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Author Topic: Angus cattle anyone keep them  (Read 7151 times)

sokel

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • S W northumberland
Angus cattle anyone keep them
« on: November 18, 2013, 09:37:26 pm »
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  :-\
Graham

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Angus cattle anyone keep them
« Reply #1 on: November 19, 2013, 10:04:21 am »
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 ;)

Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

sokel

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • S W northumberland
Re: Angus cattle anyone keep them
« Reply #2 on: November 19, 2013, 11:58:43 am »
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  :-\
Graham

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Angus cattle anyone keep them
« Reply #3 on: November 19, 2013, 12:27:38 pm »
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. ;)
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Backinwellies

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  • Joined Sep 2012
  • Llandeilo Carmarthenshire
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Re: Angus cattle anyone keep them
« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2013, 12:32:59 pm »
Why not ask for them to be done before you have them?  Definitely dont have entires.
Linda

Don't wrestle with pigs, they will love it and you will just get all muddy.

Let go of who you are and become who you are meant to be.

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sokel

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • S W northumberland
Re: Angus cattle anyone keep them
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2013, 12:52:35 pm »
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 !
Graham

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Angus cattle anyone keep them
« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2013, 01:03:12 pm »
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...
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: Angus cattle anyone keep them
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2013, 02:39:26 pm »
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.

Backinwellies

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Re: Angus cattle anyone keep them
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2013, 04:20:27 pm »
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.
Linda

Don't wrestle with pigs, they will love it and you will just get all muddy.

Let go of who you are and become who you are meant to be.

http://nantygroes.blogspot.co.uk/
www.nantygroes.co.uk
Nantygroes  facebook page

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Angus cattle anyone keep them
« Reply #9 on: November 19, 2013, 05:17:02 pm »
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.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Backinwellies

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  • Joined Sep 2012
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Re: Angus cattle anyone keep them
« Reply #10 on: November 20, 2013, 08:23:51 am »
Yes these were dairy ones so much smaller and lighter!
Linda

Don't wrestle with pigs, they will love it and you will just get all muddy.

Let go of who you are and become who you are meant to be.

http://nantygroes.blogspot.co.uk/
www.nantygroes.co.uk
Nantygroes  facebook page

Backinwellies

  • Global Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2012
  • Llandeilo Carmarthenshire
    • Nantygroes
    • Facebook
Re: Angus cattle anyone keep them
« Reply #11 on: November 20, 2013, 08:29:48 am »
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)
Linda

Don't wrestle with pigs, they will love it and you will just get all muddy.

Let go of who you are and become who you are meant to be.

http://nantygroes.blogspot.co.uk/
www.nantygroes.co.uk
Nantygroes  facebook page

sokel

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • S W northumberland
Re: Angus cattle anyone keep them
« Reply #12 on: November 20, 2013, 07:16:36 pm »
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 
« Last Edit: November 20, 2013, 07:20:16 pm by sokel »
Graham

jacoblambuk

  • Joined Oct 2012
Re: Angus cattle anyone keep them
« Reply #13 on: November 20, 2013, 07:37:51 pm »
Hi if i was you i would go for them looking at carlisle mart website your prices are good. good luck

sokel

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • S W northumberland
Re: Angus cattle anyone keep them
« Reply #14 on: November 20, 2013, 07:43:51 pm »
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 ?
Graham

 

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