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Heifer Calving at 40 months

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    #32
    squinn2912
    Registered Users Posts: 4,762 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    patsy_mccabe wrote: »
    Are you taking a hit though? Compared to what, having the heifer around the place for a year producing no calf and costing the same to keep.
    Or compared to putting a harder calving bull on her and destroying her.
    Great comfort in having heifers getting ready to calf knowing they are in calf to a very easy calving bull.

    What do you put into the heifers? I got my heifers handled yesterday. I injected them and could find none of them bulling. Of 10 2 are bulled, 3 are ok and got another injection and the other 5 are going to need the prid. I'll try to see about getting that done tonight or in the morning. Try them one more time for AI and if I can't catch them out they go with the bull. This is the first year of calves from him. He's a Tanko bull. Of 9 heifers I can think of off the top of my head 3 calved unassisted, 5 were a fair pull with the jack (early girls in january admittedly could've done with minerals for another fortnight) and 1 was a monster of a calf that died after a c section. I'd be content enough with him again but I was hoping to get AI into them.


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    #33
    High bike
    Registered Users Posts: 2,377 ✭✭✭High bike


    Hard Knocks wrote: »
    Are you having any problems selling the progeny?

    Have a 13 month heifer Bulling today tempted with Saler in 3 weeks time
    depends on colour , the reds no problem the blacks a bit slower.Had 4 this year to the Aubrac and never put a hand on the calving but they would have been 16 Mts getting billed I'd think 13 mts is a bit young unless she's very well grown


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    #34
    tanko
    Registered Users Posts: 9,229 ✭✭✭tanko


    patsy_mccabe wrote: »
    Are you taking a hit though? Compared to what, having the heifer around the place for a year producing no calf and costing the same to keep.
    Or compared to putting a harder calving bull on her and destroying her.
    Great comfort in having heifers getting ready to calf knowing they are in calf to a very easy calving bull.

    I just mean getting a bit less at sale time but overall i agree with you.


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    #35
    patsy_mccabe
    Registered Users Posts: 10,710 ✭✭✭✭patsy_mccabe


    squinn2912 wrote: »
    What do you put into the heifers? I got my heifers handled yesterday. I injected them and could find none of them bulling. Of 10 2 are bulled, 3 are ok and got another injection and the other 5 are going to need the prid. I'll try to see about getting that done tonight or in the morning. Try them one more time for AI and if I can't catch them out they go with the bull. This is the first year of calves from him. He's a Tanko bull. Of 9 heifers I can think of off the top of my head 3 calved unassisted, 5 were a fair pull with the jack (early girls in january admittedly could've done with minerals for another fortnight) and 1 was a monster of a calf that died after a c section. I'd be content enough with him again but I was hoping to get AI into them.

    You'd want a teaser bull with chin ball marker to pick up all the heats. I've done this in the past and a great job.
    Having really calved heifers in a while as I've bought in pedigrees heifers instead. They tend to calf at 30 months as I buy them at 18 months or so. In the past used well proven easy calving Lim bulls or saler bulls on teh smaller types.

    'When I was a boy we were serfs, slave minded. Anyone who came along and lifted us out of that belittling, I looked on them as Gods.' - Dan Breen



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    #36
    squinn2912
    Registered Users Posts: 4,762 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    patsy_mccabe wrote: »
    You'd want a teaser bull with chin ball marker to pick up all the heats. I've done this in the past and a great job.
    Having really calved heifers in a while as I've bought in pedigrees heifers instead. They tend to calf at 30 months as I buy them at 18 months or so. In the past used well proven easy calving Lim bulls or saler bulls on teh smaller types.

    That's it. Very hard. I was gong to throw a weanling with them but it turned into a melee so I didn't bother. I thought they'd show. Scanning man thought they were a bit underdeveloped but that shouldn't be the case due to age/weight. I don't fully understand the ins and outs but he reckons the prid will bring them round and then I'll chance for ai then out to bull. If I AI it won't be lim because I want to see if it works or if it's our own bull. Not trying Saler I had one of them natters about the place and it's enough. I was very encouraged when I got a BB recommendation but I'm well put off now. Likely be hereford, angus for the dairyish ones and might try a shorthorn on the red ones.


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    #37
    Simmental.
    Registered Users Posts: 72 ✭✭Simmental.


