Salers Suckler Cows.

Danzy

irishh_bob wrote: »

i was savaged for claiming that salers were mad yokes and made limousins look like lambs by a few saler breeders some months ago but its a widley held view that they are indeed incredibly wild cattle

on the plus side , they have plenty of milk and due to thier pelvic structure , would calve an elephant , ideal for crossing with doube muscled chaorlais

What about Saler x heifers, do they remain as wild.

kollegeknight

Danzy wrote: »

What about Saler x heifers, do they remain as wild.

I have a sales cow off a limo x and she is very flighty.

Danzy

Are they manageable enough though.

How do you find dosing her. I got a few Saler X Heifers, they were a decent price and look well enough, may be it was a bad move and they'll wreck my head.

patsy_mccabe

Saler heifer sale thursday night in Gort Mart;

https://www.donedeal.ie/beefcattle-for-sale/salers-x-heifer-sale/13476109

kollegeknight

Danzy wrote: »

Are they manageable enough though.

How do you find dosing her. I got a few Saler X Heifers, they were a decent price and look well enough, may be it was a bad move and they'll wreck my head.

She's grand to dose etc. Had a slow calving so had to handle her but no way could I without a calving gate.

Where she really wrecks my head is she will find any way to get out of a field: had a chain on her all summer to keep her away from the fence.

Danzy

Well it will be a hell of a good reason for me to make sure that the fencing is in top shape.

Do they tend to ignore the current.

kollegeknight

Danzy wrote: »

Well it will be a hell of a good reason for me to make sure that the fencing is in top shape.

Do they tend to ignore the current.

Cannot comment for all as I've only one. We were thinking of going into them before and a chap the brother knows who finishes cattle said the bulls had a big frame and were harder to finish.

Danzy

The man I bought them off has an awful lot of them and if they were pure demented he wouldn't be keeping them to 20 months I guess.

We'll sew how they go, life is an education.

kelslat

Danzy wrote: »

What about Saler x heifers, do they remain as wild.

I have a good few myself, mainly crossbred but I have a couple of purebreds too. I have never found the ones i have to be wilder or more nervous than any other breed. I am not saying their the ultimate suckler cow as was advertised, every breed has its advantages and disadvantages but I just can't see why they have such a bad reputation. Maybe it's down to the way animals are handled.

Danzy

kelslat wrote: »

I have a good few myself, mainly crossbred but I have a couple of purebreds too. I have never found the ones i have to be wilder or more nervous than any other breed. I am not saying their the ultimate suckler cow as was advertised, every breed has its advantages and disadvantages but I just can't see why they have such a bad reputation. Maybe it's down to the way animals are handled.

The ones I got seem quite enough, early days yet but from one reaction to me getting them nearly had me locking the bedroom door lest them come for me.

Danzy

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Saler heifer sale thursday night in Gort Mart;

https://www.donedeal.ie/beefcattle-for-sale/salers-x-heifer-sale/13476109

Get the checkbook out Ma, we're going west!

jfh

Danzy wrote: »

Get the checkbook out Ma, we're going west!

Anytime I've got to one of those saler sales in gort, you'd want a healthy cheque book

Danzy

jfh wrote: »

Anytime I've got to one of those saler sales in gort, you'd want a healthy cheque book

Aye that was in my mind as well. They were fine looking animals and I think that they'll do well.

There seems to be more of an opening for them up west and midlands though.

The man who delivered them was on about taking them to Galway as well.

GiantPencil

Have a few Salers, no temperament issues here. It all comes down to how often you handle any animal, if you're only looking at them from the gate and going near them for dosing then of course you'll have temperament issues. They're a lovely cross on a Charolais and can calve anything I've used on them.

tanko

GiantPencil wrote: »

Have a few Salers, no temperament issues here. It all comes down to how often you handle any animal, if you're only looking at them from the gate and going near them for dosing then of course you'll have temperament issues. They're a lovely cross on a Charolais and can calve anything I've used on them.

Had 4 Saler calves off RIO in the spring, only one heifer tho. Their docility is pretty good so far. Will have some Valliant and Highfield Odhran calves next spring hopefully.
What Bulls are yours off?

