Beef AI/Bulls MEGATHREAD

Bellview

tanko wrote: »

PG Lims HCA is the safest option calving wise, AHZ seems to be highly regarded if you can get straws of him. If you have strong heifers with good calving ability OZS might be an option, stylish calves but a bit harder calved.

PG AA GJB seems to be popular.

Dovea Lims EBY looks a good bull, AA MLJ is a fine bull. ZFL looks good but would be harder calved. TLZ is an interesting looking bull.

A number of the Ped AA folks will be moving away from GJB eventhough throwing great calves, the calving jack is being used (I know of 2 Ped AA cows that Jack was used - concern). Rossiter cattle are also hard to finish so may not be a the complete beef answer either... despite ICBF plugging him (plus confusing breeders) as Royalty sire eventhough the Irish Angus Society don't charge royalty on him (not sure what Scotish Soc do)

This will remove him from dairy market once correct calving stats made available

mikeoh

I don't think he is aimed at the dairy market....he is an ideal maternal sire for replacement sucklers........a lot of suckler farmers moving back to Angus for grass to beef

merryberry

back to dairy for a sec...

If crossbreeding brings so many benefits over HO and offer significant financial reward, when why are farmers hesitant about making the switch?

bogman_bass

Many farmers have made a commitment to HO over the years and to change would be to nearly admit that they were wrong. Takes a big man to do that.

Lads still worry about bull calf and cull cow value. It's something that can be easily messured so its a much more apparent hit to the pocket.

Some still put too high a value on milk volume. Again the amout of milk in the bulk tank is easily messured so it can feel like they are taking a hit when the increased milk solids makes up for the reduced volume

you only really get the full benifit from Jersey cross if you run a full on low imput New Jersy style system. Not everybody is set up that way or, indeed, wants to farm that way.

Some lads dont like the look of them

onyerbikepat

tanko wrote: »

Yeah AHZ seems to have built up a very good reputation, hopefully you will be able to get straws off him as they aren't always available.

I used AHZ on a heifer. Tiny calf at birth and very muscular too. I don't think he stands in Irish AI, as far as I know, so companies will not be using him commercially, unless asked for.

bogman_bass

onyerbikepat wrote: »

I used AHZ on a heifer. Tiny calf at birth and very muscular too. I don't think he stands in Irish AI, as far as I know, so companies will not be using him commercially, unless asked for.

No he's in Enfield

Pedigree Breeder

Kilsunny Goliath (KSG) is the only Hereford choice in AI at present. His first crop of calves topped the female section of the Premier Hereford Sale last Autumn and one of his bull calves won the Supreme Championship on the same day. He has also sired numerous prize winners in pedigree circles at summer shows including the 1st prize winning pair of bull calves at Tullamore Show last August.

I have used him extensively and I am absolutely delighted with his calves. A top notch bull in every way.

towzer2010

Pedigree Breeder wrote: »

Kilsunny Goliath (KSG) is the only Hereford choice in AI at present. His first crop of calves topped the female section of the Premier Hereford Sale last Autumn and one of his bull calves won the Supreme Championship on the same day. He has also sired numerous prize winners in pedigree circles at summer shows including the 1st prize winning pair of bull calves at Tullamore Show last August.

I have used him extensively and I am absolutely delighted with his calves. A top notch bull in every way.

Amazing that all these first time posters rate him so highly........it'd make you wonder.

Any other first time poster rate him so highly that it sound like an advert?

Future Farmer

mikeoh wrote: »

Bova seem to be leading the pack when it comes to constantly producing the goods the others seem to throw a few unproven bulls in there and plug the crap out of them for profit while Bova must have a seriously good judge of cattle running the show

Think your full of crap Mike. Is Bova not the privately owned one?

NCBC - Munster/Progressive Genetics are testing 4,000 dairy bulls a year, with about 80 of them brought a year.

Bova - Offering a "great choice" of 5 Br Fr and 9 Hol on their website at the moment, where is the choice in that?

