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When's calving starting 2021

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    #752
    Sami23
    Registered Users Posts: 2,180 ✭✭✭Sami23


    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.


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    #753
    50HX
    Registered Users Posts: 1,691 ✭✭✭50HX


    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:(


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    #754
    FeelTheBern
    Registered Users Posts: 435 ✭✭FeelTheBern


    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.


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    #755
    squinn2912
    Registered Users Posts: 4,694 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    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


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    #756
    Seanhorse91
    Registered Users Posts: 181 ✭✭Seanhorse91


    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


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    #757
    tellmeabit
    Registered Users Posts: 947 ✭✭✭tellmeabit


    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


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    #758
    funkey_monkey
    Registered Users Posts: 8,090 ✭✭✭funkey_monkey


    squinn2912 wrote: »
    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

    They have been described as a bank managers breed and not a show breed. Some people just look at the size of the arse and base their decision on that.
    We take ours to the mart as weanlings mostly. We do fair enough considering we're not pumping in the meal that the those getting the big money are doing. They need the big prices to justify their inputs. Good cattle are good cattle regardless of the breed.
    There will always be people who are dyed in the wool Ch, Lim, Angus - or even Stabiliser fans - in the same way that there are those who are Massey, New Holland or JD fanatics.
    They have their place and we're happy with them so far and they suit our system.
    I have read about some in the UK running ST bulls on their 1st & 2nd calvers, but putting the 3rd calvers onto CH. I can't remember the figures as to the difference in price between the CH & ST though.


    Edit:
    Article here:https://stabiliser.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2020-Final-Newsletter.pdf
    Page 13 Charolais used as a terminal sire on Stabiliser cows
    The Charolais cross steers and heifers on one lorry averaged 330kg and on the other lorry the Stabiliser steers also averaged 330kg. They were all bought by the same buyer. The Stabiliser steers made 14p a kilo less than the Charolais crosses but that is a small price the pay to secure an efficient, low cost and easy to manage herd of cows.


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    #759
    Base price
    Registered Users Posts: 11,164 ✭✭✭✭Base price


    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


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    #760
    tellmeabit
    Registered Users Posts: 947 ✭✭✭tellmeabit


    Fiston bull. 292 days.
    Calved herself


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    #761
    squinn2912
    Registered Users Posts: 4,694 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    Vet en route here


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    #762
    Dozer1
    Registered Users Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭Dozer1


    Best of luck


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    #763
    charolais0153
    Registered Users Posts: 6,225 ✭✭✭charolais0153


    squinn2912 wrote: »
    Vet en route here

    My guess is a simmental bull calf


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    #764
    patsy_mccabe
    Registered Users Posts: 10,702 ✭✭✭✭patsy_mccabe


    tellmeabit wrote: »
    Fiston bull. 292 days.
    Calved herself

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

    'When I was a boy we were serfs, slave minded. Anyone who came along and lifted us out of that belittling, I looked on them as Gods.' - Dan Breen



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    #765
    tellmeabit
    Registered Users Posts: 947 ✭✭✭tellmeabit


    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


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    #766
    tanko
    Registered Users Posts: 9,222 ✭✭✭tanko


    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.


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    #767
    tellmeabit
    Registered Users Posts: 947 ✭✭✭tellmeabit


    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.


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    #768
    tellmeabit
    Registered Users Posts: 947 ✭✭✭tellmeabit


    squinn2912 wrote: »
    Vet en route here

    Hope went ok


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    #769
    Lady Haywire
    Registered Users Posts: 5,181 ✭✭✭Lady Haywire


    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.


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    #770
    tellmeabit
    Registered Users Posts: 947 ✭✭✭tellmeabit


    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.


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    #771
    SuperTeeJay
    Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭SuperTeeJay


    tellmeabit wrote: »
    Fiston bull. 292 days.
    Calved herself

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


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    #772
    tellmeabit
    Registered Users Posts: 947 ✭✭✭tellmeabit


    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?


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    #773
    charolais0153
    Registered Users Posts: 6,225 ✭✭✭charolais0153


    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


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    #774
    squinn2912
    Registered Users Posts: 4,694 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    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


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    #775
    SuperTeeJay
    Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭SuperTeeJay


    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.


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    #776
    tanko
    Registered Users Posts: 9,222 ✭✭✭tanko


    charolais0153 wrote: »
    Not on heifers tho imo

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


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    #777
    john mayo 10
    Registered Users Posts: 956 ✭✭✭john mayo 10


    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


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    #778
    squinn2912
    Registered Users Posts: 4,694 ✭✭✭squinn2912


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


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    #779
    charolais0153
    Registered Users Posts: 6,225 ✭✭✭charolais0153


    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


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    #780
    whelan2
    Registered Users Posts: 29,151 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    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.


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    #781
    squinn2912
    Registered Users Posts: 4,694 ✭✭✭squinn2912


    charolais0153 wrote: »
    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

    So by your own logic you were dismissing two thirds of the equation by blaming the bull or the breed of bull. This boy is looking slightly hard for me so far but we’re only 3 calves in. 2 assisted calvings and a section. All living calves up within 30 mins. 3 more heifers to calve to him


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