Stabilisers

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
What age and weights are your steers killing into?
I have to confess to not having got that far yet!
The grass only system has only been in place since last year's calving. Looking at them now I'd like to think a few of the best will be fit to go before housing (ie by 18 months), but they won't be 400kg carcasses!
Experimenting with grass/ forage only tbh before I decide whether to go whole hog and sign up for pfla, or return to supplementing with a little concentrate to finish in 2nd winter.
Happy with progress so far, albeit they haven't been on a weighbridge since turnout as they're a long way from home.
Will also need some decent rain before long otherwise there won't be any grass to finish them on🙁
 

Tractor cymru

Member
Livestock Farmer
Was in similar situation a few years ago when decided to go into stabiliser cattle. We were putting lims and charolais onto the cows but still were having difficulty calving some of them. First calvers were ai to pure stabiliser bull. The calving of the pure was much easier. We decided to bull everything to stabiliser and haven't look back, much easier. They do well on less food and hardly any feed. As mentioned we haven't been brave enough to go down the store route yet. They work well as bull beef easily managing around 400kg carcasses at 12-13 months.
Next year however I think with the current price of feed we will go down the steer route and fatten them off silage. If they do similar to the heifers that we send on the dead on grass only, they should do fine.

They suit us but are not everyone's cup of tea.
 

Jones24

Member
Livestock Farmer
Keeping them on hard ground or hill. The saler will do better on less than the stabiliser in our experience. Although the stabiliser produces a good calf. And also in our experience the stabiliser was no better than the saler temperament wise.
 

Radio

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Radnorshire
We’ve got stabilisers, breeding up to pure. They do what they say they will, easy calving, mostly find cow calved and calf sucking. Fattened bulls and bred heifers ,selling a few spare ones. The only negatives are changing bull every 2 years, as his heifers come into herd. They calve well at 2. Also as been said not to commercial in store ring, but as more come about should improve.
 

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
Keeping them on hard ground or hill. The saler will do better on less than the stabiliser in our experience. Although the stabiliser produces a good calf. And also in our experience the stabiliser was no better than the saler temperament wise.
Temperament wise I can walk up and touch many of mine in the field. But they are on daily moves so they are used to regular close contact.
 

wilt434

Member
Location
North Wales
What are the opinions of Stabilisers, for a grass based system, selling weaned calves or store cattle, with maybe a Charolais or Blonde bull used on them? I nipped into the Stabiliser stand at Groundswell (really to get a cup of tea! but started to chat to the fellow on the stand), and that got me thinking about them. Will add, organic here, and probably don't creep the calves.

Good evening.

Not meaning to hijack the thread but we currently have 70 mainly pure stabiliser with either charolais or stabiliser calves at foot for sale. Also have 16 bulling heifers for sale. Located in North Wales

Pm if interested, thanks.
 

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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/
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