The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: sokel on November 18, 2013, 09:37:26 pm
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have been offered some Angus calves and wondered if anyone keeps them and if so what are they like as a breed ?
We are still at the do we don't we want more cattle but........
Only experience we have had with cattle is with the 2 Jerseys who have not really been any problem except for a couple of problems with the dogs but that's in the past.
these are all on the bucket although some are 9 weeks old and there is both heifers and bulls :-\
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Nice easy beef cattle. Shouldn't be too excitable, should be polled, should be fairly hardy. They'll return a lot more meat for your time and effort than the Jerseys! And if you want to sell them as stores, they'll sell at the Native Breeds sales at Hexham, generally the third Friday of each month.
I assume they're out of dairy cows? The calves will be better, and sell better, if the mothers are other-than-Holstein ;)
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Thanks for that Sally :thumbsup: Will double check what they are out of. They have told us this morning that they are entire Bull calves :-\ and heifers . The entire bull bit worries me :-\
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You can, and should, get them castrated. You can use burdizzos up to 3 months old, or the vet can do it with a scalpel at any age. If you haven't used burdizzos before, get someone to do it with you who knows how - it's sure and painless when done correctly. You need two of you anyway, one to hold the burdizzos and one to position the bullock's parts ;)
I'd say get them castrated whether you have all males or a mix. If you're rearing them to slaughter yourself I suppose you could keep them entire if they're all males if you really want to, but I wouldn't. And if you'll be selling them as stores, or having any females around too, then you definitely need them castrated.
Be aware that some females of dairy breeding can become sexually active at 7 months onwards... :o, so if you have both sexes then don't delay in getting the boys sorted out. ;)
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Why not ask for them to be done before you have them? Definitely dont have entires.
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Thanks , I am defiantly thinking they need to be done.I have never used a Burdizzos and wouldn't know where to start so wont even go there ::) They also have Jersey Bull calves but TBH I wouldn't touch an entire jersey Bull with a barge pole !
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The only downside with getting the seller to do them is that doing it very young with burdizzos can be rather difficult, everything is very small. If you are pre-ordering you can ask them to ring, as you would with lambs, within the first few days of life. BH reckons they never grow as well if they're castrated very young, so we tend to do ours at 8-10 weeks or thereabouts, but the odd animal we have done very young has grown on absolutely fine as far as I can see ;)
If you do end up with entire bull calves, you will need a crush or similar in order to restrain them for castrating. One person needs to be able to get in beside the calf, restrain it against the side of the crush and hold the testicle and cords correctly for the other person who is wielding the burdizzos. Then swap sides to do the other testicle. It takes a great deal of strength to close the burdizzos, especially once the animal is more than about a month old.
If the seller has a problem with castrating them for you, then I'd check with your vet how much they'd charge, and whether your facilities would be acceptable to them. Otherwise there is BH's cousin in Sparty Lea ;), but you know what it's like with farmers, it's getting them when you need them ::) - otherwise I'd have offered that we could come and help, but with winter coming, I'd hate for you to get stuck with them because we couldn't get to you at the right time...
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my friend bred AA and he got the vet to cut them when they were bigger than young calves (not sure what age).
so its common practise to let them grow on. they will sell well.
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When I've used Burdizzos it has been on calves about 8 weeks ... doesn't need crush but does need 2 people .........sit calf on bum same as for foot trimming sheep one person holds ..... other person holds back legs still and appart by roping and standing on rope.. whilst using burdizzo. .... if that makes any sense.
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Linda, even BH can't tip up one of our calves at 2 months old! :o But the calf-on-bum technique has been used by him and me on younger individuals - around 4 weeks-ish.
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Yes these were dairy ones so much smaller and lighter!
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Male Jersey calves are worth nothing (suprised he even kept any to find homes for) ...... castrated they would grow meat for the freezer ... might be worth offering him afew £ for these ....... shame you not near here might have had a couple myself. (if he has Jerseys the Angus are prob Jersey cross Angus ..... we used to cross our Jersey's to Angus bulls ... make good small beef animals)
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They do rear the jersey bulls themselves as rose veal just like we have done this time.
I have spoken to them and they have both Jerseys and angus x Jerseys out of the Jerseys,
They can not castrate them before they leave :-\ they say that until they become sexually mature they do not show signs of aggression and as we do them as rose veal they will be gone long before then.
They are asking £5 each for the jersey bulls and £20 for the Angus x jerseys bulls and heifers
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Hi if i was you i would go for them looking at carlisle mart website your prices are good. good luck
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I am very tempted, As we only do to the rose veal stage or there abouts as we don't have the facilities to house large cattle over winter would the angus/Jersey cross bring much more meat than the pure Jerseys ?
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entire bulls will grow much quicker than castrated. they will do you no harm at the ages you are talking about.
you will get a better yield from angus cross calves. couldnt tell you the figures, but we had jerseys, jersey cross alsorts thrrough he butchery.
you dont gt alot for 20 quid these days so you cant complain at that price.
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Well we have decided to go for some of them after the jerseys go . Just need this snow too go
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Been over this morning too take a look at them and we will be collecting 4 on Monday morning
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:thumbsup:
We shall await pictures impatiently! :excited:
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After something came up today we are now collecting tomorrow :thumbsup:
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Well they are here ::) It has reminded me how small the Jerseys where at this age and how crazy they go when they see the bottle ::)
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Glad they arrived ok. It sounds like they must've settled in quick enough to demand food :D
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They have settled straight in , Just been out too feed again and they went mad for it ::)