Started here today. Only brought her in from field yesterday. Heifer calf.
I’ll never tire of saying it, anyone using Ai on heifers should be putting proven easy calved Saler bulls on them if they want to avoid trouble at calving time, i’ve convinced a couple of neighbours to do this and they’ll never go back to putting Limousin bulls on heifers.
Interesting 👍🏿
I go limousine all the time with my heifers but my heifers would be around the 32/34 month mark and hitting for 750-800 kgs.
Once feeding is managed, never an issue calving. Obviously the odd exception to everything. Exercise is hugely important too
them heifers definitely don’t look over fat.
thanks only 3-4 days over their time
thanks - diet the same since they went into slats in mid Nov. Silage (think DMD ~ 72%). I usually put 8-9 into pen as room at back but feed space can only take ~ 7 so I usually keep the feed at their noses 24/7 to avoid a melee when a new bale opens! If it goes empty the kill each other when new bale appears
i would say that silage is too good for them in the 6-8 weeks pre calving
with a kg of oats it satisfies their energy requirements so you can get away with middling silage once its dry and clean
they are fine stock and should hopefully recover well
what do the oats do? Energy without fat is it?
yes thats it exactly
I feed hay from drying off, until calving throwing an odd bale of silage every now and then. I’m down to the last of mine calving. The calves come out easily but the slurry doesn’t.
I fully agree with woozie on the easy calving bulls and smaller cows. Everything I’ve ai’d so far this year has been with an eye on power and replacements because in general decent sized cows can’t be got and there’s far too much low set blue type cows around with big bums sickled legs and parsnip spins.
Which bulls did you use to try and breed replacements?
phoenix, loyal, Ricard, record, loyal, m sport, Pablo and relampago. There’s a few others but I’m trying to match traits with the cows I have. I’m going mainly lim as I have found they are the most consistent type cow , good mothers and less feet problems. It’ll be mainly charolais from here on in.
How is Msport? On my list to try next year
only one calf here off a blue x lm cow. A good square solid type calf that should go on well . He was a big enough calf but calved herself.
Got my AA6682 calf yesterday (288 days in the oven) took him until lunchtime today to stand..
Nice calf , what breed is the mother? Did she calve ok?
Mom is a Shorthorn out of a black limo. No had to get get the vet to take him... thought it was going to be a side door but thankfully not.
So synchronised the cows on the 13th June, first of them calved the 22nd March (ZAG bull) 282 days. Last of the batch that held (to the first service) calved this morning (another ZAG bull) 297 days.. I was starting to dispar of her as she looked to be thinking about since last Wednesday.
Now another week or so until the ones that repeated start...
You must like ZAG but surely there’s better bulls available now especially if you want to keep milk in your replacements.
I do like him as he is very easy calved (suits when you aren't around all the time) his calves are quite and they do well with me. Any of his heifers I would keep for replacements would be off cows / heifers that have dairy breeding back a generation or two so usually have lots of milk. I have tried Proper, Knell & few others and not just as happy with them. It's hard to know what to us for replacements.. thinking of trying a few Salers this year maybe as I like them as cows but find them hard to finish as bullocks.
had a good ch7503 Ricky bull calf yesterday. Bit of help. Fair lump of a calf
hapoy yesterday with this calf then I come down this morning come down to a calf hung on the barriers. 3months old. Calf came out to the passage way last night. And for some reason put his head between the rsj and the end of the barrier and choked out I was fuming. The joys of farming from the highs to the lows in a few hours
Lim x saler springer just calved herself to blue bull. Lovely little roan heifer.
Bull calf by Onedream P at 283 days. Second calf for the cow, around 60% charolais herself.
..
on Tuesday night, I Had a section on this 14month old heifer- the neighbours charolais bull bulled her unbeknownst to me when I was in Oz.
That is the outcome- bull calf.
Both in good form and bonded well tg.
Fine calf and she's a good size heifer for 14 months too.
What weight would she be ?
not sure on weight- prob 420ish kg.
I fed her well because the vet said to to prepare her for the section.
I’m just relieved both are ok.
@kollegeknight some calf, you minded both well. It's a good relief when you get it all to work out OK.
Is there any advantage in giving a calves for dairy nuts as opposed to a 16% blend?
Calcium in the Dairy Nuts might cause kidney stones in young bulls, if I remember right?
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