The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: crimson on October 18, 2014, 11:04:13 pm
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Talking specially about breeds, which is best for you?
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Shetlands for all the reasons we've outlined before on here. Small, docile, milky, easy calving, good mothers, superb beef, thrifty. And we get to support a Scottish rare breed which is important to us.
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If I had my dream? Belted Galloways :love:
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Our commercial beef herd is made up of Angus x Friesian, Hereford x Friesian, Blue Greys (Galloway x Whitebred Shorthorn), British Blue x Friesian and next crosses (to Angus, Hereford and Red Devon) from those. Our homebred Jersey crosses will join the others when they are old enough.
The 1/2 or 1/4 dairy cow component gives plenty of milk and cows with good-sized pelvises, so we find this works for us better than pure beef cows.
The Blue Greys are on the moorland-type ground, wintered outdoors, with minimal input - just mineral licks and a scattering of hay in winter. The others are on upland rough pasture and most are wintered indoors on silage. A few will be wintered out each year on sheltered rough pasture with licks and silage.
Our own bull is an Angus, a very hardy type one, and we also use AI, usually British Blue, Hereford or Red Devon depending on the cow.
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Traditional type Dexter have great milking ability and a wide pelvis. They give a lot to the calf in vitro and my AAbsired calfs this year came out huge and both calved alone.
Trying to get some good Dexter x Black Galloway heifers out of them next year, the Dexter should improve the milking quality of the Galloway but I will be able to put something bigger to them more comfortably, maybe Hereford of bigger AA.
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When I was at college I remember a lecturer always saying:
'Big cow...big feed bill'. You could further that thought on to big dung heap, larger area per cow needed etc.
And I have to say that the lecturers comment has always stayed with me when making a decision or thought regarding something.
As a townie I was always open to other breeds. A lot of the guys (who were sons of farmers) always based any project on the breed that they had at home (fair enough). For projects I always looked at native breeds e.g. Blue Greys & Luings. Native breeds are (as has been mentioned already) hardy, good mothers, cows are generally milky animals, easy calvers, can live outdoors in winter, etc.
I do have a love for Longhorns and I would love a small herd although probably not your typical suckler cow.
And I'm also with Devonlady on the belties.
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I adore my shetlands, especially my house cow, who shares her delicious milk with us and her calf. im very proud of her and love the way she calls to us whenever she hears the backdoor open. :D we will kill the first calf next yr as he approaches 3 :-\.
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I adore my shetlands, especially my house cow, who shares her delicious milk with us and her calf. im very proud of her and love the way she calls to us whenever she hears the backdoor open. :D we will kill the first calf next yr as he approaches 3 :-\ .
Mind the 30 month rule. I think it still applies.
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They uped it to 36m, you can go over though- you just can't have it back on the bone.
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Up here (Scotland) you can slaughter up to 72 months, but anything over 30 months is boned out at the abattoir.
Sue
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I will have to send him sooner as I forgot about the 30 mth rule. im really wanting his skin back so will have to hurry up and work out how to do it. :thumbsup: id like his horns back too, has anyone managed to get them back?
we will be using the inverurie abattoir.
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Up here (Scotland) you can slaughter up to 72 months, but anything over 30 months is boned out at the abattoir.
Sue
At increase cost, I guess?
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Hereford X Jersey? Should be really docile.
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Yes quite an increase cost - Millers of Speyside charge 40p/kg boning out - adds quite a bit to the processing costs. Rhinds of Elgin won't even quote for private kills of OTMs.
It's much better to get it done by 30 months.
Sue
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our best suckler cow is actually a pedigree Charolais, she will be coming 11 this year an has always threw use an amazing heifer calve (every year without fail) alot of our herd actually found from that one cow. and she always has more than enough to raise her calves..and the market go mad for charolais or charolais crosses so its win win for us