers as 3 they get two big hell of a wait for any return and they do grow on …

As soon as mine are 14-15 months, they go in with bull

 

[Hilly]

I think pelvic meausre probs more important than age size, i dont even do that now as never found any to small.

 

[Happy]

That’s some weight and price for that age, what do you creep them on!! I fancy a charly bull but the stories of dopey calves puts me right off, rarely have to mess with a lim calf for lack of brains

East Coast Viners 15% beef blend in creep feeder from mid August. Don’t think that would be any earlier than most folk aiming for suckled calf sales.
Like to think it’s the Sim cow that makes the difference. Top pen of 7 char x ones were 419kg.
Used to run Lim x Fr cows on separate farm and calves noticeably lighter at weaning but the fancier calves from them would pay just as well.

You can get the odd dopey Char bull calf. Still use a Lim bull on heifers and any issue with them sucking is usually down to the heifer rather than the calf.
Lim x stots sold at same sale were 360kg & £1140 so 30-40kg lighter. than the Sim & Char x

 

[Sleepeasy]

Each to their own I say. Been keeping our own Sim replacements heifers for 30+ years.
Toyed with the idea of introducing Shorthorn or Salers for hydrid vigour but plainness of shorthorn & varying tales on how docile or otherwise Salers may be has meant we’ve never made the leap.

Sold half this years 2023 spring born calves straight of their mothers a week ago at 7-8months old
Char x stots averaged 395kg & £1305
Sim stots 394kg & £1300
Char x heifers 381kg & £1200

Happy enough at that. Could maybe do better with another breed or different system but a lot to be said for if it ain’t broke…..

Doing between 1.4-1.6kg a day from first 210-240 That’s some going

 

[Baling Hay]

East Coast Viners 15% beef blend in creep feeder from mid August. Don’t think that would be any earlier than most folk aiming for suckled calf sales.
Like to think it’s the Sim cow that makes the difference. Top pen of 7 char x ones were 419kg.
Used to run Lim x Fr cows on separate farm and calves noticeably lighter at weaning but the fancier calves from them would pay just as well.

You can get the odd dopey Char bull calf. Still use a Lim bull on heifers and any issue with them sucking is usually down to the heifer rather than the calf.
Lim x stots sold at same sale were 360kg & £1140 so 30-40kg lighter. than the Sim & Char x

surprised they could fit in the creep feeder at the end!!

 

[Bossfarmer]

Each to their own I say. Been keeping our own Sim replacements heifers for 30+ years.
Toyed with the idea of introducing Shorthorn or Salers for hydrid vigour but plainness of shorthorn & varying tales on how docile or otherwise Salers may be has meant we’ve never made the leap.

Sold half this years 2023 spring born calves straight of their mothers a week ago at 7-8months old
Char x stots averaged 395kg & £1305
Sim stots 394kg & £1300
Char x heifers 381kg & £1200

Happy enough at that. Could maybe do better with another breed or different system but a lot to be said for if it ain’t broke…..

if theyre only 7-8 months and averaging that id say your doing an excellent job already

 

[chipchap]

Temperament is very important.

Nobody likes working with stock that are difficult to manage.

 

[Bossfarmer]

East Coast Viners 15% beef blend in creep feeder from mid August. Don’t think that would be any earlier than most folk aiming for suckled calf sales.
Like to think it’s the Sim cow that makes the difference. Top pen of 7 char x ones were 419kg.
Used to run Lim x Fr cows on separate farm and calves noticeably lighter at weaning but the fancier calves from them would pay just as well.

You can get the odd dopey Char bull calf. Still use a Lim bull on heifers and any issue with them sucking is usually down to the heifer rather than the calf.
Lim x stots sold at same sale were 360kg & £1140 so 30-40kg lighter. than the Sim & Char x

sounds as good a system as any the chars out the sim cos are a clear winner here, i find keeping the pre calver minerals in about the cows at calving has all but eliminated the dopey calves

 

[Henarar]

I've just weighed fairy feet here - 394kgs, she's 11 and a half months old.
Wonder if gecko would bull her now?
View attachment 1148100
View attachment 1148099

Nice charly there

 

[som farmer]

Each to their own I say. Been keeping our own Sim replacements heifers for 30+ years.
Toyed with the idea of introducing Shorthorn or Salers for hydrid vigour but plainness of shorthorn & varying tales on how docile or otherwise Salers may be has meant we’ve never made the leap.

