When's calving starting 2021

Irish Beef · 08-04-2021 10:53AM

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Stabiliser heifer calf from Stan the Man. Up and skipping through pen.

How are you finding the stabilisers, they're a breed id be interested in. nice healthy calf isn't he.

Irish Beef · 08-04-2021 12:23PM

funkey_monkey wrote: »

They suit us. Normally (non-covid times) we both work so they are great in that regards. That calf is only a few hours old and is up skipping about the pen. The calves so far really hit the ground running. Since we got a bull we have no losses nor had to assist a calving - apart from a set of twins which we were aware of and kept a close eye on - but cow would have been fine on her own. However, I'm putting in a calving camera and I expect that it will result in us being present at most of them.

As a caveat most of our cows would have a few years on them - so should calf down relatively easily to most bulls across the spectrum. Although we have had heifers calf too unassisted. We haven't had any real issues with dopey calves doing anything but suck.

The mothers hold condition well and they are easily handled. However, we do be with the cows a lot so they are well used to us which makes handling easier. Calves are easily worked with too - sometimes have to push them out of the way when in pen.

There are a few which can be a bit sharp just after calving. However, that seems to go off after a few hours. Just seems to be a few lines in the breed with it. On The Farming Forum there is the same said.
They seem to be marmite, but the breed approach is something I like. They focus on feed efficiency, weights and milk. They measure this and are now progressing to genetic EBV's.
People compare them unfavourably to Lim & Ch. However, if someone is doing this then they don't know the difference between maternal and terminal breeds. As we are only a small herd any losses are magnified in percentage terms so for us it is more important to get a living calf than maybe a larger scale full-time farmer would can afford to lose a calf and/or spend time nursing them.
They don't sell as well in marts as Ch & Lim - but few other breeds do. For us we get less hassle at calving, no de-horning, easily handled stock compared with the lims we had. The lim bull was okay, but the offspring were mad and were not shaped any better than these Stabilisers we have.

Only got a few bullocks which we might finish. Castrated late and a couple had bad bouts of pneumonia, but averaging 1.3kg/day from birth at 330 days and not being forced - all from our own bull, but as said they are designed as a maternal breed.

Similar to yourself here in that we also run a small outfit and calving ease is high up priority list. I would be interested in maybe to see how a few stabilizer or saler cows go and still continue to use the Charolais bull as I sell most as weanlings and the Ch always seem to sell best, taught I could get best of both worlds. They're scares in my neck of the woods, mostly seem to be popular up north.

Sami23 · 08-04-2021 09:57PM

Noticed a 2 week old calf who's been out for approx a week now making a pretty runny dung this evening when I was checking them. (dark yellow in colour)
Wonder is this something I should be worried about and would he need some treatment. She was sucking away and in good form otherwise.

50HX · 08-04-2021 10:04PM

Woo hoo all finished here a while ago, ch bull

All done till September heifers spring down

Would murder a few creamy pints 2mor nite......oh wait:(

FeelTheBern · 08-04-2021 11:12PM

Sami23 wrote: »

Noticed a 2 week old calf who's been out for approx a week now making a pretty runny dung this evening when I was checking them. (dark yellow in colour)
Wonder is this something I should be worried about and would he need some treatment. She was sucking away and in good form otherwise.

If calf in good form otherwise then prob fine - maybe just stomach adjusting to more milk. Would just keep close eye on her for next day or two. Think sometimes that stress of getting them in, catching them to dose etc may be harder on them if not sure much wrong in the first place but every one different.

squinn2912 · 09-04-2021 08:59AM

funkey_monkey wrote: »

They suit us. Normally (non-covid times) we both work so they are great in that regards. That calf is only a few hours old and is up skipping about the pen. The calves so far really hit the ground running. Since we got a bull we have no losses nor had to assist a calving - apart from a set of twins which we were aware of and kept a close eye on - but cow would have been fine on her own. However, I'm putting in a calving camera and I expect that it will result in us being present at most of them.

