How's the calving going over there in the UK?

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Tue May 23, 2006 12:38 pm

Are you getting the heifers you want? Or is it lot's of future meat for the freezer this year?

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Tue May 23, 2006 3:52 pm

Four bulls out of four for me this year, all sired by a bull I have sold so no more heifers from him then, I did get one last year out of two.

Duncan

Sue E · Post by **Sue E** » Tue May 23, 2006 5:11 pm

I have got the heifer I wanted, short legged,out of a lovely quiet cow so am delighted. The other one to calve produced a bull calf so he will end up in the freezer which will keep the rest of my family happy. As its my first year actually calving some of my own I am just pleased everything went ok. Probably won't be quite so easy next year when some of my heifers will be calving!

Post by **Mark Bowles** » Tue May 23, 2006 9:28 pm

Just 2 more to go this batch until another 5 or 6 in Aug/Sept
So far 13 calves 3 bulls 10 heifers, all long bulls, 5 short 5 long heifers, some shorts from the cows i wanted so everything is sweet! No calving problems at all, including first timers, but now that has been said, it could all change.
Plenty of heifers and cows to sell so if anyones interested give me a call.
Mark

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Wed May 24, 2006 8:45 am

Four out of five are heifers so it looks as if my bull is on his way out. I can use him this year as no relation to anything to get into calf.
May have two bulls for next year so the new one can be on this years calves and use my present bull on same cows again, depends on how much land is available and how many more heifers I need.
I hope everyone gets close to what they want, I wasn't bothered this year as what was born dictated what direction I went in, either buying in or breeding my own heifers. I am pleased that I am going to have some cows in my herd with my own prefix.

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Wed May 24, 2006 10:48 am

Most of you have done well. Looks like you're going to have a full freezer in a few years time Duncan. :D At least you got one heifer from the bull you sold. In hindsight, you could have kept you bull a year longer. But you wouldn't have expected all bulls.

Ten heifers out 13 calves is exceptional Mark. Now you know where all your statisical heifers went Duncan.

We got 6 heifers and 4 bull calves last Spring. Not bad going. This year's calving goes from the end of September until the third week of November. We also managed to get the sheep to all cycle together so lambing will run from the end of September until the middle of October. It'll be nice to have everything arriving at the same time instead of the calving season we had last time, which stretched out for four months.

Louisa Gidney · Post by **Louisa Gidney** » Wed May 24, 2006 7:48 pm

All bulls this year (4/4) so pleased have kept two of last year's heifers.

DENIS · Post by **DENIS** » Thu May 25, 2006 8:30 am

After two years of all heifers (5) all bulls this year including a set of twins, A good job I kept last years three heifers for breeding stock!!
D

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Thu May 25, 2006 3:39 pm

Well, I'm the odd man out here as I wanted bulls from my two cows. There isn't much market for heifers here but I can sell the meat OK. So far one heifer this year and one more calving to go. I have one steer for the freezer this year (sell half) and a steer for next year so I'm crossing my fingers the next calf will be a bull. I'm keeping the yearling heifer for a milk cow and can't decide what to do with this year's heifer but in the meantime I am halter training her.

Kathy :p

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 1:27 am

I've heard tell that a once calved heifer is very good eating Kathy. :;):

It would be interesting to know what precursors lead to a strong predominance of one sex in a breeding season. Then we could try and orchestrate the environment for the sex of calf that we were after.

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:57 pm

The second cow went and calved a heifer :p and a red one at that. Now I've got two to halter train.

Kathy