Fleckvieh
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Ky hills
Well-known member
Not sure if the old red and white version of Simmentals is the same as the Fleckvieh or not. Used to be some folks thought those cows were good calf raisers, but the bulls had kind of a reputation of being hard calving. No first hand experience, but a friend used to use the bulls, and the vet stated at the time that he was glad when he started using Angus bulls.
ALACOWMAN
Well-known member
A lot has changed in that aspect this day and age...with both simm.and chars..remember being at the vets back in the 90s... Registered simmi. breeder was there with a cow having trouble... Pulled the calf, it weighed 198 pds..Never seen one that big.. Don't expect to again.. Calf looked 2 mo. old.. Hit the ground looking for teats..
Ky hills
Well-known member
ALACOWMAN":19t1o3nf said:
I'm sure it has changed, I had Charolais in those days, under 100 lbs. was considered a small calf. We commonly had them from 105-120, had a couple that went 135. Some of those bigger calves were slow to get up and suck. The largest calf I have seen was a freak by way of Hydrops, Angus calf, the vet that did the C-section, said it was over 200 lbs.
cattleman99
Well-known member
Breed almost exclusively Fleckvieh, do use the odd Black Simmental and Shorthorn through AI but only a handful or less a year. I am slowly getting them all non-dilutor. Pros are maternal traits in the females, calving ease is easy to find nowadays, you can get polled if you want (I don't use polled unless they are calving ease) increased weaning and yearling weights and they are in strong demand.
Every year the demand is increasing for the bulls. Crossed with Angus or any other black breed they will leave a little Crome and produce the best baldy cows out there. The feed efficiency of the Fleckvieh is very strong.
Cons like any other breed there are good and bad ones. Some of the bulls from the 80s were hard calving and you have to watch you don't get too much milk which can lead to fertility issues. Certain bulls throw yellow and lots of white but that can be avoided nowadays.
Every year the demand is increasing for the bulls. Crossed with Angus or any other black breed they will leave a little Crome and produce the best baldy cows out there. The feed efficiency of the Fleckvieh is very strong.
Cons like any other breed there are good and bad ones. Some of the bulls from the 80s were hard calving and you have to watch you don't get too much milk which can lead to fertility issues. Certain bulls throw yellow and lots of white but that can be avoided nowadays.
I really like the dark red and the yellow look. As far as Semen goes are there any bulls you would recommend? Would be ai them to some longhorn cross cows? Like to keep the heifers and the steers will be freezer beef so color is not a problem.cattleman99":3bmuhsjv said:
cattleman99
Well-known member
I am from Canada and know nothin good about Longhorns. Canadian bulls I would recommend for heifers are an older polled bull DFM Marcus and a bull I am going to use next year after seeing some daughters this summer is Anchor D IMAX. I have found as a general rule you drop 15-20 lbs in birthweight from the same sire from The Canadians prairies to Texas. So a 100 lb avg here is 80-85 in Texas from the same bull. No idea how longhorns cross to recommend more than a heifer bull.
Not many yellow bulls left as most everyone is starting to breed for non diluters and the commercial angus breeders are demanding solid red bulls with google eyes/white face. A lot of these bulls are selling into commercial black herds to increase the productivity of the cowherd through the daughter's produced without losing the black hide.
Not many yellow bulls left as most everyone is starting to breed for non diluters and the commercial angus breeders are demanding solid red bulls with google eyes/white face. A lot of these bulls are selling into commercial black herds to increase the productivity of the cowherd through the daughter's produced without losing the black hide.
cattleman99
Well-known member
Bouchard livestock has IMAX, check Semex USA and Bohrson Marketing. I am sure someone in the US sells Fleckvieh Semen as well. Lots of good Fleckvieh Bulls to choose from depending on your needs.
ALACOWMAN
Well-known member
Sure don't look that heavy, but then it's a pic. Nice pair
Muddy
Well-known member
My late grandpa used to running Fleckvieh cows with a black bull. His cows are yellow and the calves are usually grey or black but with less chrome than their mommas. Big calves at birth but so are at weaning time. One thing I don't like about Fleckvieh cows is their huge size. Much bigger than the average Angus cows and eat like elephant.
cattleman99
Well-known member
You obviously haven't seen many Fleckvieh cows in the past 20 years or longer. 90 per cent of my herd is from 1200-1400 lbs. There are outliers in all breeds. The modern Fleckvieh is feed efficient and dark red and goggle eyed. Some are even solid red now. The calves still push the scales down in the fall though.
Muddy
Well-known member
I knew they improved Fleckvieh but there are more old traditional Fleckviehs here than improved "flecks". Spotted, giant and milky ones.cattleman99":2f0r7r7w said:
cattleman99
Well-known member
There are a lot of Fleckvieh bulls moving into the Dakotas from Canada. All going into commercial black herds. They have to be non dilutors. The cows you are talking about Muddy are endangered species.
There are a lot of dairy Fleckvieh cows in Wisconsin. They are being used on Holsteins. They are white and yellow and traditional looking. Basically a different breed. Must be what you are talking about. There is a dairy stain of Fleckvieh as well selected for different traits. Basically a different breed all together.
There are a lot of dairy Fleckvieh cows in Wisconsin. They are being used on Holsteins. They are white and yellow and traditional looking. Basically a different breed. Must be what you are talking about. There is a dairy stain of Fleckvieh as well selected for different traits. Basically a different breed all together.
Muddy
Well-known member
These ain't dairy cows that I am talking about. They are full beef type. Im just saying that there are more traditional Fleckviehs here (my area) than the improved Fleckviehs. But it seems that people preferred black Simmentals over both traditional and improved Fleckviehs anyways.cattleman99":2o9ui3e7 said:
WalnutCrest
Well-known member
I have two ampules on old fleck bulls being stored in Iowa.
It's free to the breeder who wants it.
It's free to the breeder who wants it.
cattleman99
Well-known member
You want to see modern Fleckvieh look at transconlivestock.com. There were a couple sales out east on the weekend. Catalogs accessed from their website. Littlecreek farms have their Magnolia Classic catalog up today as well. They are in Mississippi and have a few bulls in the sale coming up.
Lucky_P
Well-known member
Base herd here was linebred, sort of haphazardly, toward a Fleckvieh sire, ABR Sir Arnold G809, who was a 5-trait leader (including CED & CEM) back in the day. Used a couple of sons and a full-sib(Arnold's Image).
While almost all the cows here carry some Fleckvieh influence way back, there's oOnly one of those last old Fleck/Angus crosses left in the herd - she's coming 15, I think, but still raising a heck of a calf.
Only thing keeping me from thinking about using a good full Fleck bull is the poor Shr epds most I've seen have. But... nobody's paying me for anything other than pounds across the scale, so maybe I'm wasting my time worrying about tenderness/eating quality of the final product.
While almost all the cows here carry some Fleckvieh influence way back, there's oOnly one of those last old Fleck/Angus crosses left in the herd - she's coming 15, I think, but still raising a heck of a calf.
Only thing keeping me from thinking about using a good full Fleck bull is the poor Shr epds most I've seen have. But... nobody's paying me for anything other than pounds across the scale, so maybe I'm wasting my time worrying about tenderness/eating quality of the final product.
cattleman99
Well-known member
I still have some Arnold's Image in the tank. Great cows. His sons lacked performance but they calved easy and had their place. Only problem now is they are mostly light brown with minimal eye pigment.
