Which beef breed bull to use going forward

[Cows 'n grass]

Talk me through this
How do you choose which ones to serve to lim?
Not seen bulling pre service?
Designated beef breeders anyway?
Estrumated non bullers that calve in first week and then get sexed next year are just kicking can down the road?

It's just something I've heard of people doing but I haven't tried it.

I was thinking I'd just put the scratch cards on 5 days earlier than usual and anything that would be getting beef anyway (70% of the milkers) gets a 285 day Lim and those that would get dairy just get a new sticker and a pat on the back. Then from the usual planned start on mating (May 10th) it would just be back to the usual sexed dairy and BB.

With heifers on a semi synch program as well it would mean calving should start with a bang.

 

[Kiss]

It's just something I've heard of people doing but I haven't tried it.

I was thinking I'd just put the scratch cards on 5 days earlier than usual and anything that would be getting beef anyway (70% of the milkers) gets a 285 day Lim and those that would get dairy just get a new sticker and a pat on the back. Then from the usual planned start on mating (May 10th) it would just be back to the usual sexed dairy and BB.

With heifers on a semi synch program as well it would mean calving should start with a bang.

I’d rather just drop 5 days off the end

 

[Shann_mann]

I heard that the Angus was the breed of profitability??

Not with what they are making at market at the minute.

 

[livestock 1]

Not with what they are making at market at the minute.

Yes I have always said this about the Angus
Too much reliance on the premium which was always a rug that could be pulled

 

[Wesley]

Not with what they are making at market at the minute.

That would make them more profitable for some.

Yes I have always said this about the Angus
Too much reliance on the premium which was always a rug that could be pulled

We’ve been making very good money from Angus when you rear them in a way that takes advantage of their strengths. Premium certainly isn’t the be all & end all. Can still make very good money on the right system. Premium is just the icing on the cake.

 

[livestock 1]

That would make them more profitable for some.

We’ve been making very good money from Angus when you rear them in a way that takes advantage of their strengths. Premium certainly isn’t the be all & end all. Can still make very good money on the right system. Premium is just the icing on the cake.

That’s good to hear

 

[Homesy]

Are any block calvers here using a long gestation Lim bull from days -5 to 0 to bring a few cows from calving in week 4 back to week 1?

Yep I have been doing it for years. Problem now is getting one as they all tend to be going for shorter gestation lengths. Used Tomschoice Onslow this year and he seems to have a shorter gestation than the book says.

 

[crashbox]

We’ve been making very good money from Angus when you rear them in a way that takes advantage of their strengths. Premium certainly isn’t the be all & end all. Can still make very good money on the right system. Premium is just the icing on the cake.

Agreed, what system do you find suits the Angus?
We have a lot of extensive/Stewardship type rough grazing here, it tends to suit herefords better than Amgus IMO but the can be harder calving than Angus...

 

[Wesley]

Agreed, what system do you find suits the Angus?
We have a lot of extensive/Stewardship type rough grazing here, it tends to suit herefords better than Amgus IMO but the can be harder calving than Angus...

Our Angus would spend a large part of their time on similar ground. Coming back to better ground/grass when we’ve made enough silage. Then back again autumn/winter time as its drier & carries them better.
All our Angus would be out of our Holsteins. We let them grow their frame without being forced. Heifers would only turn to small balls of fat otherwise. Not worried if we miss out on the premium as long as they’re big & heavy. They’ve cost us very little to rear. Not got any Angus in yet, happily munching away outside.
This is what they excel at…

 

[Barmyfarmer]

Our Angus would spend a large part of their time on similar ground. Coming back to better ground/grass when we’ve made enough silage. Then back again autumn/winter time as its drier & carries them better.
All our Angus would be out of our Holsteins. We let them grow their frame without being forced. Heifers would only turn to small balls of fat otherwise. Not worried if we miss out on the premium as long as they’re big & heavy. They’ve cost us very little to rear. Not got any Angus in yet, happily munching away outside.
This is what they excel at…View attachment 1081470

What weights do you get them upto? We have reared some long term on really basic extensive system but just found that they got ready to quick with out much frame on them so never got the weights

 

[Wesley]

What weights do you get them upto? We have reared some long term on really basic extensive system but just found that they got ready to quick with out much frame on them so never got the weights

If they’re not going to hit the targets for the premiums we’re after them killing out in the high 300’s (some end up just over 400kg). End of last winter we had them reaching £1800/1900 & had only been in as calves & 2-3 months at the end of their life when a shed became available. Probably averaged 27/28 months old. Proper beef farmers will say they should’ve gone long before but it suits us.

 

[jimmer]

If they’re not going to hit the targets for the premiums we’re after them killing out in the high 300’s (some end up just over 400kg). End of last winter we had them reaching £1800/1900 & had only been in as calves & 2-3 months at the end of their life when a shed became available. Probably averaged 27/28 months old. Proper beef farmers will say they should’ve gone long before but it suits us.

Out of your hefferlump cows 370+kg is easily achievable

 

[Wesley]

Out of your hefferlump cows 370+kg is easily achievable

The hard part is not getting them too heavy. We made good money from Holstein steers until they lowered the weight limit.

 

[AGN76]

Can’t see him on the website was he a test bull?

Culled due to hard calving I believe

 

[AGN76]

Barkisland Rascal at genus is Hamlet x Conan, for a Lim he could have a shorter gestation.

 

[Uggman]

I like the angus but the heifers can be a bit plain.

Can make good sulkuler cows though

 

[Jdunn55]

Culled due to hard calving I believe

That's shame, I've had about 20 born, never pulled one, beautiful muscle on them, struggle to believe they're out of dairy

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

The selection of limo bulls in ai is poor most companies only have 2 or 3 yet the catalogue is full of blues. Imo blues are fine if selling as calves but the price of them has dropped as stores this year. Not surprising really.

 

[Bald Rick]

We had crap conception with it a few years back but using it on tail end cows etc. I think @Bald Rick is or was using a fair bit of Wagyu

Group of Xbreds

 

[dinderleat]

Group of Xbreds

View attachment 1081848

Are you contracted to warrendale?