"Good calf"

L1985

Hi guys. So was at the Mart today and got chatting around a pen about the calves there. It was interesting as we all had different ways of discerning a good calf. One guy said the width of the nose, another said the shape of the ass and I was going off the size of the feet....We all seemed to agree on the same animal thou. So how do you tell what a good calf is?

patsy_mccabe

One that does what it's told.

charolais0153

L1985 wrote: »

Hi guys. So was at the Mart today and got chatting around a pen about the calves there. It was interesting as we all had different ways of discerning a good calf. One guy said the width of the nose, another said the shape of the ass and I was going off the size of the feet....We all seemed to agree on the same animal thou. So how do you tell what a good calf is?

A suck calf is it or a weanling?

L1985

charolais0153 wrote: »

A suck calf is it or a weanling?

Sorry suck calf-although I'd be interested in answers for the weaning as well!

L1985

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

One that does what it's told.

Please tell me where these mythical creatures can be bought? Ours strongly dislike staying where they are supposed to!

charolais0153

L1985 wrote: »

Sorry suck calf-although I'd be interested in answers for the weaning as well!

Good long square back and decent bone. Bright eyes and lively.

_Brian

Head up
Bright eyes
Ears not droopy
Bit of width at the shoulders
Standing with straight back, never arched or hunched.
Tail straight behind, never tucked in under its ass.

Icelandicseige

Alert. And healthy, sucks on finger so no hardship with training to blue teat feeder. After that depend price. If your wanting big muscle lads you will pay for them.

Dakota Dan

L1985 wrote: »

Hi guys. So was at the Mart today and got chatting around a pen about the calves there. It was interesting as we all had different ways of discerning a good calf. One guy said the width of the nose, another said the shape of the ass and I was going off the size of the feet....We all seemed to agree on the same animal thou. So how do you tell what a good calf is?

Interesting, I had a bb born today, very wide nose arse and feet, I'll let ye know how much he makes in the mart in 3-4 weeks hopefully

bogman_bass

Feet and nose? Not saying your wrong but I've never heard of anybody picking based on those traits before

Mooooo

The muzzle was an indication of intake ability or something along those lines. I think, read it in some breeding thing years ago I think. Once the nose is dry would be important I guess otherwise

Who2

Health length and width in those order. But then I wouldn’t go buying calves, pure hardship.

L1985

Thanks all-I suppose I was looking at health as a given in terms of what you look for. It was what you look for in terms of seeing the type of animal it will grow into that I was interested in. Seein as the 3of us have different ways of looking at it. It's hard to trust the dates on calves being sold in the Mart these days as they could be a month older then stated!

charolais0153

L1985 wrote: »

Thanks all-I suppose I was looking at health as a given in terms of what you look for. It was what you look for in terms of seeing the type of animal it will grow into that I was interested in. Seein as the 3of us have different ways of looking at it. It's hard to trust the dates on calves being sold in the Mart these days as they could be a month older then stated!

Thats a good thing. It will be easier to reach target weight pre 30 months

L1985

charolais0153 wrote: »

Thats a good thing. It will be easier to reach target weight pre 30 months

Depends on your system. And when your looking at a calf that's 2months old and u think he's a couple of weeks vs a calf that really is a couple of weeks....that's why I was curious as to how lads judge suck calves.

kk.man

Mooooo wrote: »

The muzzle was an indication of intake ability or something along those lines. I think, read it in some breeding thing years ago I think. Once the nose is dry would be important I guess otherwise

It's also an indication if it's out of a heifer.

Mooooo

Some of my biggest cows are out of heifers, maybe fair enough if it's angus prob smaller bull used but with fr anyway gestation lengths are so short these days I use same straws on heifers and cows within reason

patsy_mccabe

A good calf for me is anything that doesnt hint at dairy breeding.

Muckit

L1985 wrote: »

I suppose I was looking at health as a given!

With calves?? This is where you will come undone. A big dead calf will hit you hard in the pocket a few times. Buy him. Bang! Treat it bang! bang! Knackery charge. Bang!

Never take health as a given. Be it calf or yourself!!

Say my name

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

A good calf for me is anything that doesnt hint at dairy breeding.

Pure bred Belgian blue calf then so.

And what's wrong with the Monty x breds?
They're dairy ain't they.

Had a cow calved there last night. I was able to hand milk her free standing with the calf. One quarter bred Monty.
She has the markings of a black whitehead though.

squinn2912

Interesting thread this. We very rarely buy anything in but I took a notion before Christmas that I wanted to buy some replacements off fr back breeding. Hope for long term gains here.
Anyhow after some scouting and phoning around contacts and trawls through DoneDeal which resulted in dead ends I got in touch with an agent/dairy farmer.
Some advantages associated with buying off him are that I saw the calves on farm in their environment and could look at how well treated they were with bedding etc etc. he took me to see some of last year's calves and the year before that so I could get an idea of what I'm buying into. I got to see the bull (everything right and quiet as a lamb). I have called back since to look at younger calves and there's no messing with ages that way. It suits him and me, if all goes well then I'll be back.

This is turning into a thesis but in essence it's better the one's you know especially if you're getting a few

Count Mondego

Lenght is the most important characteristic in a calf or weanlings. Short calves or weanlings come to nothing, irrespective of how big their hooves or how wide their mouths are.

L1985

Muckit wrote: »

With calves?? This is where you will come undone. A big dead calf will hit you hard in the pocket a few times. Buy him. Bang! Treat it bang! bang! Knackery charge. Bang!

Never take health as a given. Be it calf or yourself!!

Sorry phrased that wrong-as in you check their health as a given!! Check out eyes ears nose tail breathing etc. It was looking at 2healthy calves and determining which one would make a better animal that I was asking

squinn2912

Thought I’d share this. Picking up my sim heifers Off fr cows this weekend so took a last look at them on farm to make sure I’m happy etc.
the cows are pretty Holstein and the bull is kilbride farm newry breeding so I think that should be decent.
Anyhow I was just picking the last one out of 3 and was getting it hard to decide between 2. I was kinda playing to see what would be said but I had one picked (silly I know). The man told me he knew which he’d go for - the one with more white on her face (other has some colour round the eyes). Turns out I thought the one with a whiter face was a tad nicer and tighter but would any of you worry about the face like that?
I can’t wait to get them!

lab man

squinn2912 wrote:

Thought I’d share this. Picking up my sim heifers Off fr cows this weekend so took a last look at them on farm to make sure I’m happy etc. the cows are pretty Holstein and the bull is kilbride farm newry breeding so I think that should be decent. Anyhow I was just picking the last one out of 3 and was getting it hard to decide between 2. I was kinda playing to see what would be said but I had one picked (silly I know). The man told me he knew which he’d go for - the one with more white on her face (other has some colour round the eyes). Turns out I thought the one with a whiter face was a tad nicer and tighter but would any of you worry about the face like that? I can’t wait to get them!

Kilbride x monty make great cows