    If you were willing to try a BB bull would your try a CH bull like Bivouac or a SI bull like Lisnacrann Fifty Cent?


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    #38
    squinn2912
    Registered Users Posts: 4,762 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    Simmental. wrote: »
    If you were willing to try a BB bull would your try a CH bull like Bivouac or a SI bull like Lisnacrann Fifty Cent?

    Funny Fifty Cent was mentioned. I had ruled out the sim because I imagined they would be too big-framed to put on those dairy types - they're not too wide at the back. Have you tried him before?


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    #39
    Simmental.
    Registered Users Posts: 72 ✭✭Simmental.


    I have only used him on 3 Simmental heifers calving at 24 months. They all calved themselves and the calves weighed 35,42 and 45kg


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    #40
    squinn2912
    Registered Users Posts: 4,762 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    Simmental. wrote: »
    I have only used him on 3 Simmental heifers calving at 24 months. They all calved themselves and the calves weighed 35,42 and 45kg

    Come to think of it I have 2 bulls from fifty cent. They’ll be away in the next 3 weeks. One from a heifer and one a big cow. Great growers, very docile and we’re both easy calved

    Shape not the best but for heifers I suppose I’ll have to take that


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    #41
    bogman_bass
    Registered Users Posts: 5,057 ✭✭✭bogman_bass


    Which is going to calve easier: a 3 year old second calved or a 3 year old heifer?
    Even if you put a jersey on her first time you’d be better off calving at 2 years old.

    You might be able to use a stronger bill for her first calving if you leave her but she’s going to have a better calf at 3 years old if it’s her second calf.


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    #42
    Hard Knocks
    Registered Users Posts: 3,954 ✭✭✭Hard Knocks


    bogman_bass wrote: »
    Which is going to calve easier: a 3 year old second calved or a 3 year old heifer?
    Even if you put a jersey on her first time you’d be better off calving at 2 years old.

    You might be able to use a stronger bill for her first calving if you leave her but she’s going to have a better calf at 3 years old if it’s her second calf.

    The only problem I see with calving at 2yo is the heifer is still going with her first calf at foot, the calf is restricted


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    #43
    Never wrestle with pigs
    Registered Users Posts: 1,447 ✭✭✭Never wrestle with pigs


    Always plan to have the second calf on the ground before their third birthday here with the commercials. Never an issue and by the time they are 5 they are as big as ones let calve later. They seem more fertile too. They are not all built for it though. If you pick your best every year that are fit for it the majority of them will be fit to do it in a few years time coming from these lines.

    The pedigrees calve at 26/30 months usually. I've two at 24 months next spring. Not because they are not big enough but because like any pedigree animal be it a dog or cow they just mature slower from being highly breed. I am going to be keeping an eye on fertility scores of bulls a bit more in future but it won't be a deal breaker either.


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    #44
    bogman_bass
    Registered Users Posts: 5,057 ✭✭✭bogman_bass


    Hard Knocks wrote: »
    bogman_bass wrote: »
    Which is going to calve easier: a 3 year old second calved or a 3 year old heifer?
    Even if you put a jersey on her first time you’d be better off calving at 2 years old.

    You might be able to use a stronger bill for her first calving if you leave her but she’s going to have a better calf at 3 years old if it’s her second calf.

    The only problem I see with calving at 2yo is the heifer is still going with her first calf at foot, the calf is restricted

    Sure what about it? A good calf and a poor calf is worth more than just a good calf on his own


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    #45
    Who2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,052 ✭✭✭Who2


    bogman_bass wrote: »
    Sure what about it? A good calf and a poor calf is worth more than just a good calf on his own[/QUOTE
    It’s not that simple, you’ve a light heifer that will cost a fair chunk more to keep after calving as they do need minding, especially if they are calving early. I find one in every five don’t go back in calf and when you get that one she’s worth damn all to kill. Even on their second calf they aren’t where they should be in size. Take into the fact there’s realistically no profit to be made on heifers calves and you’ve a cull worth maybe 1k.
    Calving an older heifer will give you a bit of power, size the option of putting a decent bull on them and will cost less than the cull difference to keep for the extra year. Now we’re all at nothing is the truth of it whether the heifers 24 or 36 months so we should all just do as we please.


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