What Will The Effect of Sexed Semen Be?

[Frank-the-Wool]

It’ll only be jerseys and jersey crosses that are unwanted these days, there’s a steady market for black and white bull calves, even extreme holstein types.

Not in TB areas I fear.
With sexed semen I believe there is likely to be a very significant increase in beef cross holstein calves, and I think this could me more like 400k increase.
However I am not sure anyone knows. BCMS should be able to do a crude calculation from the number of Dairy cows having say 90% calves less the dairy breed heifers and the rest of the calves will be kept as beef calves. The % of calves before this that were never registered could have meant the number of calves at less than 75% so 15% more.

 

[Sandpit Farm]

Does anyone know how many calves are shot annually in the UK?

Yes I was in a meeting the other day that discussed this. The problem is that BCMS registrations for female calves should be the same for male calves but for the existence of sexed semen.

To model trends, the calculation has had to be the same - hence the numbers similar to what the Guardian published.

Since then the calculation has been modified to accommodate the increase in the amount of sexed semen and the better conception rates that can be assumed. This would mean the number of calves that fall to this fate is much lower than has been published.

If anyone wants to know more, message me. I’m not going to go into more detail on this on a public forum.

It’s not a Jersey problem either... believe it or not. Not numerically anyway.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Yes I was in a meeting the other day that discussed this. The problem is that BCMS registrations for female calves should be the same for male calves but for the existence of sexed semen.

To model trends, the calculation has had to be the same - hence the numbers similar to what the Guardian published.

Since then the calculation has been modified to accommodate the increase in the amount of sexed semen and the better conception rates that can be assumed. This would mean the number of calves that fall to this fate is much lower than has been published.

If anyone wants to know more, message me. I’m not going to go into more detail on this on a public forum.

It’s not a Jersey problem either... believe it or not. Not numerically anyway.

If we accept that lower numbers are or will be shot then the amount of calves being turned into beef will be significantly higher, which is my original point.
If this is very sensitive then PM me with the numbers you think there will be going forward.
However will more be kept for the four weeks and then be killed? Butcher tells me that when restaurants were open he couldn't always get Calves Liver any more.

 

[M-J-G]

It's worth keeping in mind that the replacement rate in dairy herds is pretty high which is reflected in how few spare holstein heifers are sold or how many are slaughtered due to being unsuitable for breeding.

There are also quite a lot of suckler herds that relay on dairy herds for replacements, if sexed semen means there are less X heifers around more suckler herds will need to breed their own removing more cattle from the slaughter chain.

With suckler numbers being on a constant decline I'm guessing that the extra dairy calves coming through due to them not being shot (or being replaced with a beef X) won't make much difference.

 

[Woolless]

It's worth keeping in mind that the replacement rate in dairy herds is pretty high which is reflected in how few spare holstein heifers are sold or how many are slaughtered due to being unsuitable for breeding.

There are also quite a lot of suckler herds that relay on dairy herds for replacements, if sexed semen means there are less X heifers around more suckler herds will need to breed their own removing more cattle from the slaughter chain.

With suckler numbers being on a constant decline I'm guessing that the extra dairy calves coming through due to them not being shot (or being replaced with a beef X) won't make much difference.

More use of sexed semen for dairy replacements will mean more beef x heifers out the dairy herd surely, or is there more use of sexed beef semen now (more steers, less heifers)?

 

[Sandpit Farm]

More use of sexed semen for dairy replacements will mean more beef x heifers out the dairy herd surely, or is there more use of sexed beef semen now (more steers, less heifers)?

That'd be my take on it. There is very little male sexed beef semen being used but it is starting to happen. the only issue with buying Dairy X Beef heifers is the Johne's status of them. I would want to know that I was sourcing them from somewhere with a Johne's protocol that limited transmission to beef calves too.