Sold half this years 2023 spring born calves straight of their mothers a week ago at 7-8months old
Char x stots averaged 395kg & £1305
Sim stots 394kg & £1300
Char x heifers 381kg & £1200

Happy enough at that. Could maybe do better with another breed or different system but a lot to be said for if it ain’t broke…..

we have been selling dairy x beef stirks, at around 6 months for half that money, and topping the mkt.

the question is, does the difference in price, cover the cost of keeping the cow for the year. We could turn out 2 stirks in the year.

mind you, our best stirks are nowhere near looking like yours ! But the economics have to add up.

with our dairy herd, dopey calves are associated with the transition diet pre calving, get it right Iodine lack used to be a problem, especially if feeding kale/rape. Min bolus all cows, and mins in ration. We get very few problems at calving, mainly caused by cows that have twins.

min drench all the beef stores as well.

 

[Baling Hay]

East Coast Viners 15% beef blend in creep feeder from mid August. Don’t think that would be any earlier than most folk aiming for suckled calf sales.
Like to think it’s the Sim cow that makes the difference. Top pen of 7 char x ones were 419kg.
Used to run Lim x Fr cows on separate farm and calves noticeably lighter at weaning but the fancier calves from them would pay just as well.

You can get the odd dopey Char bull calf. Still use a Lim bull on heifers and any issue with them sucking is usually down to the heifer rather than the calf.
Lim x stots sold at same sale were 360kg & £1140 so 30-40kg lighter. than the Sim & Char x

got any pics?

 

[Happy]

got any pics?

Not of this years ones. Some from 1st September last year.

 

[Baling Hay]

Not of this years ones. Some from 1st September last year.

Lovely stock!

 

[M-J-G]

I'm frightened to ask. Can you tell me which breeds aren't 'mental' ? According to you experts.

Hereford seems to be one of the most calm, BB and Simmentals are pretty good too. We've had the odd Sim that have taken some handling too, but they have been the exception.
Once you cross them all sorts of things can change.
A friend had AA x dairy as breeding cows, which were quiet enough, but they were hand reared, the put a Hereford over them and the resultant heifers were kept as cows and just about every one of them are crazy when they calve.
I believe it's the AA that's to balme, because they have a few pure Herefords that wouldn't even blink when you go in beside their calf.

Lim, AA and Saler seem to be the ones that come up in conversations.

 

[Gulli]

Hereford seems to be one of the most calm, BB and Simmentals are pretty good too. We've had the odd Sim that have taken some handling too, but they have been the exception.
Once you cross them all sorts of things can change.
A friend had AA x dairy as breeding cows, which were quiet enough, but they were hand reared, the put a Hereford over them and the resultant heifers were kept as cows and just about every one of them are crazy when they calve.
I believe it's the AA that's to balme, because they have a few pure Herefords that wouldn't even blink when you go in beside their calf.

Lim, AA and Saler seem to be the ones that come up in conversations.

Xbreds tend to be livelier but I've had the odd Hereford that's rather unfriendly to say the least.
Just weaned one that won't let anyone within 10 feet of her calf at calving time. 290kgs off grass though.

As you say they are very much the exception, probably the simmental blood in them

 

[livestock 1]

Alexander Jalex

 

[Woolless]

Xbreds tend to be livelier but I've had the odd Hereford that's rather unfriendly to say the least.
Just weaned one that won't let anyone within 10 feet of her calf at calving time. 290kgs off grass though.

As you say they are very much the exception, probably the simmental blood in them

Surely Not!!

Edit: Not in my Traditionals!!