To try fleckvieh or not?

[Holsteinfriesian90]

So we had the geno rep drop in a catalogue on the fleckvieh i am tempted to try some it all sounds good with a good beef calf and good milk but after happycows ordeal iam put off there temperment. We are currently Holstein friesian/ British friesian anything that's looks like it's going to much Holstein goes British friesian and British friesians go a shorter type Holstein. Iam I better off sticking with that cross? I can't fault them.

Also I wondering what the calving is like with the fleckvieh as the Simmental can be hard calving. Anyone milking any crosses?

Thanking you in advance.

 

[Sid]

I've often thought about adding a third breed, i use a holstien bull on the friesian types and a friesian bull on the holstein types....have got a good animal that fits my system....i question "why would i change?"

 

[happycows]

I am loving my heifers so far. So quite and easy to train to the robot. I've put pedometers on both just stood in the middle of the shed. Both found the oopf in no time. Not too tall for robot like lots of my HF were getting and nice teat placement. Calves looking good too. First one came bulling on day 8. She could have single handed took a day off my calving index [emoji23]
It's early days but I've only found one negative too date [emoji35]

 

[happycows]

Poser!!

 

[spudrick]

Look at Meuse Rhine issel,good calving and strong cows.Excellent growth for fattening.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

I'd say they're too big and heavy for a mid input system where you should be trying to get the majority of your litres from grazed forage.

I think you'd be better with an Ayrshire or Scandinavian red breed.

 

[organicguy]

Why??? I think you answered your own question.
we tried Swedish reds when we could not get good BFs in the 90s. Only 1 family out of 10 was an improvement on their dams. we realised that the cross breeds were not giving anything the pure BF wasn't.
In Sweden they are using German Holsteins to improve fertility and longevity on Swedish reds!

 

[Sid]

Why??? I think you answered your own question.
we tried Swedish reds when we could not get good BFs in the 90s. Only 1 family out of 10 was an improvement on their dams. we realised that the cross breeds were not giving anything the pure BF wasn't.
In Sweden they are using German Holsteins to improve fertility and longevity on Swedish reds!

When i went to Sweden the Reds were similar production,and health traits as the holstiens. Different holstiens to the North American ones but both still leggy. Excellent marketing by the Swedes

 

[Beef farmer]

Happycows will sell you a real quiet bull.....

 

[Roy_H]

Montebeliarde?

 

[Headless chicken]

We have 14 flecks in the herd

1 left us due to temprement issues the others are the opposite end of the scale.

The breed has huge potential especially when crossed.

1 down side - so painfully slow! They do what they want to a degree probably why they work so well for @happycows. Although they have sped up a bit they are always last.

Calving ease is nothing short of incredible. We calve outside and normally struggle to tell who has calved out of them.

The elephant in the room being happy cows bull problem. If your using AI no problem at all the cows are totally different..... BUT they are head strong. Mine will definatley walk through me if I am in their way to get to the water trough for example.

 

[farmerdan7618]

Iam I better off sticking with that cross? I can't fault them.

If it ain't broke, why try and fix it?

 

[happycows]

I was not terribly disappointed with my black and whites, but some were getting very leggy and causing problems with the robot and in today's volatile market I thought there might be something better than a animal that is purely focused on just cuffing out lots of low solids milk. Just wondered if there was something that could a more rounded animal.

 

[happycows]

@ Headless chicken how old are your cows?? Do you think they look like they are going to last well, are they improving in age? Everyone says they they mature to there best when they have there 3rd calf.

 

[Clay52]

I've got about 15% Swedish red and Monty in my Holstein herd. Let's just say with these tough times most of the crosses have to go. Can't afford to keep them in these tough times.

 

[rusty]

I have 4 Flek heifers nearing the end of their first lactation. All are third cross from Norwegian or Sweedish dams out of Holsteins. All are a good 1 to 1.5 condition score higher than the rest of the herd. Milking ok and temperament ok now, one a bit awkward for a week or so. Not sure how good the udders will be In a few years . Fertility has been poorer than expected, none held to AI as maidens. Look like maturing into big heavy cows which I don't want for grazing.

 

[sidjon]

Look at Meuse Rhine issel,good calving and strong cows.Excellent growth for fattening.

Nooooooooooo , don't do it, I sold our as single suck cows, yield was poor at best.

 

[sidjon]

I'd say they're too big and heavy for a mid input system where you should be trying to get the majority of your litres from grazed forage.

I think you'd be better with an Ayrshire or Scandinavian red breed.

There's great marketing behind the Scandinavian red breed , everyone I know who has used them in some a spring block only did for and couple of season's and have gone back to jersey x nz/ British fresians.

 

[bovine]

Stick with the black and white cows. Genomics is a game changer. I don't believe there is anything else more efficient and actually rather diverse. The growth in information and accuracy of predictions will grow.

I'm not a fan of cross breeding - the known is always better than the unknown.

 

[Clay52]

Stick with the black and white cows. Genomics is a game changer. I don't believe there is anything else more efficient and actually rather diverse. The growth in information and accuracy of predictions will grow.

I'm not a fan of cross breeding - the known is always better than the unknown.

The results of crossbreeding are pretty well known. They just aren't that good. The other breeds just arnt good enough and jersey is too different from Holstein to cross suitably.

If there was a breed close in merit to Holstein it would be a different story.