Bova offer a few LM, CH and BB, but very little else, were you hit on the head today?

I am not going to go on about how much better Dovea & Eurogene are then Bova (because I don't know enough about them), but I am pretty sure they are!

Future Farmer

merryberry wrote: »

back to dairy for a sec...

If crossbreeding brings so many benefits over HO and offer significant financial reward, when why are farmers hesitant about making the switch?

Because there is enough variation in the Hol Fr Breed?

Because it is all about systems:
In reality the vast majority of dairy farmers have Hol Fr - not saying that they are all mega efficient farmers, whereas alot of the guys with Xbreeds are doing it very right.

For me I still think Hol Fr are the only way to go in our system (at home) but I am not saying they are perfect for everyone.

Xbreeds can be very effective, handy, fertile, little cows in certain systems.

moy83

towzer2010 wrote: »

Amazing that all these first time posters rate him so highly........it'd make you wonder.

Any other first time poster rate him so highly that it sound like an advert?

I was thinking along those lines aswell towzer . Do you know much about the ratings or what do you think of his ?

onyerbikepat

bogman_bass wrote: »

No he's in Enfield

Suprised at that. Have you seen him in the flesh?

Mac Taylor

Towzer/Moy, I am surprised at your cynicism!! Two first posters come on hear declaring their faith in a bull and you both think they have alterior motives. Never.....
Pedigree Breeder,
Have you by chance any pbr bulls or heifers for sale out of him?

Timmaay

Quick question here, The last two heifers to calf here to KYA (progressives main easy calving AA) have both thrown black and white bull calves!!! They look just like fr calves! Is this possible (a fr looking AA?), or is it likely to be a mistake by the AI company or AI man? The 1st dam was pure white, and her dam was pure white also, So I thought maybe that was the cause, but the 2nd dam is a normal looking 1/2 black and 1/2 white HO.

And finally, if I register the calves as AAx, will I be able to offload them, or will I be getting 20quid like most the other FR bull calves?

Farrell

Future Farmer wrote: »

Think your full of crap Mike. Is Bova not the privately owned one?

NCBC - Munster/Progressive Genetics are testing 4,000 dairy bulls a year, with about 80 of them brought a year.

Bova - Offering a "great choice" of 5 Br Fr and 9 Hol on their website at the moment, where is the choice in that?

Bova offer a few LM, CH and BB, but very little else, were you hit on the head today?

I am not going to go on about how much better Dovea & Eurogene are then Bova (because I don't know enough about them), but I am pretty sure they are!

Actually I believe the opposite could be true.
Have used all, with Eurogene now (good tech), I'd rate Vak as top commercial CH, SFL is a good BB, which is suitable for heifers with easy calving, plus they've better BB's. BYQ is a good LM

Bellview

Timmaay wrote: »

Quick question here, The last two heifers to calf here to KYA (progressives main easy calving AA) have both thrown black and white bull calves!!! They look just like fr calves! Is this possible (a fr looking AA?), or is it likely to be a mistake by the AI company or AI man? The 1st dam was pure white, and her dam was pure white also, So I thought maybe that was the cause, but the 2nd dam is a normal looking 1/2 black and 1/2 white HO.

And finally, if I register the calves as AAx, will I be able to offload them, or will I be getting 20quid like most the other FR bull calves?

are they polled? can have black & white in aax calves bit like you see black Lim calves off Fr . i had som aa calves in past with stars and socks and no issues selling... but poll is most important. if no poll then there may be an issue with the straws

Genghis Cant

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Suprised at that. Have you seen him in the flesh?

Oh ye of little faith!

Timmaay

Bellview wrote: »

are they polled? can have black & white in aax calves bit like you see black Lim calves off Fr . i had som aa calves in past with stars and socks and no issues selling... but poll is most important. if no poll then there may be an issue with the straws

Didn't think about that, will check. But theses have much more than white socks, they literally are say 30/40% white. Quite square looking however, similar to an AA. If it's a wrong straw its a br fr straw I'd guess. I may get the AI to look at them.

