Suckler cow breed

[tinsheet]

South Devon make great cows, milky cross well with just about anything, mine are crossed with Hereford and Angus,
Put a continental on them you'd get some big cattle!.

 

[Wooly]

Just go with Sussex.......... quiet and cheap to keep.

 

[Stevt]

I had thought this is my issue. It’s seems to be early after calving they just have too much milk but I am feeding beet/silageand straw due to the summer drought so maybe it’s been too much for them this year. Only been on straw and then hay just prior to calving but no hay left now.

 

[Stevt]

We are near Doncaster.

 

[egbert]

I disagree, boy near me has south Devons, altho the cows keep there condition the calf's and absolutely shocking, little runts that don't grow

Only trouble I have is if heifers get poor, and then not doing calves - but then, i'm out-wintering most of them at 1000', on peat, in 90" of p*ssing rain- oh, and I'm a famously poor feeder.
Otherwise calves grow.
5 of my 7 immediate neighbours all keep SDs....must say summat.


But hey ho, everyone has an opinion.

 

[Weasel]

Only trouble I have is if heifers get poor, and then not doing calves - but then, i'm out-wintering most of them at 1000', on peat, in 90" of p*ssing rain- oh, and I'm a famously poor feeder.
Otherwise calves grow.
5 of my 7 immediate neighbours all keep SDs....must say summat.


But hey ho, everyone has an opinion.

I do the same with SimLuings and they put a lot in their calf's

 

[egbert]

I do the same with SimLuings and they put a lot in their calf's

I don't know anyone around me using SimLuings. There's been a few keep Luings, but they never took off.
Not many Sim crosses at all locally now I think of it...don't know why. I like em well enough.

The 2 neighbours not on on SDs...one is into welsh Blacks -few herds in and around local hills, the other is now on stabilisers , having started on dairy X's to a char.

I've run a sim bull over my SDs at a push, but there wasn't a big enough jump - a char is a better cross if that is the way you're going.

 

[betweenthelines]

S Devon will eat twice as much as a Hereford X.

Perhaps you need to be sourcing your Hr X replacements from a grazing dairy herd who won't have Holstein type cows

 

[Weasel]

I don't know anyone around me using SimLuings. There's been a few keep Luings, but they never took off.
Not many Sim crosses at all locally now I think of it...don't know why. I like em well enough.

The 2 neighbours not on on SDs...one is into welsh Blacks -few herds in and around local hills, the other is now on stabilisers , having started on dairy X's to a char.

I've run a sim bull over my SDs at a push, but there wasn't a big enough jump - a char is a better cross if that is the way you're going.

How do they get on with Welsh blacks?

 

[CharcoalWally]

S Devon will eat twice as much as a Hereford X.

Perhaps you need to be sourcing your Hr X replacements from a grazing dairy herd who won't have Holstein type cows

My neighbour runs pure South Devon cows. Two or three Summers back I remember thinking that I had never seen anyone run suckler cows barer of grass than he was that year. I mean bare - to the boards.

These cows made a fantastic job of their calves and somehow got back in calf again. I'd seriously doubt that Hereford cross cows of any type could have matched that performance on such little grass.

His best ever calves were got by either a Simmental or Limousin bull. The cows left good calves to either breed.

 

[Bopeep1981]

It's a shame you are having trouble with Her x cows mothering. We very rarely have any problems at calving, even with 2yo heifers. Hope you manage to find a suitable replacement.

 

[Cowgirl]

On here it's always the Hereford's fault LOL! Never what they're crossed with...

 

[digger64]

On here it's always the Hereford's fault LOL! Never what they're crossed with...

The only advantages i can see with dairy cross cows is weaning weight and availiability everything else is negative and generally harder work or expense

 

[Jones24]

Saler or saler x Galloway if on hard ground.. maby bluegray put to char? Do you buy replacements or want to breed?

 

[Roy_H]

South Devon make great cows, milky cross well with just about anything, mine are crossed with Hereford and Angus,
Put a continental on them you'd get some big cattle!.

Yes great cattle however l know someone who years ago used Limousin bulls on his S.D. heifers ( Repeat heifers) . It was an utter FUBAB apparently.

 

[Weasel]

Saler or saler x Galloway if on hard ground.. maby bluegray put to char? Do you buy replacements or want to breed?

Saler x Galloway? How do you manage to tag their calf's?

 

[Weasel]

They would probably suit a char better if your selling store.

They cross with the limmy just Aswell

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Saler x Galloway? How do you manage to tag their calf's?

Very rapidly

 

[Weasel]

Very rapidly

Maybe he's an Olympic sprinter

 

[Jones24]

Saler x Galloway? How do you manage to tag their calf's?

Easy enough.. quick and efficiently .. there not as bad as people seem to think.. they work perfect for us.. and they leave a lot better margin than the old welsh black x lims or hrfords we used to keep..