Cowden Vesuvius progeny grow in to good store heifers
Whilst on a visit to see Holstein cross calves by Cowden Arctic, Cogent’s Barry Lawson took the opportunity to inspect a group of store heifers by Cowden Vesuvius .
Cogent’s Barry Lawson inspects some of the Cowden Vesuvius store heifers
J G Houseman & Sons run a 300 cow pedigree Holstein herd at Markington near Harrogate. Several years ago, they started using Cogent for beef semen and for the last two years they have bought all their beef semen from Cogent.
The Houseman’s first tried Cowden Vesuvius because he was part of a Cogent semen deal done with Barry Lawson; he was an unproven bull but looked fine on paper. “We had no trouble when the cows started calving to him and we were happy with the prices we received for the bull calves so have used him repeatedly.
The Holstein cross bull calves are sold at auction or to a private buyer, but the heifer calves are kept and reared – they are sold as stores in the local auction.
 
Two of the 14 month Cowden Vesuvius store heifers at J G Houseman & Sons
Standing in the middle of a pen of 14 month old store heifers, Barry Lawson commented that the heifers had grown on well. William Houseman said that the first batch of Vesuvius cross heifers were sold in January, making £4-500 when market value at auctions was well down. “Similar heifers today are making around the £600+ mark which we are happy with.”
Cowden Vesuvius has been a success at the Houseman’s pedigree Holstein herd. The semen is economically priced, the cows calve easily and the young stock sells well as calves and stores.
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