Comments for The Sandisfarne Herd http://sandersisleofman.com The herd of long-lived cows Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:40:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on Heifers for Sale by sue http://sandersisleofman.com/heifers-for-sale/#comment-437 sue Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:40:33 +0000 http://sandersisleofman.com/blog/?page_id=10#comment-437 Hi, nice to get somebody interested! We did a blog yesterday regarding classification we had this week where we mention service bulls we are using with both B and W and the Reds. Andrew my husband is really interested in breeding a cow that lasts. He looks at PLI, then functional type e.g. legs, udders, health traits, reliability, doesn't like high pins. He is trying to find bulls with angularity on the wrong side, so that they can carry a bit of flesh, especially with ours having to brave wet and windy conditions, also having to walk a long way to grass! ... Oman has done a great job with us, we had plenty of VG's and Ex from him last week, though we had quite good udders in the first place. We are using sons of Oman heavily too, now going on top NZ HSS Megabuck from Avoncroft, then we have a group of frailer high milking cows that we are going to put genus's Deangate Quentin on, just to reign them in! We came from the Friesian side, the first few Holstein crosses created the longer lived cows, now Andrew is eager to cross them within the breed from around the world to keep the hybrid vigor! Our youngest son has been championing the Swedish reds, they have done very well on the fertility stakes, easy care and as a family we are warming to them, We even had 5 VGs at their first classification of the few we have milking. We are putting high type Montbelliard on them, which I have been assured will milk, I think that red Holstein will be going back in to keep the milk in.. just trying to produce a well fleshed cow that milks and is easy care! The Swedish reds have been proving their livability, we have a small heifer that has fallen off the rotary twice, has scrabbled back on, stood up and carried on! We had a Right DA on one after twins, she recovered, back in calf. I can't remember one having mastitis..... Usually they take to first service, have hard good shaped black feet, a bit small perhaps, smaller than modern Ayrshire, but manage the cubicles well, lactation average lower, but make up with their calving regularly, blend in well within the herd, though you don't stand in the way when one is striding off into the distance! Please contact us, details on the contact page, if you are interested in buying animals.. we usually sell privately with the difficulty of getting heifers to market from the island.! We can quote a delivered price to your door! Hi, nice to get somebody interested! We did a blog yesterday regarding classification we had this week where we mention service bulls we are using with both B and W and the Reds. Andrew my husband is really interested in breeding a cow that lasts. He looks at PLI, then functional type e.g. legs, udders, health traits, reliability, doesn’t like high pins. He is trying to find bulls with angularity on the wrong side, so that they can carry a bit of flesh, especially with ours having to brave wet and windy conditions, also having to walk a long way to grass! … Oman has done a great job with us, we had plenty of VG’s and Ex from him last week, though we had quite good udders in the first place. We are using sons of Oman heavily too, now going on top NZ HSS Megabuck from Avoncroft, then we have a group of frailer high milking cows that we are going to put genus’s Deangate Quentin on, just to reign them in! We came from the Friesian side, the first few Holstein crosses created the longer lived cows, now Andrew is eager to cross them within the breed from around the world to keep the hybrid vigor!

Our youngest son has been championing the Swedish reds, they have done very well on the fertility stakes, easy care and as a family we are warming to them, We even had 5 VGs at their first classification of the few we have milking. We are putting high type Montbelliard on them, which I have been assured will milk, I think that red Holstein will be going back in to keep the milk in.. just trying to produce a well fleshed cow that milks and is easy care! The Swedish reds have been proving their livability, we have a small heifer that has fallen off the rotary twice, has scrabbled back on, stood up and carried on! We had a Right DA on one after twins, she recovered, back in calf. I can’t remember one having mastitis….. Usually they take to first service, have hard good shaped black feet, a bit small perhaps, smaller than modern Ayrshire, but manage the cubicles well, lactation average lower, but make up with their calving regularly, blend in well within the herd, though you don’t stand in the way when one is striding off into the distance!

Please contact us, details on the contact page, if you are interested in buying animals.. we usually sell privately with the difficulty of getting heifers to market from the island.! We can quote a delivered price to your door!