I had a brownish looking LMx before, was selling him at the mart and the fcuker of an auctioneer asked me over the mic was there some jersey in him ha!

moy83

Mac Taylor wrote: »

Towzer/Moy, I am surprised at your cynicism!! Two first posters come on hear declaring their faith in a bull and you both think they have alterior motives. Never.....
Pedigree Breeder,
Have you by chance any pbr bulls or heifers for sale out of him?

I dont mind them speaking up for the bull at all Mac , every bit of information is a help .
But the figures on the dovea page arent putting him ahead of the other bulls there . I might be looking at old figures and the bull might be way out ahead at this stage

Sheep breeder

Bova have some top beef bulls and don't know about the dairy side, for a private company fair play to them in Market that is controlled by a couple of big players. He can pick a good bull at young age,we have used bulls from the stud and are happy with the calves, freedom of choice

Future Farmer

Farrell wrote: »

Actually I believe the opposite could be true.
Have used all, with Eurogene now (good tech), I'd rate Vak as top commercial CH, SFL is a good BB, which is suitable for heifers with easy calving, plus they've better BB's. BYQ is a good LM

You have listed 3 bulls!

Mad4simmental

SFL is a good BB, which is suitable for heifers with easy calving,

I think anyone that puts bb into a heifer may need to rethink the career that they are in.

blue5000

Future Farmer wrote: »

I was under the impression that HE had got more difficult to calve (was told it was US breeding) surely if it was all down to dairy calvings, then why wouldn't more AA be difficult calvers, no?

They do, watch the way most young aa bulls cd figures slide after the first year, ppl see low cd % after yr one, then use him on every godamn mouse of a heifer in the place, and surprise surprise they have calving problems.

towzer2010

moy83 wrote: »

I was thinking along those lines aswell towzer . Do you know much about the ratings or what do you think of his ?

I know enough about them that if I was going to use a HE bull I wouldn't be considering him until he's a lot more proven (60% or better reliability). Even then his figures are fairly poor and what was said to you that you don't go by those figures is bullsh*t when using AI. Unless you seen him in the flesh you have to go by icbf, RELIABLE recommendations or experience. If this bull was as good as claimed surely he'd be better know by just two first time posters.

towzer2010

Having said that I use the CH bull CF60 on some of my taller cows and generally get top class weanlings from him but no one else seems to rate him at all. He is in the top 1% for muscle though ...... but you can't go by those figures

Future Farmer

Pedigree Breeder wrote: »

Kilsunny Goliath (KSG) is the only Hereford choice in AI at present. His first crop of calves topped the female section of the Premier Hereford Sale last Autumn and one of his bull calves won the Supreme Championship on the same day. He has also sired numerous prize winners in pedigree circles at summer shows including the 1st prize winning pair of bull calves at Tullamore Show last August.

I have used him extensively and I am absolutely delighted with his calves. A top notch bull in every way.

Top sires calves on ground 2013- http://www.icbf.com/?p=1421

No Hereford in top 10.

When this sexed semen kicks off in dairy, AA and HE will probably increase in use, currently LM BB and CH account for 80% of beef births in beef herd leaving 20% for SI AA HE SH and the rest (saw file on this - will post it when I refind it).

Hope you're breeding easy calving & short gestation HE for the dairy herd.

tanko

Had the vet out earlier, he was saying that he's done two sections on a limo heifer and a BBX cow in the last week carrying to ADX. He's not a fan of him at all. Apparently NCBC have sold TVR, can't be much demand for his straws given his calving difficulty.
I know ADX is well liked around here but it seems to me care is needed what he is used on.

moy83

Any opinions on RSL from munster ? Or GPZ ? His figures arent very reliable but the weanlings look well from him

onyerbikepat

I woullnt use ADX on a heifer or any narrow cows. He is 7.8% calving and well proven now too at 99%.

mikeoh

Future Farmer wrote: »

Think your full of crap Mike.

, were you hit on the head today

F.........k. U......