Stabiliser Cattle

GTB

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
Anyone any idea how much a Stabiliser bulling heifer is going to cost?

And why do I get the feeling it's going to be more than I expect?
There are quite a few 'unofficial' stabiliser breeders about now. They will sell you a bull or heifers without figures for sensible money. I can't see how the company can keep control of the breed once it has snowballed.
 

topground

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North Somerset.
I know there were various references to these on bff, but its not very easy to access those now.
I am considering a switch from my beloved BrB x cows to enable a closed herd, in part prompted by a Tb breakdown.
Having made the similar switch with my sheep, the Stabiliser concept appeals. Just as quiet, perhaps not the shape, but growth rates to make up for it, cheaper to keep, and easier calving, though have to say I haven't had much trouble in that department in last 12 months.
Anyone got them and want to pass comment?
Know of anyone in the south west who keeps them?
Plan to 'grade up' from the cattle I've got, probably using AI to start with to make use of the best genetics.
 
I'm think the cow is good, but know better than a cow that you can create on your own farm for a lot less £££

Sorry but there is no way on this earth you can create a similar quality cow on your own farm.

Perhaps a similar looking animal yes but in terms of what really matters to actually make sustainable PROFIT year in year out from suckler beef production then no.

Firstly, where in the UK do you source a bull that's got robust data (40 years recording across literally hundreds of thousands of cattle) and is in the top 10% of the breed for net feed efficiency, fertility, longevity, scrotal size, cow feed intake, mature cow size, feed conversion, birth weight, calving ease, daughter calving ease, growth rate, weaning weight, yearling weight, marbling, muscle depth, feed intake and most imporatntly an EBV for PROFIT!!

Once you have found this bull you then need to find 2 similar bulls from 2 other breeds, create your 3 way composite to retain 86% hybrid vigour and stabilise it into a breed!!

This should will take about 40 years and £25 million pounds (time and cost invested into creating the Stabiliser) to do.

So perhaps a Stabiliser bull at £3k or heifer at around £1300 doesn't look so expensive after all!!
 
Sorry but there is no way on this earth you can create a similar quality cow on your own farm.

Perhaps a similar looking animal yes but in terms of what really matters to actually make sustainable PROFIT year in year out from suckler beef production then no.

Firstly, where in the UK do you source a bull that's got robust data (40 years recording across literally hundreds of thousands of cattle) and is in the top 10% of the breed for net feed efficiency, fertility, longevity, scrotal size, cow feed intake, mature cow size, feed conversion, birth weight, calving ease, daughter calving ease, growth rate, weaning weight, yearling weight, marbling, muscle depth, feed intake and most imporatntly an EBV for PROFIT!!

Once you have found this bull you then need to find 2 similar bulls from 2 other breeds, create your 3 way composite to retain 86% hybrid vigour and stabilise it into a breed!!

This should will take about 40 years and £25 million pounds (time and cost invested into creating the Stabiliser) to do.

So perhaps a Stabiliser bull at £3k or heifer at around £1300 doesn't look so expensive after all!!


I'm not on about creating your own stabiliser, but just a simple 3 way cross, not that I use them but black baldies x Terminal sire one example.

Just because majority of breeds breeds don't have an ebv for profit doesn't make them unprofitable...... Remember ebvs are judged within breeds not amongst breeds.... Your top 1% profitable stabiliser could be in the bottom 10% dexters if they recorded profitability

I know more people going out of stabilisers than getting into them at the moment
 

hillman

Member
Location
Wicklow Ireland
All data on stabilisers that I know of is done on bulls, but who would want to finish bulls at the

Are one off the supermarket s not looking for stabilisers bulls , under 16 mths and up to 450 kg dw
 
B
I'm not on about creating your own stabiliser, but just a simple 3 way cross, not that I use them but black baldies x Terminal sire one example.

Just because majority of breeds breeds don't have an ebv for profit doesn't make them unprofitable...... Remember ebvs are judged within breeds not amongst breeds.... Your top 1% profitable stabiliser could be in the bottom 10% dexters if they recorded profitability

The profit ebv is measured ACROSS breed not within breed in the US and it's biggest driver is feed efficiency.

But your missing the whole point, if you can't/don't measure something you can't manage it and improve on it year on year. If your not continually striving to reduce costs and improve efficiency then you can't keep up with inflation. The poultry industry achieves 2% genetic gain year on year and this puts them in the driving seat even if wheat price is increasing because they are continually improving the feed efficiency of their next generation. So if wheat price goes up 20% over the next 10 years it won't really affect them as they will have compensated by improving feed efficiency through selective breeding.

We suckler beef farmers finally have the opportunity to take control in a similar manner, all of the work has/is being done for us.
 
There are quite a few 'unofficial' stabiliser breeders about now. They will sell you a bull or heifers without figures for sensible money. I can't see how the company can keep control of the breed once it has snowballed.
They won't keep control of it. The idea is great in theory but if there is one thing that the Brits do best, it is ruin breeds by not selecting them on profitability and functionality.

Once a few rogue breeders that are pee'd off with politics within the organisation or such like, start to sell the breed outwith the dictated channels the assumed standard will fall, it's waiting to happen, and farmers being farmers they will be glad to get a stabiliser bull for £2,500 even if he isn't marketed by the company.
 

GTB

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
They won't keep control of it. The idea is great in theory but if there is one thing that the Brits do best, it is ruin breeds by not selecting them on profitability and functionality.

Once a few rogue breeders that are pee'd off with politics within the organisation or such like, start to sell the breed outwith the dictated channels the assumed standard will fall, it's waiting to happen, and farmers being farmers they will be glad to get a stabiliser bull for £2,500 even if he isn't marketed by the company.
I know someone with a small herd of stabilisers. He bred them up from his existing limx herd using high ebv bulls. I suspect his cattle would therefore have good figures. What would be wrong with buying a bull or heifers from him ?
 
B


The profit ebv is measured ACROSS breed not within breed in the US and it's biggest driver is feed efficiency.

But your missing the whole point, if you can't/don't measure something you can't manage it and improve on it year on year. If your not continually striving to reduce costs and improve efficiency then you can't keep up with inflation. The poultry industry achieves 2% genetic gain year on year and this puts them in the driving seat even if wheat price is increasing because they are continually improving the feed efficiency of their next generation. So if wheat price goes up 20% over the next 10 years it won't really affect them as they will have compensated by improving feed efficiency through selective breeding.

We suckler beef farmers finally have the opportunity to take control in a similar manner, all of the work has/is being done for us.

The US isn't the uk too many variables to compare.

I'm all for improving genetics, I also have chickens so know all about genetic improvement. As in the beef industry one breed isn't a dominant Breed, different breeds for different jobs different circumstances.

You don't just have to have stabiliser cattle to make a profit. There seems to a lot if brain washing going on at the moment to convince people stabilises are the only option...
 

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
I know someone with a small herd of stabilisers. He bred them up from his existing limx herd using high ebv bulls. I suspect his cattle would therefore have good figures. What would be wrong with buying a bull or heifers from him ?

Quite possibly nothing. But if he's not recording you don't really know what you're getting, just a presumption.

I'm following this with interest. I don't for a minute think the stabiliser is the only answer to profitable sucklers, but I think they have a lot to offer. I bought 15 heifers, a bull and some semen last year, and another 5 this spring, so maybe I'll have some answers in a few years time. I don't intend buying any more (except semen), just breeding up with what I've got.

And I still think finishing bulls are a good route to go with sucklers, though I don't know if it's different in Ireland.
 

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