Fleckvieh crossbreeding with Holstein

jonopat

Has anyone used fleckvieh straws on their Dairy herd? Any trouble with calving? What are solids and milk yields like? We have majority Holstein herd. Celtic Sires in Laois sell straws.

freedominacup

jonopat wrote: »

Has anyone used fleckvieh straws on their Dairy herd? Any trouble with calving? What are solids and milk yields like? We have majority Holstein herd. Celtic Sires in Laois sell straws.

Had a few here back in the nineties. They didn't last and weren't bred from. Retrograde step. They're on their third spin round the block with fleckvieh at this stage. Never gained any traction the first two go's so take from that what you will. I'm sure these fleckvieh are completely different from the terrible genetics we used in the nineties, probably pages of figures to demonstrate how as well.

jonopat

freedominacup, was it yields were the biggest problem?

Timmaay

In general what I read up about them is they give the similar problems of HOs (average fertility, not that hardly), without the benefits of the big yields a HO gives. The beef value definitely adds something, but whether it's enough is very questionable. If you have fertility issues that are definitely not management related, then I think you'll have to go with something more extreme like some JE or Br Fr. Otherwise just stick with a high solids/high EBI B&W.

Future Farmer

+1 with Timmay and freedominacup

They can be brutes on calving aswell.

What's your herd like jonopat? CI? Kgs MS? Kgs Milk? EBI? Spring?

jonopat

Future Farmer wrote: »

+1 with Timmay and freedominacup

They can be brutes on calving aswell.

What's your herd like jonopat? CI? Kgs MS? Kgs Milk? EBI? Spring?

Kgs MS: 386
Kgs Milk: 5052
EBI: €158
Spring Calving

Herd makeup:
75% majority Holstein
22% majority Friesien
Few Montbeliarde crosses

freedominacup

jonopat wrote: »

Kgs MS: 386
Kgs Milk: 5052
EBI: €158
Spring Calving

Herd makeup:
75% majority Holstein
22% majority Friesien
Few Montbeliarde crosses

Simmentals aren't going to be any silver bullet for you. Have you any idea of tonnes of grass grown/utilised? How much meal per cow and what is your sr? There's probably a lot of low hanging fruit to be harvested at those output levels.

Timmaay

freedominacup wrote: »

Simmentals aren't going to be any silver bullet for you. Have you any idea of tonnes of grass grown/utilised? How much meal per cow and what is your sr? There's probably a lot of low hanging fruit to be harvested at those output levels.

How many days at milk on average? 6week calving rate? What fraction carried over every year? There's an easy 1500l or 100kgMS per cow of low hanging fruit if the above is your issue.

bogman_bass

If you are thinking of going down that route then you probably better off going with Montbelliards. At least you have a dairy breed with a bit of beef rather than a duel type animal that is 6 of one and half a dozen of the other

freedominacup

bogman_bass wrote: »

At least you have a dairy breed with a bit of beef rather than a duel type animal that is 6 of one and half a dozen of the other

Still a complete five eights though.

bogman_bass

I know but at least it's a step closer

Future Farmer

jonopat wrote: »

Kgs MS: 386
Kgs Milk: 5052
EBI: €158
Spring Calving

Herd makeup:
75% majority Holstein
22% majority Friesien
Few Montbeliarde crosses

You'd like to see more solids, do you milk record? What is your calving interval?