Paternal Qualities
A Salers bull can produce the extra muscle and growth normally sought from terminal sire breeds but without the calving difficulties. Another big advantage with the Salers bull, is that the heifers produced can be sold as suckler bulling heifers. A second cross Salers is an excellent animal for meat or as a breeder.
Is there any value in the high libido of Salers Bulls?
The Basalt Grazing Company of Rolleston, Queensland, Australia, used a Salers bull in each of two paddocks with seven or eight other bulls and 220 cows. In these two paddocks, the pregnancy rate was 96% while in another nine mating groups with similar numbers but without Salers bulls, the calving percentage was consistently 80%. This represents a 20% increase in production with no extra cost.
Do Salers sired calves really calve easily?
At birth, Salers calves are typically long and slender and have small heads. This shape is a major contributor to the renowned calving ease of the breed. Birth weights of Salers sired calves are usually between 30 and 40 kilograms. Once born the calves are rapidly on their feet and are vigorous sucklers.
The US Meat Animal Research Centre (MARC), in the world’s most comprehensive multi-breed comparison trial conducted over the last 20 years established in Cycle 4 Phase 1 that Salers bulls over Angus and Hereford cows produced 97.8% unassisted births.
The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the USA conducted a study in which Salers bulls and Angus bulls were used over similar heifers to evaluate calving ease. Birth weights of calves were similar – 33 and 34kg – but the Salers sires gave 10% fewer calving difficulties.
Are they Survivors?
The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the USA conducted a study in which Salers bulls and Angus bulls were used over similar heifers to evaluate calving ease. Birth weights of calves were similar – 33 and 34kg – but the Salers sires gave 10% fewer calving difficulties. The significant difference in the study was that all the Salers sired calves survived to weaning while only 63% of the Angus sired calves survived.
Due to the ease of calving the dairy cow or heifer is far less likely to be injured or indeed lost at calving whilst still producing a saleable, if not sought after, calf.
- Reduced calving injuries to the cow/heifer
- Reduced chance of retained cleansings
- Reduced veterinary drug usage due to poor calving
- Reduced cow/heifer losses
- Improved welfare of the cow/heifer
- Increased quantity of saleable milk
- Speedier return to oestrus and quicker successful rebreeding
- Reduced herd calving interval
- Increased number of live calves to sell
- Saleable calves, whether for meat or breeding