As a caveat most of our cows would have a few years on them - so should calf down relatively easily to most bulls across the spectrum. Although we have had heifers calf too unassisted. We haven't had any real issues with dopey calves doing anything but suck.

The mothers hold condition well and they are easily handled. However, we do be with the cows a lot so they are well used to us which makes handling easier. Calves are easily worked with too - sometimes have to push them out of the way when in pen.

There are a few which can be a bit sharp just after calving. However, that seems to go off after a few hours. Just seems to be a few lines in the breed with it. On The Farming Forum there is the same said.
They seem to be marmite, but the breed approach is something I like. They focus on feed efficiency, weights and milk. They measure this and are now progressing to genetic EBV's.
People compare them unfavourably to Lim & Ch. However, if someone is doing this then they don't know the difference between maternal and terminal breeds. As we are only a small herd any losses are magnified in percentage terms so for us it is more important to get a living calf than maybe a larger scale full-time farmer would can afford to lose a calf and/or spend time nursing them.
They don't sell as well in marts as Ch & Lim - but few other breeds do. For us we get less hassle at calving, no de-horning, easily handled stock compared with the lims we had. The lim bull was okay, but the offspring were mad and were not shaped any better than these Stabilisers we have.

Only got a few bullocks which we might finish. Castrated late and a couple had bad bouts of pneumonia, but averaging 1.3kg/day from birth at 330 days and not being forced - all from our own bull, but as said they are designed as a maternal breed.

That’s a super run down of the breed. I’m in a group and they’ve been mentioned at many meetings the past 4 years but no one in the group has had a calf yet. Looked at a show farm in Banbridge Jemisons. They were lim men and had bought a stabiliser and aa bull. St was awful looking and we all pressed him on that. He acknowledged it but said that the research indicates he’s the most profitable by a mile. I know he’s since got rid of him. Small example I know.

I dunno anyone that went for them in our area round the border. Never saw one in a mart.

I’d have thought they’d suit a big outfit finishing mostly. Man heading to the mart would get a bad do

Seanhorse91 · 09-04-2021 09:33AM

Caught a yearling heifer sucking an incalf heifer who’s about 8 weeks from calving. Brought her in, milk in all 4 quarters.
What’s the best thing I can do for her to ensure she doesn’t lose any quarters?
Milk her out, tube her and seal her? Or don’t milk at all?
Leave her be?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

tellmeabit · 09-04-2021 11:51AM

Fought the 1st few calved drinking the cows due a week or 2 later, only kept feeding the cows pinch of meal and minerals. Did have a couple or beastigns bags ready. Used one as that cows isn't over milky. All seem fine now

Base price · 09-04-2021 01:10PM

I heard it announced online on Tuesday that there is a sale of 40 cross bred stabiliser sucklers in Carnaross Mart next Tuesday and all in calf to stabiliser bulls.

https://www.donedeal.ie/beefcattle-for-sale/carnaross-mart-suckler-sale/27752789

tellmeabit · 09-04-2021 04:40PM

Fiston bull. 292 days.
Calved herself

squinn2912 · 09-04-2021 08:27PM

Vet en route here

Dozer1 · 09-04-2021 08:35PM

Best of luck

charolais0153 · 09-04-2021 09:02PM

squinn2912 wrote: »

Vet en route here

My guess is a simmental bull calf

patsy_mccabe · 09-04-2021 09:33PM

tellmeabit wrote: »

Fiston bull. 292 days.
Calved herself

Is that picture from the calving camera? If so super quality.

tellmeabit · 09-04-2021 09:41PM

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Is that picture from the calving camera? If so super quality.

