Which cows to breed off.

[DairyGrazing]

We've ended up with twice as many heifers as we need due to the effectiveness of sexed semen.

It appears that farms are serving all their heifers and up to 3rd calvers with sexed then beef on everything older.

Surely it is the old cows genetics we want to keep. As those are the ones that have survived my terrible management?

Genetics is not my area. I only have two areas of selection 1. Is it easy to get the unit on 2. Once on does it stay on with out her kicking it off.

Advice appreciated

 

[multi power]

Don't breed from anything with any undesirable traits, don't breed from anything unproven

 

[som farmer]

this is where the hol breeding, has #### the job, they don't last, even if they give you 11,000 liters a lac, and gone after 2/3, does it compare with a cow that can do 7/8 lacs. Breeding from hfrs, was for 2 reasons, first to keep up with the need, for more and more replacements, and to breed, from the very latest genetics. The first, has shown to have fallen out of favour, or, why else do they now stress longevity ? And secondly, if breeding from the, latest/bestive breeding, our cows should be giving 15-20,000 litres, a lactation, because we have been breeding, for + milk, for 50 yrs.
Those cows, that last, and no trouble, are the ones, we should be breeding from, the figures are not 'estimated', or genomic, they are proven. We have plenty of 6+ lac cows, we block calve, and many, are still in the first 14 days of service, they have proved, their worth. We use dairy, for the first 14 days, then beef.

 

[I thats it]

Perfect she ain't but this is the type I like to breed heifers from due to calve her 6th in February has her first in February 2016, held first service last twice to sexed, 7000litres each time. Hassle free cows!

 

[More to life]

It’s not a hard and fast rule but the cows that last the longest are the lazy ones who coast along is that a desirable trait.

 

[Farmer Keith]

It’s not a hard and fast rule but the cows that last the longest are the lazy ones who coast along is that a desirable trait.

You can’t honestly think that? Maybe for an odd old cow this will be true but there are plenty of super efficient cows 5th lactation and beyond. Ridiculous statement.

 

[More to life]

You can’t honestly think that? Maybe for an odd old cow this will be true but there are plenty of super efficient cows 5th lactation and beyond. Ridiculous statement.

No I genuinely find lazy cows last the longest as I said there are exceptions.There is 6000kg difference between my highest and lowest yielders over a standard lactation.

 

[Sandpit Farm]

If you milk record, you could just look at your herd genetic report... rank based on the traits you want. You should have a list.

Then go through history of calving issues, poor transition, bad feet etc and make sure they are dismissed from the list. If you still have too many, go and have a look at the rest of them and decide which you don’t like.

If you are block calving, surely you want sexed on your front enders as then you’d have your heifers all born in 3 weeks - has loads of advantages.

 

[multi power]

It’s not a hard and fast rule but the cows that last the longest are the lazy ones who coast along is that a desirable trait.

Sounds like you are not making good culling decisions

 

[Sid]

I wouldn't discount breeding from a cow on age.
Not getting in calf can be for a whole host of reason, maybe management not the cows fault. But I would be dubious about breeding a replacement from 3 service up.
Never use to breed from heifers , but Tb has forced our hand on that.

We atm have more heifers in the pipeline than cows in farm.

This will either give us the opportunity to make more informed culling decisions or mean we won't have to buy in to replace tb losses. Or even a mix of the 2. I hope it's the first of the 3!


Finally if the heifer you have reared is good it's because of the cow.......if its crap it's the bulls fault!

 

[More to life]

Sounds like you are not making good culling decisions

There’s some truth in that Tb and johnes eradication haven’t given me much wriggle room.

 

[Farmer Keith]

No I genuinely find lazy cows last the longest as I said there are exceptions.There is 6000kg difference between my highest and lowest yielders over a standard lactation.

why the huge range? I’d find feeding a herd with two completely different cow types in it an absolute nightmare myself.

 

[More to life]

why the huge range? I’d find feeding a herd with two completely different cow types in it an absolute nightmare myself.

Solids will be closer but I sell white water and don’t pay much attention to them, a below average cow here is 9000 kg. I’m currently Tb free and johnes is all but gone I can start to weed them out.

 

[Farmer Keith]

Solids will be closer but I sell white water and don’t pay much attention to them, a below average cow here is 9000 kg. I’m currently Tb free and johnes is all but gone I can start to weed them out.

Id sell anything giving over 7000 but guessing that’s not gonna leave you many cows best thing about sexed is we can all benefit from breeding off the cows that suit our individual systems and beef on the outliers, the trick is knowing which ones are which before you start serving.

 

[Beef farmer]

No I genuinely find lazy cows last the longest as I said there are exceptions.There is 6000kg difference between my highest and lowest yielders over a standard lactation.

You milking cows giving 2000l aswell. Thought it was just me

 

[More to life]

You milking cows giving 2000l aswell. Thought it was just me

No that’s just you

 

[Beef farmer]

No that’s just you

Good job my low yielders make great big cull cows. Oh hang on

 

[Sylution]

Pictures of 3 Bradash Tournament daughters in 7th and 8th lactation. All gone EX90 and LP60+ Should of used more of this bull. Great cows.

The cow below has had 6 daughters. In 8th lactation. Always in 1st batch of miliking. My aim is to breed all my cows to be like this!!! But it is suprising how much 1st and 2nd lactation crap I have to cull from the herd, bred to many heifers from heifers!!!

 

[borderterribles]

I've always thought that it should be a rule that dairy farmers have to sell the last side through the parlour, every six months. Just think how that would improve morale.

 

[jerseycowsman]

We've ended up with twice as many heifers as we need due to the effectiveness of sexed semen.

It appears that farms are serving all their heifers and up to 3rd calvers with sexed then beef on everything older.

Surely it is the old cows genetics we want to keep. As those are the ones that have survived my terrible management?

Genetics is not my area. I only have two areas of selection 1. Is it easy to get the unit on 2. Once on does it stay on with out her kicking it off.

Advice appreciated

I agree with you wholeheartedly, but “experts” don’t. Nothing counts towards PLi after the cows 3rd lactation! Bonkers, how are you supposed to get an honest longevity score from that???