Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Calf sex

  • 24-09-2010 4:23pm
    #1
    WalterMitty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,582 ✭✭✭


    I read that it is becoming cheaper and more efficient to choose sex of dairy cattle so females are nearly only produced. Is this common in Ireland. Is there any dairy products that dont kill male calves that could be used by vegan types and those worried about animal welfare.
    Cheers


Comments

  • #2
    Jumpy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,606 ✭✭✭Jumpy


    This thread disappoints.


  • #3
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,807 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    Jumpy wrote: »
    This thread disappoints.

    I got a fright too:confused:


  • #4
    Feargal as Luimneach
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,139 ✭✭✭Feargal as Luimneach


    WalterMitty wrote: »
    I read that it is becoming cheaper and more efficient to choose sex of dairy cattle so females are nearly only produced. Is this common in Ireland. Is there any dairy products that dont kill male calves that could be used by vegan types and those worried about animal welfare.
    Cheers
    All the dairy cows eventually end up in the meat factory as well.


  • #5
    bud10
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23 ✭bud10


    Is there any dairy products that dont kill male calves that could be used by vegan types and those worried about animal welfare.
    Cheers[/QUOTE]

    Last time i checked, dairy products come from live animals particularly the female looking ones

    Scary world:confused:


  • #6
    pakalasa
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,552 ✭✭✭pakalasa


    I read that it is becoming cheaper and more efficient to choose sex of dairy cattle so females are nearly only produced. Is this common in Ireland.

    Not common, but increasing in use. It's called - Sexed semen. Only slightly shifts the ratio in favour of a female.


    Is there any dairy products that dont kill male calves that could be used by vegan types and those worried about animal welfare.

    No.
    Dont kill the male calves? What do you do with them? Open up a calf santuary?


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    Bizzum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭Bizzum


    Sexed semen isn't just confined to dairy breeds, any breed can be sexed, and are being advertised to produced females 95% of the time.
    The conception rate from sexed semen is lower than that usually associated with 'normal' semen, reported to be due to the process involved in sexing the semen.


  • #8
    reilig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,401 ✭✭✭reilig


    Sexed semen was popular for about 12 months, but I don't think it lived up to expectations. I remember reading an article in the journal about it - the sexed semen was unreliable and several hundred cows across the country that were supposed to have heifer calves had bulls. Sexed semen was supposed to be 95% accurate, but it ended up only 50% - giving you the same chance of getting a bull or a heifer as from unsexed semen. It was a waste of the extra money that the sexed semen cost.


  • #9
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    think the advanced semen gives you something like a 56% chance of a heifer calf.... i have 10 friesian heifers calved to a hol/fr stock bull have 9 heifer calves ;) have 4 belgian blue calves to ai , 2 bulls :D then 8 ai fr calves 6 bulls:eek: so far, work it out for yourselves


  • #10
    Pat the lad
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 160 ✭✭Pat the lad


    Was it Oliver McDonnell who used to write in the farming indo on a tues??? He and his sons used sexes semen on their dairy herds - and it backfired big time - he also had a high % of repeats - think he was ready to strangle someone for the genetics side after it-??????


  • #11
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    Pat the lad wrote: »
    Was it Oliver McDonnell who used to write in the farming indo on a tues??? He and his sons used sexes semen on their dairy herds - and it backfired big time - he also had a high % of repeats - think he was ready to strangle someone for the genetics side after it-??????
    thats why oliver doesnt write in the farming indo any more:rolleyes: big coincidence that his semen flasks where all empty when the ai company cam to take the straws away to check their quality:confused:


  • Advertisement
  • #12
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,756 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    I'm a bit dumfounded at OP, do consumers want a label on every milk carton saying 'no bull calves were harmed during the production of this product'?

    Sexed semen is an attempt by farmers to increase efficiency so that you OP, the consumer, can continue to pay less for milk than you do for bottled water in the supermarket.

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



  • #13
    5live
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,438 ✭✭✭5live


    Forgive my ignorance but i thought that vegans didnt use any animal products at all? If that is right then the first post is talking out of his rear. If not then what species of wooly green is a vegan? It makes more sense to produce a lot of females on a dairy farm so thare will be enough females to replace cows that die, are culled for health reasons or infertility. To balance that, beef farms will require more males as they are more efficient in producing meat. So over all, cosmic balance is maintained and the same number of males are used to produce beef:D


Advertisement