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SFL calves

  • 22-04-2011 8:33pm
    #1
    Kovu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,241 ✭✭✭✭


    Has anyone else noticed that SFL calves are very dopey and slow compared to other BB bulls? We've even had two that wouldn't suck for a few days. They haven't been hard calved either, so I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this. We also have one that I'm fairly sure will be a dwarfish calf.:mad:


Comments

  • #2
    tismesoitis
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 858 ✭✭✭tismesoitis


    we calved down 18 cows to sfl since last august. have to say very pleased with the calves and absolutly no problem with any of them. easy calved good to suck and lively and at €320 for 55 straws serious value wil deffinatly be getting more when d few i have are gone.


  • #3
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    Karen112 wrote: »
    Has anyone else noticed that SFL calves are very dopey and slow compared to other BB bulls? We've even had two that wouldn't suck for a few days. They haven't been hard calved either, so I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this. We also have one that I'm fairly sure will be a dwarfish calf.:mad:
    is it only this bull that you usde this year , are the other calves ok , could it be a mineral issue or bvd?


  • #4
    what happen
    Closed Accounts Posts: 194 ✭✭what happen


    Karen112 wrote: »
    Has anyone else noticed that SFL calves are very dopey and slow compared to other BB bulls? We've even had two that wouldn't suck for a few days. They haven't been hard calved either, so I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this. We also have one that I'm fairly sure will be a dwarfish calf.:mad:
    give them a injection of 1ml of mederantil it is a appetite stimulant.i have no sfl calves but have ovo calf and he was mad to suck.calves not sucking can be a sigh of bvd. did you give cows minerals pre calving.how are the calves now.


  • #5
    Kovu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,241 ✭✭✭✭Kovu


    Just this bull and three calves. It's definitely not back-breeding them as they're pedigree Lim cows. We have three or four others which came grand and were no bother. I doubt it's the mineral deficiency as we have a pre calver in each pen at all times. Plus the dopey ones get a sot of Vit E & Selenium if they're not too responsive at first.


  • #6
    Kovu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,241 ✭✭✭✭Kovu


    And they're all grand now bar the dwarfy one, been giving her tonavet every week too to try and perk her up.


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  • #7
    RobinBanks
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 953 ✭✭✭RobinBanks


    tismesoitis wrote: »
    we calved down 18 cows to sfl since last august. have to say very pleased with the calves and absolutly no problem with any of them. easy calved good to suck and lively and at €320 for 55 straws serious value wil deffinatly be getting more when d few i have are gone.


    Sorry to hijack the thread. Just wanna ask a quick question. Tismesoitis, SFL is small bull (height) How did he cross on low cows if you have any? He would be an ideal cross with a big CH cow i'd say


  • #8
    tismesoitis
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 858 ✭✭✭tismesoitis


    RobinBanks wrote: »
    Sorry to hijack the thread. Just wanna ask a quick question. Tismesoitis, SFL is small bull (height) How did he cross on low cows if you have any? He would be an ideal cross with a big CH cow i'd say

    All the animals that had SFL calves were either 50% or 25% fresian so all had a bit of growth but generally couldn't see any difference in growth against the EDJ BYU and JOK calves we also had this year out of the same type of cows


  • #9
    Kovu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,241 ✭✭✭✭Kovu


    RobinBanks wrote: »
    Sorry to hijack the thread. Just wanna ask a quick question. Tismesoitis, SFL is small bull (height) How did he cross on low cows if you have any? He would be an ideal cross with a big CH cow i'd say


    The best we had was off any cow that had a bit of milk to her. So a british fr/lim cross or a british fr/ch cross seemed to do the trick. Lovely white blues with a bit of red around the head. Westside Bob seems to be a good consistent breeder too.


  • #10
    RobinBanks
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 953 ✭✭✭RobinBanks


    tismesoitis wrote: »
    All the animals that had SFL calves were either 50% or 25% fresian so all had a bit of growth but generally couldn't see any difference in growth against the EDJ BYU and JOK calves we also had this year out of the same type of cows

    Well that's good to hear because I gave edj to a very low second Calver and I thought afterwards it was a bad decision. Since then I have been matching lower cows with taller bulls, but based on you're experience it dosent seem to matter


  • #11
    Kovu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,241 ✭✭✭✭Kovu


    RobinBanks wrote: »
    Well that's good to hear because I gave edj to a very low second Calver and I thought afterwards it was a bad decision. Since then I have been matching lower cows with taller bulls, but based on you're experience it dosent seem to matter


    What you have to watch out with there is a difficult calving if she's quite low. Smaller cows tend to overcompensate with building a muscley calf that may need a side exit! All I know is that I've been with blues since EWN and that was some time ago now. I guess something just went a bit odd with my cows and SFL this year, may be just bad luck I guess.


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  • #12
    Bodacious
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,274 ✭✭✭Bodacious


    RobinBanks wrote: »
    Well that's good to hear because I gave edj to a very low second Calver and I thought afterwards it was a bad decision. Since then I have been matching lower cows with taller bulls, but based on you're experience it dosent seem to matter

    I have an EDJ yearling blue grey heifer kept but she doesnt seem to have any height.. out of good big tall square hipped red lim dam.... will give her a year and see does she grow but i wouldnt be too impressed at the moment heightwise anyway:mad:


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