Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

morto isn’t that big an issue …regular foothbathing keeps it at bay …be a long way down list on things I’d be worried about

I get the impression a jersey/nz genetic breeder saw a tweet from a hol/fr breeder selling three calves by charolais/continental sires two weeks ago in a mart for over 500 a piece and rather than offer congratulations wrote a newspiece that dairy farmers should be like them with nz genetics selling calves for 200 a piece at home to dealers that are 200kg lighter at finish and wrapping up the article that they are helping the beef industry and beef finisher more than the hol/fr breeder selling on the open market through a mart.

Don't ICBF penalise or disregard the older suckler cows' stars. Didn't some letter writer on the IFJ moan about it.

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/news/letters/letter-re-star-ratings-for-older-cows-833498

If a cow is performing ie calves unassisted and rears a good calf, no feet or temperament issues then you’ll find that most will keep her. Why would you cull a good performing cow??? That said, only a small number will get to 15.

any suckler herd with an average 15 year old herd would be the extremest of the extremes. For the simple reason that majority of suckers don’t get that far due to all thr reasons associated with culling cows. I’d say that there wouldn’t even be many with an average age of 10.

Have a read of the calving 2025 thread and you’ll see it there.

As fine a dairy farm as you’d ever see. Strangle its up for sale. Wonder what kind of money it will make. In case the link doesn’t work, it’s 138.99 acres in Galway

Ah we have @whelan2 here backing up our system of quality stock and quality beef. In case a misogynistic thing is completely labelled on us.

There's an element of blocking replies on the other though in case they think the tide is undermining their foundation. That's not right either. If you say something, defend it. Let everyone else then decide on the discussion.

Do you also have to get a vet to certify him , adding to the cost

Ya like jasus just take it on the chin for once like 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️😒

has anyone a link to the tread- I got 385 euro for fr bull calves this week with 14 day old calves making 190

I’d be we’ll able to handle myself and rebutle all their claims

I presume when you posted first it was 200kgs LW not DW. Like for like in the system 50kgs DW is a lot. Generally off smaller cows those CH will probably weight 300issh at 24 months and 330 ish early summer at 28-30 months.

The CH off the HO cow unless really pushed will need to go to 32-36 months at finish. Ya they will kill in excess of 400 DW but they can struggle to grade unless over 400 DW.

The difference like for like will be 50kgs DW unless you got to 30+ months. Ya there will be a variation between cows and heifers and the HOXCH will be more even cattle.

I buy a goid few FRx type cattle both pure dairy and beef crosses. There is just a percentage tgat there is no point in trying to pump. They can have lower DLG's however 300 euro in the difference would require more than 100kgs DW to compensate. There will not be a significant difference in feed efficiency where the advantage for the HO cross is a higher DLG which can make a significant difference at grass. However indoors on silage only the FRx type cross will be handier fed.

Thhe real problem waste use of really easy calving bulls but alot farmers doing lighter type cows are changing tack to a higher merit beef bull. I would not consider using a CH to provide the beef cross to these cows tyes to produce a really low quality calf not capable of hitting a fairly decent weight

On the icbf figures the litres per cow on the monthly report is of all cows dry and milking, so if you're milking feck all cows in January and most of your cows are dry your litres per cow are very low. Should it not just be the yield of what's milking?

Youd want to educate yourself on beef from jersey herds iv sold my friesians for 20 euro to the same lads who always gave me 20 in bad times.The same men would always take blacks at 100 this year the all told me to sell the black blues herefords in mart as i looked after them on friesian anyway im getting 400 to 500 for my calves from dams with alot of jersey.The modern ebi friesian cow is a bad cow no better than good crossbreds

The article was about profitable dairy beef systems, not much to do with crossbreeding,

some lads let crossbreeding live rent free in their heads

The headline seems to have triggered a lot of people on twitter, most people seem not to have actually read the article.

Market for calves is flying at the minute, might not always be that way but definitely sellers market for the moment