Advertisement
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
https://www.boards.ie/group/1878-subscribers-forum

Private Group for paid up members of Boards.ie. Join the club.
Hi all, please see this major site announcement: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058427594/boards-ie-2026

Belgian blue sire on Charolais cows

  • 17-05-2012 10:51PM
    #1
    RobinBanks
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 988 ✭✭✭


    Hello all. I was thinking about giving a BB bull to two CH cows. These are the last two that calved and they are almost 2 months behind the rest of the herd in terms of calving date. I was going to give both Cows a CH bull but when I looked at my gestation figures I started thinking about blues. I usually only give blues to my LM cows but I was going to chance a blue this year to bring them in a bit. I have also put CIDR's them.

    My A.I man mentioned that they usually don't cross well. RYP is meant to do ok though. Just wondering has anyone gone down this road before.


Comments

  • #2
    Manoffeeling
    Closed Accounts Posts: 931 ✭✭✭Manoffeeling


    Would you be breeding very soft calves?


  • #3
    Bodacious
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,274 ✭✭✭Bodacious


    RobinBanks wrote: »
    Hello all. I was thinking about giving a BB bull to two CH cows. These are the last two that calved and they are almost 2 months behind the rest of the herd in terms of calving date. I was going to give both Cows a CH bull but when I looked at my gestation figures I started thinking about blues. I usually only give blues to my LM cows but I was going to chance a blue this year to bring them in a bit. I have also put CIDR's them.

    My A.I man mentioned that they usually don't cross well. RYP is meant to do ok though. Just wondering has anyone gone down this road before.

    hi robin,

    ch x bb is the ultimate cross, size,power and muscle! just be careful on the calving front


  • #4
    Bizzum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭Bizzum


    RobinBanks wrote: »
    My A.I man mentioned that they usually don't cross well. RYP is meant to do ok though. Just wondering has anyone gone down this road before.

    I wouldn't agree with your AI man here. I've crossed BB on several PB CH cows and I was never disappointed, indeed they bred great stock.
    The Ch cows popped them out too no bother. Go for it would be my advice!


  • #5
    porter shark
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 198 ✭✭porter shark


    i'm with the AI man and the way things are gone now unless you have a very good blue you're better off with anything else. you're not gonna gain two months anyway so stick with the ch


  • #6
    Bizzum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭Bizzum


    BB (Joker) X Charolais cow. Heifer twin to a bull. I dont see a whole lot wrong with her!


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    vanderbadger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,087 ✭✭✭vanderbadger


    tried it on a few cows last year, its very hit or miss i found, some of them very nice shpey blues and some were very plain


  • #8
    leg wax
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,296 ✭✭✭leg wax


    if you are going puting a blue on a cow it should be to get as much muscle as possible from the calf,so the weanling can go to italy,other wise use a bull that will work a lot better with her like ch,this is just my opinion and different chefs vary,i agree with vander on this one its to hit and miss


  • #9
    pakalasa
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,552 ✭✭✭pakalasa


    You really do need muscle on the cow side of things to consistently produce a good BB weanling. That's what I'm seeing anyway.


  • #10
    Bizzum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭Bizzum


    vanderbadger wrote: »
    tried it on a few cows last year, its very hit or miss i found, some of them very nice shpey blues and some were very plain
    leg wax wrote: »
    if you are going puting a blue on a cow it should be to get as much muscle as possible from the calf,so the weanling can go to italy,other wise use a bull that will work a lot better with her like ch,this is just my opinion and different chefs vary,i agree with vander on this one its to hit and miss
    pakalasa wrote: »
    You really do need muscle on the cow side of things to consistently produce a good BB weanling. That's what I'm seeing anyway.

    I would tend to agree with all here. But I don't think the fault of inconsistancy is due to the Charolais cow. I've seen BBx hit and miss across many breeds. Too many lads try BB and think they will produce the goods from plain cows all the time.
    I still think BB x CH is a very good cross. I don't see any reason why a good Ch cow would not breed a top class Blue.


  • #11
    RobinBanks
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 988 ✭✭✭RobinBanks


    Thanks for comments lads. When I get home I will post a pic of both cows. One is all muscle the other is plain.

    On the bull. I usually use progressive genetics and dovea but I came across a bull called botherhead cian standing in bova. He looks more like a CH bull. I think he would suit a CH more than other blue bulls. Looks heavy in the bone although not heavily muscled. This is where the hybrid vigour kicks in I think. Have a look at him.


  • Advertisement
  • #12
    pakalasa
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,552 ✭✭✭pakalasa


    RobinBanks wrote: »
    ...I came across a bull called botherhead cian standing in bova.......
    Nice looking bull. By Tintin De My so probably easy calving. ICBF figures back that up too.

    http://www.bova-ai.com/

    http://www.icbf.com/taurus/bull_search/index.php?search_type=num&search=bzc


Advertisement
Advertisement