What to restock with AA or HE

Sharpshooter82

Its nearing that time again where ill be buying a few calves for next year and was going to get another batch of AA but a few farmers around have being saying to try out a few HE. what are peoples opinions on this??
The pros and cons of each breed and the likes.

vermin99

By HE you mean Herefords? Not in on all the abrriviation craic

limo_100

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

Its nearing that time again where ill be buying a few calves for next year and was going to get another batch of AA but a few farmers around have being saying to try out a few HE. what are peoples opinions on this??
The pros and cons of each breed and the likes.

buy half and half and see how you get on

Sharpshooter82

limo_100 wrote: »

buy half and half and see how you get on

yeah was thinking of doing that alright but was wondering what people could tell me about the Herefords

limo_100

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

yeah was thinking of doing that alright but was wondering what people could tell me about the Herefords

they will probably be heavier cattle in the long run. They have a good temperament, there healthy tbh there not that dis similar to the blacks in fairness

vermin99

Herefords: In my opinion the best quality beef you can get but it isn't promoted as much as it should be .They are easy calving and have a short gestation period .The butchers I know my father's one will buy a Hereford quicker than any other beef cattle if he got his chance as the meat is so good on them

Angus: seem to be becoming popular along with Angus xs .Meat is ok on them but they have a lower bone weight than Herefords so will get a better price in the factory .Same thing fairly easy calving .But they seem to be promoted a lot through the different Angus societies saying there the best beef and that ,Not true in my Imo

Overall I'd pick Hereford 9 times outa ten. .is qood idea to try both though
Hope this helps

crackcrack30

I seen some impressive angus x at the ploughing.....great weights for 12mts

Dont be daft

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

Its nearing that time again where ill be buying a few calves for next year and was going to get another batch of AA but a few farmers around have being saying to try out a few HE. what are peoples opinions on this??
The pros and cons of each breed and the likes.

Dont know what their like as calves but when it comes to finishing them they're very similar. Angus would usually grade slightly better but HE would get it back in a bigger carcass weight.
TBH I can't think of two breeds that are more similar.

Lovely cattle to work with. Even as bulls I can't remember the last time we had an AAX or HEX that got nasty.

haybob

I going to ramble a bit here

I have had great results from an angus bull crossed with blue heifers out of hereford cows.

I'd prefer the herefords myself lovely cattle you can walk through them in a field leave you hand on them and no lepping or anything. They can be crossed with most things and will give good results and then there is the hereford prime scheme. They are way easier to finish than anything else bar shorthorns who don't kill out well.

blue5000

OP what stage do you sell them at?
I think with angus you are better off to take them all the way to beef and get the premium on them. Lads that buy these in the mart as stores don't pass on the premium in my experience. In some marts black whiteheads sell a lot better than red whiteheads. In general I prefer angus cattle myself.

Farmer Pudsey

Dont be daft wrote: »

Lovely cattle to work with. Even as bulls I can't remember the last time we had an AAX or HEX that got nasty.

HEX are grand as bulls AAX are totally different as bulls I would rate them as the only behind jerseys in being dangerous and as dangerous as Friesians.

As bullocks both have much the same temperment. The biggest issue with AA is that most farmers are using on heifers and there has being a movement to easier and easier calving bulls this equates to smaller and smaller calves. AA's tend to grade a point better than HEX in general, the bigger AA bonus along with the slightly earlier maturing helps them to leave the same margin along with the fact that they usually cost about 100 euro less.

However there seems to be a move towards them lately at present as stores in the marts I would consider them to be making the same money about 2.2/kg. I think as calves next spring they may be over priced. If they climb nearer the HEX calves I be switching to the Herefords if those were the calves I was buying.

Are you finishing or selling as stores. If you carry to finish I would watch for a few good square Friesians. I think they may well be the value at present. In finished cattle there is a price difference of 30c/kg between them or a little less. At 330kg carcasse this equates to 100 euro, however the Friesian will kill heavier than either the disadvantage is that you will have a 4-8 weeks longer. However the price difference first day would be between 150-200 euro for a calf of about 4 weeks. I know that the fresian is not as good a converter however you hvae 100 euro to play around with.