]]> Comment on Heifers for Sale by Arnold Boyce http://sandersisleofman.com/heifers-for-sale/#comment-436 Arnold Boyce Sun, 15 Apr 2012 15:14:52 +0000 http://sandersisleofman.com/blog/?page_id=10#comment-436 Love the wedsite ! I agree with your ideas on breeding policy and strive for that kind of long lifespan cows in our own heard we already have breed a few 100 T cows and would like to try build on that. Would be interested in finding out a bit more about your bull selection criteria and also your views on crossing with sw red I have also used a few straws but only have a few maidens in calf at the min but they are looking good !! Also would have an interest on buying into some of your long life lines. Many thanks Love the wedsite ! I agree with your ideas on breeding policy and strive for that kind of long lifespan cows in our own heard we already have breed a few 100 T cows and would like to try build on that. Would be interested in finding out a bit more about your bull selection criteria and also your views on crossing with sw red I have also used a few straws but only have a few maidens in calf at the min but they are looking good !! Also would have an interest on buying into some of your long life lines.

Many thanks

]]> Comment on Contact us by sue http://sandersisleofman.com/contact-us/#comment-371 sue Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:37:09 +0000 http://sandersisleofman.com/blog/?page_id=14#comment-371 Hi, thanks for your interest, you can contact us via the web site, or email us direct on sandersfarms@manx.net Hi, thanks for your interest, you can contact us via the web site, or email us direct on sandersfarms@manx.net

]]> Comment on Contact us by fergie o neill http://sandersisleofman.com/contact-us/#comment-368 fergie o neill Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:24:26 +0000 http://sandersisleofman.com/blog/?page_id=14#comment-368 hello andrew my name is fergie o neill from co louth in ireland i read in an old farmers weekly that you are growing lucerne for your cows ,i grew it here last year for a beef farmer ,( i am apart time contractor sowing grass seed),we got mixed results and i was wondering if you would give me some advice from time to time i would appreciate it if you can . thank you hello andrew my name is fergie o neill from co louth in ireland i read in an old farmers weekly that you are growing lucerne for your cows ,i grew it here last year for a beef farmer ,( i am apart time contractor sowing grass seed),we got mixed results and i was wondering if you would give me some advice from time to time i would appreciate it if you can . thank you

]]> Comment on Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness…. by Sue Sanders http://sandersisleofman.com/2011/10/season-of-mists-and-mellow-fruitfulness/#comment-46 Sue Sanders Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:17:49 +0000 http://sandersisleofman.com/?p=128#comment-46 Fertility - currently services 1.5 to conception, 55% to first service which is good for us. They are all first or second calvers which might distort the figures, also a relatively small sample size as yet! Just had NMR end of year for them, heifers averaged 7,222 at 4.11bf and 3.44p - no cow figures yet! The BJurist cross Omans seem to be performing the best at the moment, 2nd calvers averaging 40 litres a day, fed about 8 kg of cake a day. We are pleased with their results and continuing the experiment, crunch time will start when we start milking the third crosses! Thanks very much for the compliments! Fertility – currently services 1.5 to conception, 55% to first service which is good for us. They are all first or second calvers which might distort the figures, also a relatively small sample size as yet!

Just had NMR end of year for them, heifers averaged 7,222 at 4.11bf and 3.44p – no cow figures yet!

The BJurist cross Omans seem to be performing the best at the moment, 2nd calvers averaging 40 litres a day, fed about 8 kg of cake a day.

We are pleased with their results and continuing the experiment, crunch time will start when we start milking the third crosses!

Thanks very much for the compliments!

]]> Comment on Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness…. by Mark Birkett http://sandersisleofman.com/2011/10/season-of-mists-and-mellow-fruitfulness/#comment-44 Mark Birkett Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:11:08 +0000 http://sandersisleofman.com/?p=128#comment-44 Have you found the fertility better for your Swedish Reds than your Holstiens and how have they compared on production? Great website by the way. Have you found the fertility better for your Swedish Reds than your Holstiens and how have they compared on production? Great website by the way.

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