ET recipient question

[blackrylee]

Hey all!

Planning on flushing one of my purebred Charolais cows this spring and transfer whatever embryos I get. Not sure that I have enough mommas that I want to become recipients though. Since dairy prices are in the shitter, I was considering picking up a few Holsteins for cheap since they're big enough to carry Char babies and then sell them after the calves are weaned. Anyone see any reason why I shouldn't do this? Just curious! (open to negative criticism, but please be polite) :cboy:

 

[greatgerts]

My main concern would be too much milk for the calves, and getting milk fever.

 

[pdfangus]

I think if you are selective in what you buy you could do all right...
many dairy cows are culled for infertility and I do not know how such cows would do as recips....
volume of milk might be a factor....but I would go direct to a dairy and buy from the farm rather than from a yard...tell the guy you want low end producers to raise a beef calf...but you need good udders.....
milk fever can be addressed with a good mineral program precalving. Milk fever is an imbalance of minerals.

 

[Lucky_P]

Johnes Disease.
Rampant in many dairy herds. Apparently healthy cows/heifers may be a ticking time bomb...can be transmitted in utero, through colostrum/milk, as well as through manure.
I'm convinced that many beef seedstock operations introduced JD by way of infected cull dairy cows carrying embryos.

 

[blackrylee]

Thanks for the feedback! Im not so worried about biosecurity issues as I am close with some local dairies that I visit regularly and trust. Obviously I wouldn't use infertile cull cows as recips. Some producers in our area are selling producing cows that simply have high SCC's so they don't get a premium for low counts. I'm more concerned about milk volume. Would I have increased problems with mastitis?

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Many use beefxdairy cows, at least in this part of the world. Mostly hereford, simmental, angus or even belgian blue crossed with dairy. Usually abit less milk, but still alot. However, often they get to raise one extra calf. If you'll keep only one calf on a dairy cow, there will be a lot of trouble. You need to milk that cow, or put at least one more calf with her. Some can raise four calves at the time. We had a couple dairy cows in the past. Now still have some half dairy cows. If you want to keep cows and calves healthy, you need to take that extra milk, or the calf has to have an extreme appetite!