If selling as storesI more than likly stick with the AA and HE.

larrymiller

Anybody got much experience with the Hereford scheme with the factories, I've read into into it but would like to hear what it from a farmers view ie. getting them up to spec etc..

nashmach

larrymiller wrote: »

Anybody got much experience with the Hereford scheme with the factories, I've read into into it but would like to hear what it from a farmers view ie. getting them up to spec etc..

In it here but only a few per year at most.

This is through Slaney Meats and is reasonably flexible with good markets for the end product.

jomoloney

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

Its nearing that time again where ill be buying a few calves for next year and was going to get another batch of AA but a few farmers around have being saying to try out a few HE. what are peoples opinions on this??
The pros and cons of each breed and the likes.

if you could source BR FR X HE , sold some heifers to the BIL he killed them last june at 24- 27 months top heifer made €1740 with the batch averaging just under 1600, these had seen very little meal

larrymiller wrote: »

Anybody got much experience with the Hereford scheme with the factories, I've read into into it but would like to hear what it from a farmers view ie. getting them up to spec etc..

DO you mean the hereford prime scheme ?

the above BIL mentioned ^^ was in it but opted out , too tied to weights and advance bookings to get top price,

better off with slaney or jennings in ballinrobe

bbam

We've reared lots of HEX bulls and Heifers..
Mostly they are healthy, decent growth rates and on the whole quiet to handle..

larrymiller

DO you mean the hereford prime scheme ?

the above BIL mentioned ^^ was in it but opted out , too tied to weights and advance bookings to get top price,

better off with slaney or jennings in ballinrobe[/QUOTE]

Yeah that's the one, what weights are you looking at to keep them in spec? And what price do you get for ones that don't get the right weight?

Sharpshooter82

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

HEX are grand as bulls AAX are totally different as bulls I would rate them as the only behind jerseys in being dangerous and as dangerous as Friesians.

As bullocks both have much the same temperment. The biggest issue with AA is that most farmers are using on heifers and there has being a movement to easier and easier calving bulls this equates to smaller and smaller calves. AA's tend to grade a point better than HEX in general, the bigger AA bonus along with the slightly earlier maturing helps them to leave the same margin along with the fact that they usually cost about 100 euro less.

However there seems to be a move towards them lately at present as stores in the marts I would consider them to be making the same money about 2.2/kg. I think as calves next spring they may be over priced. If they climb nearer the HEX calves I be switching to the Herefords if those were the calves I was buying.

Are you finishing or selling as stores. If you carry to finish I would watch for a few good square Friesians. I think they may well be the value at present. In finished cattle there is a price difference of 30c/kg between them or a little less. At 330kg carcasse this equates to 100 euro, however the Friesian will kill heavier than either the disadvantage is that you will have a 4-8 weeks longer. However the price difference first day would be between 150-200 euro for a calf of about 4 weeks. I know that the fresian is not as good a converter however you hvae 100 euro to play around with.

If selling as storesI more than likly stick with the AA and HE.

My setup allows me to have the cattle for about 22 months and then off to the mart

bogman_bass

A top Angus is probably a better animal than a top Hereford but the whitehead is pronably a more consistent animal

Farmer Pudsey

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

My setup allows me to have the cattle for about 22 months and then off to the mart

Fresian stores sell well as 2Year olds if over 500kgs

lakill Farm

having had AAX and HEX heifers, in a heartbeat i would go back to HEX if i could get a sustainable supply at a good price. They are lovely animals and weight out very well.

Sharpshooter82

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Fresian stores sell well as 2Year olds if over 500kgs

Yeah I have two at the minute that are very near 500kg and at 22 months so might hold out and see the result of them. Got them for 80 and 90 euro last year