BB on Fresian

6600

6600

Well-Known Member
Opinions on BB bull on Fresian cows. Anybody doing this? Calves would be worth a nice bit.
 
Progressive Genetics are doing a big push on this at the minute.
Will it be a case of everyone running the one way and the blue calf not achieving the premium it receives at the minute?
 
6600 said:
Opinions on BB bull on Fresian cows. Anybody doing this? Calves would be worth a nice bit.
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I do a bit of milking for a cousin, he's got big framed Holstein with a lot of British friesian in them too. Id consider them quite broad in the hip. He had 3 or 4 BBx calves from them during the spring, nice calves serious growth in the few weeks they were there. He did say they were tight enough to get out and wouldn't have wanted them any bigger.
 
Go Angus.
Lads are going mad for them this way.
And take less finishing than a BBx
 
I’ve seen a fair few BBx calves from British friesians they make lovely calves but make sure he’s an easy calving bull once he’s easy calving you should have no problems I’m not sure how a Holstein would do I suppose if she has good power and wide framed you’ll be grand.now Ive seen prices for bull calves go anywhere from 300-500 the only thing I’ll say is you won’t get great muscle but I suppose you know that
 
AYF said:
Go Angus.
Lads are going mad for them this way.
And take less finishing than a BBx
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Ah no its bigger calves I want!. Have Aubracs at the mo getting on very well, mostly R grade, just thinking the BB would be worth good money as calves if we had to sell a few..
 
6600 said:
Ah no its bigger calves I want!. Have Aubracs at the mo getting on very well, mostly R grade, just thinking the BB would be worth good money as calves if we had to sell a few..
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Don't know about over the pond. But AAx anything with a names sire on the passport is making as much ££ as good Charolais cattle in the ring here.
 
drew said:
Gone the exact opposite here, arse seems to be falling out of the aaxfr calves trade
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and it will be worse now that teagasc are advising the jersey x lads to breed angus , i use bb ai bulls here on my bigger older cows and i don,t get any problems , might have to jack some of them more to spare the cow than anything but i,ve never had a caesarian with a blue, pick the right cow and a middle of the road bull and its fine, your ai man will advise you on the bulls to use
 
AYF said:
Don't know about over the pond. But AAx anything with a names sire on the passport is making as much ££ as good Charolais cattle in the ring here.
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Charolais are about the only thing worth having in my area. Any charolais gets a good price. A smashing Belgian blue gets the highest money of the lot but anything average or out of a friesian gets friesian money
 
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6600 said:
Opinions on BB bull on Fresian cows. Anybody doing this? Calves would be worth a nice bit.
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What about gestation length? Aren't BB's one of the longer ones?

I think in your case, they'd work fine as your cows are not severe HO, wouldn't advise it for those.

A close relation has a few Blues each year :yes:

We'd find them harder to finish though so bare that in mind. Bit of age is no harm. Plus the documented feet problem.

LM be a better bet?
 
nashmach said:
What about gestation length? Aren't BB's one of the longer ones?

I think in your case, they'd work fine as your cows are not severe HO, wouldn't advise it for those.

A close relation has a few Blues each year :yes:

We'd find them harder to finish though so bare that in mind. Bit of age is no harm. Plus the documented feet problem.

LM be a better bet?
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last 2 sentences been in my head since this thread started, the feet..:tdown:, a good LMX is what I'd prefer with a bit of shape.
 
jcb411abuser said:
Well if it's a bull you're using probably LIM is the safest for easy calving would it not be?
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The gestation is long and the calves wouldn't be a big advance on the Aubracs which are grand cattle. The BB is around 282 days which is is similar to AA.
 
6600 said:
The gestation is long and the calves wouldn't be a big advance on the Aubracs which are grand cattle. The BB is around 282 days which is is similar to AA.
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Yea but you'll really have no clue as to the average calving difficulty with a BB stock bull. Plus the bull would be more prone to going off his feet which is more important seeing as you need him to serve cows
 
6600 said:
The gestation is long and the calves wouldn't be a big advance on the Aubracs which are grand cattle. The BB is around 282 days which is is similar to AA.
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I know a a breeder who was putting a lot of work into breeding shorter gestation Lim bulls. Even if the Aubrac is physically as good as the Lim the Lim will sell better in the mart as buyers are not overly keen on Aubracs.
 
AYF said:
Don't know about over the pond. But AAx anything with a names sire on the passport is making as much ££ as good Charolais cattle in the ring here.
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Passports here don't have the bull's details on - name, ai code, tag number - nothing. Very frustrating really as there's more chance of accidentally inbreeding on the bull's side than on the cow's side of the job.
 
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Bogtrotter said:
Passports here don't have the bull's details on - name, ai code, tag number - nothing. Very frustrating really as there's more chance of accidentally inbreeding on the bull's side than on the cow's side of the job.
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Ahh.
There's a bonus on Angus from one slaughter house. As long as theres a name for the bull on the pasport.
 
AYF said:
Ahh.
There's a bonus on Angus from one slaughter house. As long as theres a name for the bull on the pasport.
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Is there a list of qualifying named bulls or is it any pedigree Angus?
 
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