# Hereford/Holstein X



## Auntina (Sep 19, 2012)

Hello everyone...I'm new to this site so forgive me if this topic has been previously discussed.  I am also rather fresh at raising cows.  I hope you will be able to help me.  

We picked up a few bottle calves for our kids that are Hereford/Holstein X.    I have searched the web and found very little info on this X.   Can anyone tell me more about it?  Thank you


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## brentr (Sep 19, 2012)

Holstein is a dairy breed; Hereford is a beef breed.  Many different reasons for the X.  Breeding dairy heifers to a beef bull produces a lower birth weight calf, giving first calf heifers an easier birth is one reason.  The dairy influence might produce a bit leaner carcass is another.  Market demand is another - I worked in a beef packing plant years ago that had customers who preferred beef produced by this cross.

Most beef breeders don't raise this due to longer finish times due to the dairy influence.  Most dairies would never milk this cross because beef influence would mean more feed consumption but less milk.

For backyard producers it can be a reasonable home-grown beef option.


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## aggieterpkatie (Sep 19, 2012)

We raised a few before. Great beef!  They grew great, and tasted wonderful.


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## Cricket (Sep 19, 2012)

And should be pretty mellow!  If they aren't polled, I'd have them disbudded.  Good luck (any pictures?)


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## Auntina (Sep 19, 2012)

A big thanks to all of you for sharing your knowledge with me.  It is appreciated.  
The first picture are of the two heife calves.  They are about 5 days old.  The second is the bull calf.  He was just over a day when we got him.


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## WildRoseBeef (Sep 19, 2012)

Look up "Hays Converters." They're a composite breed of Holstein-Hereford cross. Canadian-founded.


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## Cricket (Sep 20, 2012)

Too cute!  Makes you wish your humans looked that happy every time you fed them, eh?

Canadians of English-German descent, WRB?


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## WildRoseBeef (Sep 20, 2012)

Cricket said:
			
		

> Too cute!  Makes you wish your humans looked that happy every time you fed them, eh?
> 
> Canadians of English-German descent, WRB?


Possibly. http://www.thecattlesite.com/breeds/beef/89/hays-converter/overview

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/haysconverter/


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## aggieterpkatie (Sep 20, 2012)

Cricket said:
			
		

> And should be pretty mellow!


You're not joking!!  This is one of the Hereford/Holstein steers we raised.


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Sep 20, 2012)

Welcome and Congratulations!  

They are super cute and should make you a great first herd!


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## Auntina (Sep 20, 2012)

Oh oh....I have a problem with one of the calfs.  She is refusing to eat today.  She is tonguing the nipple, chewing on it and pushing it to the side of her mouth. She refused this morning, at noon and again this evening.  I normally feed 2x a day but since she didn't eat, I made an attermpt at noon. 
I just saw her wandering and sniffing around the barn.  I ran to the house and made a 1/2 bottle, came back out, she was lying down.  Tried to pick her up but she refused to stand.....and refused to eat again.     Her stools are yellow, soft, not watery.  My hubby thinks I need to give her some Penicillin just in case.  I have no idea if I should or how much to give her.  Subcutaneous or intramuscular?  20g or 18g needle?   Any suggestions or am I in a panic for nothing?


I'm not positive but I believe she is 5 to 6 days old


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## Cricket (Sep 21, 2012)

See you resolved your issue in the Emergencies section--good news!

WRB, I am sorry--I thought you were joking about the Hay Converters--interesting article!

Aggie--and I get grief for eating my friends?!  That is a great picture!


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## Auntina (Sep 21, 2012)

Cricket:  Hopefully the issue is resolved.  Now my other two aren't eating....lol   Good advice on this site.  Happy to be here.  Also, the "Hays Converters" kind of caught me off guard, too.  Loved reading about them.


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## WildRoseBeef (Sep 21, 2012)

Cricket: Don't worry about it.  You're not the first to have that kind of reaction to that breed name lol. Always learn something new every day.


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## Bentleyhomestead (Apr 10, 2013)

Considering Hereford Holstein crosses.  What do you think a good price on them would be at a year old.  How many months till they finish.  If I get them at a year old would they be ready this fall.  Would they take longer to bulk up?


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## WildRoseBeef (Apr 10, 2013)

Bentleyhomestead said:
			
		

> Considering Hereford Holstein crosses.  What do you think a good price on them would be at a year old.  How many months till they finish.  If I get them at a year old would they be ready this fall.  Would they take longer to bulk up?


Just think of it this way:  If Hereford is on one extreme and dairy is on the other, then you'd have it meet in the middle. You would have a steer that still needs to be grained, but just not as much as a pure Holstein steer would. I also believe that a Herf-Holstein cross steer may finish at around 18 to 24 months (no different than from a Hereford steer or "regular" beef steer) of age--though it really depends on what weight (or how much meat) you want from that steer.   

Prices also depend on weight at purchase.  You'd probably have to expect the price for a dairy-cross steer to be around the same (or a little lower) as with a "lower quality" beef steer.


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