Calving 2025

funkey_monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123347207#Comment_123347207

Mistyped. Meant to say to give to a cow post calving, not the calves.

golodge

Heifer calf born yesterday. Sired by parthenaise bull Ouedec GD, out of limxbluexdairy cow, 293days gestation, 50,5kg.

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123352263#Comment_123352263

What's the weather been like there for the Spring's calving season.

green daries

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123347270#Comment_123347270

Ya get an 18 if you could or make sure there's good bit of soa bean in the 16. Soya is great to help milk production

golodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123352292#Comment_123352292

Different every week. Had warm, but muddy January, then cold February. March was either sun with +15 or snow. Had snow just last weekend, but +16°C today... Hopefully it finally will be real spring now.

Sami23

Out of interest - what age on average would ye all keep your suckler cows to before culling ?
I've a 12 year old cow here that calves by herself every year and goes back in calf no bother but noticed last couple of years that her calves are not as good come weaning time as they used to be so thinking the milk mustn't be as good as it used to be.

Who2

the age usually doesn’t worry me too much, once she’s working away but I’d be hard on replacing for other reasons such as feet and elders and calf quality so a lot don’t get the chance to get into really old. I’m changing about 15-20% annually but I’ve still a couple of 12-14 year olds.

Anto_Meath

Same as @Who2 a good cow is one that I get to over 10 years old, because any issue like feet, elder, poor calf or temperament & they go. With the price of culls it doesn't take much persuading. But I notice myself if a cow crosses 10 it's harder to make the decision to mover her on as she is after been a good lucky cow. So you say "ah I ll give her another year". Milk quality does slip as they get older and each calving gets harder on them.

mr.stonewall

I work on the following criteria. In this order

1. Lose a calf or a major health issue out the door

2. Temperament

3. Calf quality and weight at weaning ( first calves get a pass on this)

4 age then. Once you get past 10 time is limited

mr.stonewall

On a side note calving very quick here. Started 16 days ago and there's 20 out of 25 calved so far. 1 strange lose where the cow must have stood or kicked the calf as his jaw and teeth were smashed.

4 more should calve this week. Cows to calve out by day and in by night with a pick of hay.

Dunedin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123376496#Comment_123376496

pretty much the same here.

WoozieWu

in general i find we cull most cows over 10 for issues with milk

oldest at the moment is 11 but would often have kept a cow to 14

patsy_mccabe

I've one 15 year old PB Lim cow here. The first PB I ever bought. She has got a bit cranky over the years. Never had to touch her feet or pull a calf from her.

I'd normally cull in order for these reasons;

Very Poor Milk, Docility, Feet, Poor Calves, Poor stars etc

ABitofsense

Docility, Poor calves & health.

I love having quiet cows, only way i can do sucklers. I've culled some great cows that were just a danger or just a pain in the backside.

Poor calves is a pain but selective breeding with own AI flask has changed that here.

Health is one that catches up on cows for me, my oldest was a 10 year old cow where she got e. coli mastitis & never recovered right. I've a couple hitting 9 now & I'll just ease back on the bull I'd use.

Gudstock

I'm moving towards a younger cow age here, trying to replace with hopefully improved genetics. Rare to have a cow over 10 here. I find the long winters very hard on suckler cows as they get older. If I keep a cow on its because she's ticking all the boxes and her daughters are hopefully going to be similar.

golodge

Rarely look at the age. Currently have one 13 year old, two 12year old and a hand full of 10 year olds. Culling based on docility, calf quality, milking ability, feet, fertility, overall health, calving ability. The oldest one will be culled as she had a rough last calving, not much straining from her, even if she was one of the best calvers at her prime. One of the 12year olds will be culled as she usually had good fertility, but stayed empty this time. The oldest ever cows here were 14years old, but were culled after some issues appeared.

Sugarbowl

what do ye do with cows with heaps of milk? How do ye avoid mastitis?

Anto_Meath

@Sugarbowl keep them on bare ground and leave them alone usually works. While the calf is young the usually only suck the front 2 teats.

golodge

Trying out something new.

Speckle park sired heifer out of Lodge Hamlet xbluexcharx first calver. 277 days gestation.

Anto_Meath

Nice bull calf from a ZAG second calver and Rutland Reuben (LM8286).

This year I have used Zag as my usual bull of choice on anything not related to him. But on Zag heifers and cows I have used Powerful Proper, very easy calved and they are shaping into nice calves. 1 is very shapey but short.

Keltic Rembrandt - bigger calves than Proper but shaping up nicely too. These are longer calves.

& Reuben on a this cow that repeated. He is the biggest born so will be interesting to see how they are

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all going come June when I have to decide again.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123388073#Comment_123388073

Reuben appear to be coming big, once they get going they’re ahead of the rest

Anto_Meath

@Hard Knocks ye I just tried him on 1 cow when she repeated. She is a big enough about 600kgs and a plain enough cow, he is a fine calf but wouldn't put him on anything smaller, think he suits a plain framey cow.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123389167#Comment_123389167

We’d him on a heifer, little pull. Definitely suits cows

tanko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123389167#Comment_123389167

I see Rutland Rueben isn’t eligible for the upcoming SCEP year, calves born between July 1st 25 and June 30th 26.

Anto_Meath

@tanko thanks for the heads up, isnt it typical enough, the whole scep thing is designed for us all to produce little AA cattle..

tanko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123389763#Comment_123389763

Unless the money is increased substantially i can’t see many farmers signing up for another five years of jumping through ever smaller hoops when SCEP is finished.

limo_100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123389763#Comment_123389763

have a ruben heifer she’s shaping up very nice but can’t see her being too big. Might have to sell her as weanling in the back end. Will see how she performs on grass. Any pictures of the Rembrandt calves ? Will you use him again? Have heifers in calf to him calving from august

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123390627#Comment_123390627

How’s the Reuben heifers dam bred? I like Rembrandt, so far only bulls with nice size, docile and a bit of style to sell well. I’m hoping for a heifer

Anto_Meath

@limo_100 yes a I will use Rembrandt again cows and heifers all calved themselves and the calves were up sucking fairly quick. Calves seem quite enough too.

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That's one lad out of a heifer

And this black lad is out of a cow. Nice size to them to.

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limo_100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123390885#Comment_123390885

The dam is a ch heifer off ch4320 plain enough type heifer tbh. Rembrant shape wise would be less shapy than some of the heavier bulls like rigby?