Ya, had to go with cheap ones this year as the wifi just stopped working on the expensive ones I had.
Cost €30 or so ..No ptz but does the job

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WS6Z7WB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glc_fabc_CRX4ZC9N4R800JJESF0H

tanko · 09-04-2021 09:45PM

charolais0153 wrote: »

My guess is a simmental bull calf

Lots of easy calved Sim bulls about, a Frosty King bull just after falling out of a cow here, up and sucking within half an hour.

tellmeabit · 09-04-2021 10:38PM

3 more due to the blues. 2 due this wknd bb5223,and one in a months time dep.
Then one in June, and 1 in Aug if she stays here.
The lady in the pic from front is quite big, even for her.

tellmeabit · 09-04-2021 10:38PM

squinn2912 wrote: »

Vet en route here

Hope went ok

Lady Haywire · 09-04-2021 10:57PM

tellmeabit wrote: »

3 more due to the blues. 2 due this wknd bb5223,and one in a months time dep.
Then one in June, and 1 in Aug if she stays here.
The lady in the pic from front is quite big, even for her.

Is that her standing in the back left of the fist on calf pic too? Thought she looked big.

Hope all OK squinn.

tellmeabit · 09-04-2021 11:04PM

Lady Haywire wrote: »

Is that her standing in the back left of the fist on calf pic too? Thought she looked big.

Hope all OK squinn.

ya thats her, herself and the far right in calf to bb5223, today is day 283.

SuperTeeJay · 09-04-2021 11:14PM

tellmeabit wrote: »

Fiston bull. 292 days.
Calved herself

Fiston is gone now isn't he?
Our Ai man cant get them anymore.

tellmeabit · 09-04-2021 11:18PM

SuperTeeJay wrote: »

Fiston is gone now isn't he?
Our Ai man cant get them anymore.

Is he really, I'm fierce happy with him, throws fine bulls and the 1 hefier I got off his I'm a real fab of.
I do have one bull this year better than the rest, something like 93% Ch that I could be tempted to keep.

Any alternatives to him?

charolais0153 · 10-04-2021 12:08AM

tanko wrote: »

Lots of easy calved Sim bulls about, a Frosty King bull just after falling out of a cow here, up and sucking within half an hour.

Not on heifers tho imo

squinn2912 · 10-04-2021 12:38AM

Thanks very much everyone for the messages. One section and I pointed out that the other girl would calve the night. Vet said he’d handle her. Twisted calf bed. He went away to see a dog and back. Upshot is two living bull calves and a very relieved SQ

One sim from a heifer the other is second calver that threw out a calf from same bull last year

SuperTeeJay · 10-04-2021 12:45AM

tellmeabit wrote: »

Is he really, I'm fierce happy with him, throws fine bulls and the 1 hefier I got off his I'm a real fab of.
I do have one bull this year better than the rest, something like 93% Ch that I could be tempted to keep.

Any alternatives to him?

Had a lot of great calves particularly to lims and salers but the best calf off him was from a parthenaise cow.Double muscled.Had a lovely heifer off an ozeus cow last week v musclly too but easy calved.Keeping 5 heifers off him to breed.

Using Mischief,Levi, Loki and Lapon instead now.Good consistent calves from Loki last few yrs.Only a few from the other bulls mentioned but they are shaping up well. Only a few months old so hard to tell yet.

tanko · 10-04-2021 01:01AM

charolais0153 wrote: »

Not on heifers tho imo

True, didn't realise he was talking about heifers.

john mayo 10 · 10-04-2021 09:17AM

SuperTeeJay wrote: »

Fiston is gone now isn't he?
Our Ai man cant get them anymore.

He still available with my AI man but a fiver extra so he's definitely getting short of straws. Great calves from him though

squinn2912 · 10-04-2021 10:32AM

Last year two of the sections on heifers were on an Angus and a shorthorn. They can get it hard with any bull

charolais0153 · 10-04-2021 11:16AM

squinn2912 wrote: »

Last year two of the sections on heifers were on an Angus and a shorthorn. They can get it hard with any bull

That's a given but a bull is only a third of the equation, management of the cow and the cow herself are as important as breed of bull

whelan2 · 10-04-2021 11:21AM

I lost my friesian bull last year. I bought a new one in June and put a few heifers with him. First 3 calved the other day nice small fr heifer calves. 3 more calved yesterday and last night big fr bulls was lucky with one at 4am. Head swollen when I got to it. I was just in time. Water in the ear and straw up the nose. 4 more of them to calve.

When's calving starting 2021

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