Danzy

GiantPencil wrote: »

Have a few Salers, no temperament issues here. It all comes down to how often you handle any animal, if you're only looking at them from the gate and going near them for dosing then of course you'll have temperament issues. They're a lovely cross on a Charolais and can calve anything I've used on them.

I'm going to make sure that they get well used to me in the next few weeks.

dodo mommy

tanko wrote:

Had 4 Saler calves off RIO in the spring, only one heifer tho. Their docility is pretty good so far. Will have some Valliant and Highfield Odhran calves next spring hopefully. What Bulls are yours off?

What's the quality of your Rio calf's like I had a heifer from him 6 weeks ago very rough lookin calf off a huge chx cow who would have always had very good calf's off lm & CH bulls.

mikeoh

A neighbour of mine milks 100 cows swapped from Angus to saler bulls and finds them much easier and better temperament as they get older ......he said the trick was never hunt them or they will go wild just call them and they will walk away in with the cows .....he says its the way they are traditional handled in France..........so out with the plastic bags with ye and start calling!!!

Welding Rod

Salters can be managed and handled to keep them fairly quiet and generally manageable.

BUT, Saler cows at calving time and for up to two weeks afterwards are dangerous to all and sundry. DON'T even consider going into a pen of a freshly calved Saler cow and don't even think about considering handling or touching her calf.
Any breed of cow can get dangerous around calving but its usually a low percentage.
With Salers you HAVE to consider ALL of them to be dangerous at this time.

tanko

dodo mommy wrote: »

What's the quality of your Rio calf's like I had a heifer from him 6 weeks ago very rough lookin calf off a huge chx cow who would have always had very good calf's off lm & CH bulls.

I used RIO on lim heifers because he was easy calved and a safe option, they're very hairy with good length and frame but wouldn't have much muscle but you can't expect that with them like lims and CH's.
It's early days for yet for your calf, she should look better when she fills out.

patsy_mccabe

It's a shame they're so fecking wild. A neighbour has them and he told me they were difficult to handle at calving. Even when you look at them in the field, they have the wild antics about them, head up, turn around to face you etc.
Apart from that, they are an ideal suckler cow. The ICBF figures back that up. Loads of milk, huge hips, last years and great bone structure. While lacking muscle, they do cross great with charolais, produce a lovely orance/yellow hairy weanling. Great sellers.

Danzy

What about ones that don't get in Calf, are the heifers readily fattened, within reason.

GiantPencil

Welding Rod wrote: »

Salters can be managed and handled to keep them fairly quiet and generally manageable.

BUT, Saler cows at calving time and for up to two weeks afterwards are dangerous to all and sundry. DON'T even consider going into a pen of a freshly calved Saler cow and don't even think about considering handling or touching her calf.
Any breed of cow can get dangerous around calving but its usually a low percentage.
With Salers you HAVE to consider ALL of them to be dangerous at this time.

I agree that you need to be weary of a cow at calving but it should be on a case by case basis. I have some that you'll stay away from for a week or two after calving cause they're very protective but I've others who wouldn't bat an eyelid at you right after calving. Read somewhere that they have the biggest pelvic area out of all the breeds out there hence the easy calving

Danzy

I'm thinking about adding a few sucklers next year, it is why i got them.

That is all dependent on the off farm job, circumstances may dictate that I don't breed off them and that they may instead get the bolt.

If that is the case what are they like to add a bit of flesh in to for killing at 30 months.

They were bought at a good price and they will have plenty of grass in front of them.

I'd be happy if they just near covered cost and expenses.

kollegeknight

2.5yo gqz off a limo X with 5month old bull calf off stock limo bull.

Never wrestle with pigs

Danzy wrote: »

I'm thinking about adding a few sucklers next year, it is why i got them.

That is all dependent on the off farm job, circumstances may dictate that I don't breed off them and that they may instead get the bolt.

If that is the case what are they like to add a bit of flesh in to for killing at 30 months.

They were bought at a good price and they will have plenty of grass in front of them.

I'd be happy if they just near covered cost and expenses.

Why not put them in calf and calve them if the job allows or sell them springing down. You never see saler springers for sale, I'd say they would be a really good seller if you aim for them to be sold in a springer sale near you or at that gort sale next year.