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[lithuanian farmer]

Boy, I wish I had the diverse market here that you have as I like some of those DM breeds. I think the BB are a bit more than I would want, but I liked that "lookout" young char bull picture and like both the limi bulls. If it's not black here, you can just about "can it" because you are going to take a hit. I want more butt on my calves instead of these straight slab sided ones that are becoming the norm.
Even silver up in BC has some real nice heifers and not a black on in the last posted pictures.

Not everybody likes double muscled breeds here too, but there are some places where you can sell such animals. I was quite worried about calving bbx calves, but so far it seems to work well. I personally like abit more shape on an animal even if it's a heifer. As long as they are good size, proper bull selection and not too fat,they shouldn't have more problem with calving than plainer heifers.
I've seen many examples of people raising double muscled cattle without trouble, so I'd want to reach their animals quality with time. The highest kill out and better muscularity, the better you'll be paid for an animal. No matter the colour, thankfully. That's just how it's here now.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Have ordered some straws of one Limousine bull. Another had only sexed straws for bull calves and for way bigger price than I'd like. The bull we will use has very good old French genetics with good maternal characteristics, the history of excellent daughters from the sire and grandsire.
Will use this one on the pure heifer and most our limox heifers, maybe a couple young cows.
http://www.evolution-int.com/en/bull/34/FR1211177873/alt

His sire:
http://www.trouverlebontaureau.com/nos-taureaux/taureau_FR3615069746
Maternal grandsire:
http://www.trouverlebontaureau.com/nos-taureaux/taureau_FR2396032213

Will start to AI heifers around May-June.

 

[frieghttrain]

Have ordered some straws of one Limousine bull. Another had only sexed straws for bull calves and for way bigger price than I'd like. The bull we will use has very good old French genetics with good maternal characteristics, the history of excellent daughters from the sire and grandsire.
Will use this one on the pure heifer and most our limox heifers, maybe a couple young cows.
http://www.evolution-int.com/en/bull/34/FR1211177873/alt

His sire:
http://www.trouverlebontaureau.com/nos-taureaux/taureau_FR3615069746
Maternal grandsire:
http://www.trouverlebontaureau.com/nos-taureaux/taureau_FR2396032213

Will start to AI heifers around May-June.

Looks good! I still have semen on some of the original french bulls shipped over here way back when.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Looks good! I still have semen on some of the original french bulls shipped over here way back when.

Our new bull is full french limousine too.Have used some french AI bulls before and liked them alot.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Decided to add one more bull to the whole bunch... For the colour, and not just it... We planed about using Shorthorn bull many years ago, but it wasn't meant to be and our car had broken in the road on our way to one farm to look for the bull...
So probably going to add a Shorthorn bull to the tank. He seems pretty good to use for heifers to add some colour and probably some milk. Nothing much, just maybe 5 or so calves would be planned from him.

http://www.db.cschms.cz/english/index.php?page=resdet&pk=001000672282032

So this year calves crop from: Limousine, BB, Charolais, Blonde, Red Angus, Piedmontese, INRA95, and maybe Simmental by the end of the year.
Plan for the next year crop: Limousine, Charolais, BB, Blonde, Piedmontese, Shorthorn. Maybe Simmental, if our vet will have something worth my attention, as he has finished all straws of the one I was interested in...

Made friends with one AI company and have talked about what other breeds I'd like to try. The director is as curious person as I am, and he wants to try something new too. He might be able to bring some straws of the ones I like in the future. The ones I'd like to try out are Parthenaise(missed our chance last year...), Maine Anjou, Culard Charolais, Verbeterd Roodbont, Bazadaise. Would like to get more straws of INRA95... So our commercial herd might get even more colourful in the future...

 

[frieghttrain]

Man o man that's alot of different breeds! Shorthorn should add some milk and definitely color.. I do get the wanting to experiment with other breeds but aren't you giving up consistency? In any case it will be very fun to see the calves

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Man o man that's alot of different breeds! Shorthorn should add some milk and definitely color.. I do get the wanting to experiment with other breeds but aren't you giving up consistency? In any case it will be very fun to see the calves

Our herd isn't consistent now too.Have 6 different beef breeds and even when we let a pure bull in the herd calves are very different... With different bulls I choose which one will be the best to use on which cow to increase the quality (except with angus and probably shorthorn, but they sure can look impressive when crossed well), know which cow needs a more muscled bull to put on more meat, some needs just a good looking one and I believe that most of the calves will be quite similar in quality even if sired by different breeds. My main goal with AI is to get some very good heifers for building the herd and replacing their mothers. There sure will be a couple different types of calves, but as long as they grade well, have high kill-out% and grow well, it doesn't really matter to me if one will be light boned and another will look like a hippo. Have been watching how other farmers have several breeds in their herds and calves don't look that different from each other. It'l be just our commercial herd to test out new breeds, to look what we like the most. Only 14years in the cattle business, so still haven't decided what we like the most. Some of the breeds I use won't bring up the quality as a calf for terminal use, but I see that cross to be working well for making an excellent cow, which could have some very good calves. So such breeds as Angus, Shorthorn and even Simmental I use in hope to get as many heifers as possible. I know they won't compare with BBx in some traits, but they make great cows, on which I'll be able to use more muscled bulls. So in general, what I want to build is two types of cows. One is more muscled(Blonde, Charolais, Piedmontese, BB, Limousine), to produce some show quality calves, but using safer bulls. And the second is abit plainer type cows( Angus, Simmental, Limousine,Shorthorn), which could calve more extreme calves, would be a source for producing replacements for the first type cows.
I knew that somebody will mention consistency... Not sure how everything will look in the future, but I have my own vision of what I'd like to see after ~10 years and hopefully it'll work out.
I hope I've answered your question...

