Synchronising sucklers to AI

[CharcoalWally]

I've got a few Nautical heifers to go to the bull now , but I'll probably bull them with my own stock bull all being well. Samark Superman would have done fine for ease of calving on heifers , but he's also hard to get now. I got the Cogent catalogue in the Summer , but I don't know anything about their bulls.

Sorry if this isn't much help Willy , but I only use AI in an emergency , generally preferring my own bulls to get on with it. Since Keeldrum Clio's calving survey is due next month , if he gets a good report then he's the AI sire I'd probably try on Nautical heifers.

 

[Willy A]

I've got a few Nautical heifers to go to the bull now , but I'll probably bull them with my own stock bull all being well. Samark Superman would have done fine for ease of calving on heifers , but he's also hard to get now. I got the Cogent catalogue in the Summer , but I don't know anything about their bulls.

Sorry if this isn't much help Willy , but I only use AI in an emergency , generally preferring my own bulls to get on with it. Since Keeldrum Clio's calving survey is due next month , if he gets a good report then he's the AI sire I'd probably try on Nautical heifers.

Thanks for reply.
Like to know what others do to try and learn from their experience.
Hard to beat a report on a bull from someone that has seen him in the flesh or calved a few.
Not sure if any SIM apart from nautical is easy enough calved for me to risk on heifers.
Thinking pos SALER or Shorthorn for replacements. Could still just let my LIM bull get on with it. He is easy calved

 

[M-J-G]

I have dinton nautical heifers and this year I mostly used kilbride farm newry. But he is now hard to get. Have some omorga baldwin straws, but am very happy with my nautical heifers so may go back to him. Not decided yet what to put on nautical heifers. What did you do.

Newry wont go wrong, great females. The straws are worth money now as they are like hens teeth, lots of breeders mad for them now that there are none left.

Baldwin is a small thick bull, he might suit the NI job ok but he'd be too dumpy for over here.

Clio could be ok, his sire Steinadler is without doubt the easiest calved bull I have ever witnessed of any breed. 30 kg calves aren't abnormal. Calves do well to start with, have a plain spell but do really well from 8-9 months onwards. I'm going to bull two Steinadler heifers with another PP bull called Poldau to try to breed myself a PP calf.

 

[Riddle]

Yeah I have got on very well with nautical seems to be a good all rounder and have some nice heifers. Have got a few to calve to Clio for the spring, he is meant to be really easy calving but will see

 

[Willy A]

You will have to let us all know how easy clio is to calve. I'm not serving heifers till start of June, so hopefully he has a good report by then. Good luck.
Funny how when you look up EBV data for simmentals (if you trust it) that most of the bulls that I would use are quite old. I look for good direct calving ease, good daughter calving ease, good terminal index and good self replacing index. Most of the modern bulls seem to be losing calving ease and self replacing index which is what SIM should be all about.
If I want a hard to calve very growthy animal I can use a Charlais bull.
Nautical has good all round figures but would not win any shows.
Sometimes pedigree breeders should change to a different breed rather than changing the breed type

 

[CharcoalWally]

I would agree with Willy A that breed type/character for the feminine traits in the Simm. breed could certainly be better at the moment. Our latest breed sale at Stirling in Oct. offered up a strange looking collection of rough , low quality bulls of variable conformation that certainly don't look like good cowgetters. Big rough shoulders , coarse hips , bad feet/legs belong in the Charolais breed along with the accompanying calving problems they bring , not the Simm. breed.

Nautical does have great scores , but on farm , does not out perform any of my lower scored stock bulls , and definitely doesn't leave that edge of quality that would take his cattle right in to the top level. I'm not criticising him though , because he is a smooth framed bull OF HIGH SIMMENTAL BREED CHARACTER that leaves good bullocks , smooth framed milky looking daughters and calves like a dream - surely we all want that.

As for wouldn't win any shows , well a lot of really lousy , unfunctional looking bulls win shows. I wouldn't turn a lot of them out with dairy cows , never mind beef cows! I've never seen Nautical in the flesh , but I've often wondered if he suffers from a really bad photo on his promotional blurb. Certainly his progeny are better that their sire looks in the Genus catalogues.

So I'm totally with you there Willy A , I like Nautical too , I think a lot of Simm. breeders don't know what makes a good cow , and I'm looking forward to see how Clio calves. Again , best of luck from me too Riddle , I hope your calving goes well to him and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

[Lukeant]

We just synch some heifers 87.5% conception to first service,regularly used on cows with good results 50% +

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

We just synch some heifers 87.5% conception to first service,regularly used on cows with good results 50% +

50%+ that sort of percentage put me off the job

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

50%+ that sort of percentage put me off the job

I don't mean to sound bitchy but I would want 80%+ before considering moving to ai

 

[Lukeant]

You would do bloody well to get 80%anyway-the key is serving them twice

 

[Dafydd]

Not sure if any SIM apart from nautical is easy enough calved for me to risk on heifers.

Personally there are only a few Sim breeding lines I wouldn't risk on heifers. Got some heifers due to Clio next April/May and serving some more now so I hope he will be easy calved!

 

[Willy A]

Personally there are only a few Sim breeding lines I wouldn't risk on heifers. Got some heifers due to Clio next April/May and serving some more now so I hope he will be easy calved!

Good luck to you as well. Let us know how they get on. Could be one of the most accurate calving surveys ever.

 

[Louise]

Popes Barclay is a easy calving bull, i have a heifer and cow due to him in march.
Hunnyhillsimmentals.com

 

[CharcoalWally]

Popes Barclay is a easy calving bull, i have a heifer and cow due to him in march.
Hunnyhillsimmentals.com

Brilliant Louise , we've got easy calving Simmentals coming out of the woodwork on this thread now! If we all keep going then we'll never need to look up AI/Breed Society calving surveys ever again! Sorted!

 

[Willy A]

Popes Barclay is a easy calving bull, i have a heifer and cow due to him in march.
Hunnyhillsimmentals.com

Yes I have noticed him.
His sire Banwy wonderboy is also easy calved going by EBVs
Popes Barclay also has good EBV for milk.
Be good if his EBVs stay at that as his accuracy improves

 

[Dafydd]

Yes I have noticed him.
His sire Banwy wonderboy is also easy calved going by EBVs
Popes Barclay also has good EBV for milk.
Be good if his EBVs stay at that as his accuracy improves

Decent reports on calving so far but I'll let you know what he's like to calve next year, served a couple heifers to him too. Should be ok as he was born unassisted out of a heifer, he's the bull in my profile pic.

 

[Gareth Bryson]

Newry wont go wrong, great females. The straws are worth money now as they are like hens teeth, lots of breeders mad for them now that there are none left.

Baldwin is a small thick bull, he might suit the NI job ok but he'd be too dumpy for over here.

Clio could be ok, his sire Steinadler is without doubt the easiest calved bull I have ever witnessed of any breed. 30 kg calves aren't abnormal. Calves do well to start with, have a plain spell but do really well from 8-9 months onwards. I'm going to bull two Steinadler heifers with another PP bull called Poldau to try to breed myself a PP calf.

who said there are no Newry straws left????? ;-)

 

[M-J-G]

who said there are no Newry straws left????? ;-)

 

[S J H]

Has anyone seen or heard much about comet?

 

[Gareth Bryson]

Nothin really other than the photo in the celtic sires catalogue. he looks the part though..