Angus/Holestien cross calves questions

[hyp7]

Hello I have a chance to buy some bucket calves my choices are strait holestien for $10 to $20 per head or angus/holestein cross for around $80 bucks a head. Are any of these worth messing with to possibly feed out. And to teach the kids a little about farming?
Please give me your thoughts.
Thanks

 

[Loch Valley Fold]

Here are a few questions for you
Are they bulls or heifers?
What are you long term plans for the calves ?
are you going to resell or keep for yourself?,
If keeping do you plan on having a house cow or do you want to raise a few commercial calves?
What are the pricces like in your area for Holstein steers?
If you buy the pure Holstein calves are you able to resell them as Springers back to a dairy farm?
If you buy the Angus cross can you sell them for a commercial herd
Now if it were me buying those calves I woulld lean towards buying the Angus cross calves rather than the Holsteins if they are steers the Angus x should sell better through the sale yards than straight Holsteins & reach a finished weight quicker. If they are heifers than again I would still go with the Angus x it will give you a 3/4 cross beef calf when bred back to a beef bull & the cow should still have enought milk to raise her calf +1 or 2 more calves (the Angus x that we have do)

 

[dun]

The cross calves are the better deal of the two.

 

[Onthebit]

The cross calves are the better deal of the two.

On the assumption that they are bull calves.

 

[dun]

The cross calves are the better deal of the two.

On the assumption that they are bull calves.

Or heifers. No one is going to sell a Holstein heifer for 20 bucks.

 

[KNERSIE]

If you can get a few angusXholstein heifers, they make outstanding nurse cows and if your grazing is good they are calf raising machines especially if you use a terminal bull on them.

 

[Caustic Burno]

If you can get a few angusXholstein heifers, they make outstanding nurse cows and if your grazing is good they are calf raising machines especially if you use a terminal bull on them.

Knersie and Dun are both dead on as this is a good cross as good as the Tigers IMO just not in this enviroment

 

[milkmaid]

I've got an angus/Hol cross cow on her first lactation that's giving 4-5 gallons/day on just hay - and this is at 7 months since calving. I've seen good ones and bad ones; they can be pretty nice cows depending on their genetics. If they're out of good milking genetics on the Holstein side you can end up with a really nice cow. Most of the ones I've seen have a bit of an attitude from the Angus side, but it's tolerable.

The bull calves turn out real nice when they go in the freezer. I'm pretty fond of the crossbreds.

 

[Stocker Steve]

The cross calves are the better deal of the two.

My Grandfather used to raise quite a few. The body type was very variable but they were always black!

 

[Stocker Steve]

I purchased a bunch of black baldy heifer calves. A couple just never filled out like the straight beef heifers. Obviously they have some Holstein in the woodpile.

Are framy - lower capacity - heifers going to struggle to raise a calf on grass?

 

[KNERSIE]

Are framy - lower capacity - heifers going to struggle to raise a calf on grass?

Generally, yes, they are going to lose more condition doing so, BUT it also depends on the quality and quantity of the grass. If there is enough good quality grass they'll be fine and raise great calves, but they don't want any hardships along the way.

 

[mnmtranching]

Holstein heifers won't sell for $20 unless their non breeders. And Day old Holstein bulls have no value [up here]
The Holstein/Angus cross is better. I would not in anyway use dairy cross cows in a commercial herd, nothing but trouble. Milk them or put an extra calf or two on them would be OK.

Some of the problems, Poor fleshing and rebreeding, bad udders, poor feed conversion, and buyers will spot the dairy every time in their calves. Takes a few generations to breed the dairy out.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I would not in anyway use dairy cross cows in a commercial herd, nothing but trouble.

I agree.

What ever happened to "Hay's Converters" - - the Canadian attempt to develop a heavy milking beef/dairy cross?

 

[dun]

Years ago we started a herd with all F1 Hereford Holstein and Angus Holstein. We had irrigated pasture but never had a problem with too much milk. Then I used a Gert bull and out of those F1 cows every heifer had way way too much milk

 

[Stocker Steve]

Years ago we started a herd with all F1 Hereford Holstein and Angus Holstein. We had irrigated pasture but never had a problem with too much milk. Then I used a Gert bull and out of those F1 cows every heifer had way way too much milk

Do most Gert' milk that heavy or do you think this was just a bad cross?

 

[dun]

Years ago we started a herd with all F1 Hereford Holstein and Angus Holstein. We had irrigated pasture but never had a problem with too much milk. Then I used a Gert bull and out of those F1 cows every heifer had way way too much milk

Do most Gert' milk that heavy or do you think this was just a bad cross?

None of the live cover Gert bulls we used on the canyon cows had the same effect. Of course they also werent; on irrigated pasture just dry range land. I think it was just that particular bull that really nicked with that bunch of cows. I've looked and can;t find any of my old references on him so his EBVs may have been skyhigh for milk

 

[MoGal]

A few years ago, I would have said, "Nooooooooo, I don't want holstein in a beef herd.... but marriage has a way of changing things....... hubby likes holsteins and we have 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2 holstein in many of our cows and heifers. Last year we had 2 holstein x galloway heifers, this year we'll have 2 holstein x red poll calves. Hubby has a black bull out of his favorite cow, "Pet" and this bull is 3/4 angus, 1/4 holstein. He doesn't want to sell him and I just figure those heifers we keep will eventually be crossed to a continental bull because as we all know holsteins have no butt.

We have some angus/holstein x red poll calves this year that are nice. I'm well pleased with them so far (they were born in late Nov./early Dec so its too early to say for sure but I imagine we shall keep them)

Get the crossbred calves. You need to be a grain farmer or own the feedstore if you're gonna have straight holstein (if you intend to feed them up to their full potential).