 

[frieghttrain]

Man o man that's alot of different breeds! Shorthorn should add some milk and definitely color.. I do get the wanting to experiment with other breeds but aren't you giving up consistency? In any case it will be very fun to see the calves

Our herd isn't consistent now too.Have 6 different beef breeds and even when we let a pure bull in the herd calves are very different... With different bulls I choose which one will be the best to use on which cow to increase the quality (except with angus and probably shorthorn, but they sure can look impressive when crossed well), know which cow needs a more muscled bull to put on more meat, some needs just a good looking one and I believe that most of the calves will be quite similar in quality even if sired by different breeds. My main goal with AI is to get some very good heifers for building the herd and replacing their mothers. There sure will be a couple different types of calves, but as long as they grade well, have high kill-out% and grow well, it doesn't really matter to me if one will be light boned and another will look like a hippo. Have been watching how other farmers have several breeds in their herds and calves don't look that different from each other. It'l be just our commercial herd to test out new breeds, to look what we like the most. Only 14years in the cattle business, so still haven't decided what we like the most. Some of the breeds I use won't bring up the quality as a calf for terminal use, but I see that cross to be working well for making an excellent cow, which could have some very good calves. So such breeds as Angus, Shorthorn and even Simmental I use in hope to get as many heifers as possible. I know they won't compare with BBx in some traits, but they make great cows, on which I'll be able to use more muscled bulls. So in general, what I want to build is two types of cows. One is more muscled(Blonde, Charolais, Piedmontese, BB, Limousine), to produce some show quality calves, but using safer bulls. And the second is abit plainer type cows( Angus, Simmental, Limousine,Shorthorn), which could calve more extreme calves, would be a source for producing replacements for the first type cows.
I knew that somebody will mention consistency... Not sure how everything will look in the future, but I have my own vision of what I'd like to see after ~10 years and hopefully it'll work out.
I hope I've answered your question...

I'd say so! Sounds like a good plan!

 

[lithuanian farmer]

I'd say so! Sounds like a good plan!

Thank you! I enjoy all the planning and my parents let me do all the work in choosing bulls, cows as they know that I want to get a nice calf too, and I have more knowledge in some things. Well, as they said, I do have a lot of time while being away from home for studying.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

I did manage to get some straws of Parthenaise this year! Finally! It's one of a few breeds I want the most in our herd.
It's a true headache to choose which bull to use on which cow/heifer now... Most of the herd will be AI'd this year as the new bull a the moment isn't even one year old. Don't want to push him hard for his first season. So far AI calves seem to be growing well. Not a single one has disappointed me yet.
In most cases here it doesn't matter what breed is the calf as long as it has a shape, grade and weight.

P.S. I'm aware that earlier posted photos can't be seen. No idea why, as they have been perfect earlier. Well, just gonna post a photo of the sire when the calves will be born...

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Good looking Shorthorn

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Good looking Shorthorn

Yes, he looks pretty good. Going to use on a couple heifers and a couple cows. Should be very easy calving.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

The Simmental bull. Already used on one Charx cow, which had BBx heifer in September.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/jSeAFtqhytk[/youtube]

Vet got the last available four straws of this bull. The charx cow didn't held first time and have used another bull for the second try. However, have used this one on two other 1st calvers. One was preg checked just recently and she's confirmed incalf and due in August. Well, we gave her a second chance after having a big dead first calf and she had plenty of time to rest... Way too much. We were ready to cull her if she hasn't held this last time. She even hasn't stuck with the bull in summer. Many would have culled her way back. But I held back as she's from a very good cow family and the only daughter from one bull and her dam. I sometimes have a soft spot for some girls... She had her first calf in November, more than a year ago... Well, she might pay back with her next calf, especially if it'll be a heifer.

She's a big girl. She'll be too big for many's taste when she matures. Should be 1600+lbs at the moment and still growing. She might produce quite a monster of a calf with this Simmy.

And this one might be incalf with the simmy too.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

She may have a soft spot in your heart, but the 2nd female is MUCH better phenotypically.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

She may have a soft spot in your heart, but the 2nd female is MUCH better phenotypically.

Yeah, I agree with you about that. The second one actually is from a half brother-sister breeding. It happened when three herds of bulls have escaped from their pastures and somehow one our bull managed to walk to our heifers pasture, which was a couple miles away and, of course, one heifer was in heat. Haven't planned to keep her, but lost her dam after her second calving... Now she's raising her 1st calf by a limo bull.
The first one's dam, dam's half sister and granddam raises the biggest calves at the weaning. Have two heifers-half sisters from another bull, which are growing well now, but really wanted at least one replacement from the other bull. I have a hunch that the first one might be able to wean bigger and better calves... Well, will see in the future, especially in the second one is incalf by the same bull too.
The first one as a calf~4-5 months old. She looked great back then. Now she started looking abit more like her dam.

 

[Oakhill20]

Hi! I've begun researching/searching for a Parthenais heifer to start with. That search has landed me on this forum and I just noticed your post on AI. I'd love some more information. Do you have a herd? Are you selling? Calving operation? I'd appreciate anything I am so intrigued on the breed, but here in Oregon I'm not finding anything! Thanks!