Travlr
Well-known member
Yeah... there's a lot of fish odor wafting on the breeze sometimes...You sure do seem to luck out on finding people to "take care" of things for you....
Yeah... there's a lot of fish odor wafting on the breeze sometimes...You sure do seem to luck out on finding people to "take care" of things for you....
Yep! That $1800 price makes it easier to do. I am sure if you could buy a good milk/nurse cow for $500, I couldn't get anyone to take one to use for free.You sure do seem to luck out on finding people to "take care" of things for you.... and the cows... I'd like to have someone around here want me to "take over raising" some calves for them in exchange for the "use" of having and raising some calves for myself on their cows...
Looking for another nurse cow or 2 now since I am getting into this holstein bull calf deal.... but I am not going to pay 1800 for a 800 lb jersey cow ... like the last 2, I have seen advertised. Something will turn up somewhere...
If we were closer together, there ain't nobody I'd rather send those cows to.You sure do seem to luck out on finding people to "take care" of things for you.... and the cows... I'd like to have someone around here want me to "take over raising" some calves for them in exchange for the "use" of having and raising some calves for myself on their cows...
Looking for another nurse cow or 2 now since I am getting into this holstein bull calf deal.... but I am not going to pay 1800 for a 800 lb jersey cow ... like the last 2, I have seen advertised. Something will turn up somewhere...
Thanks...If we were closer together, there ain't nobody I'd rather send those cows to.
If we didn't want to raise any more off of them til they calve next year, would they not just dry up when the calves are weaned, like the beef cows do? That is what I am counting on with Gail.In May is when the fun of trying to find 4 new babies for them milk cows starts!!
Gonna be a good time!
o sure they will dry up. Just cut the feed completely off!! Might be hard to explain to zeke. But not raising more calves cuts the profit!If we didn't want to raise any more off of them til they calve next year, would they not just dry up when the calves are weaned, like the beef cows do?
When you wean and sell em, you'll wish you had more to sell!!And keep on buying dang $500 bottle calves!
Yes, they will dry up if the calves are older and bigger... I now usually only raise one set on my nurse cows... leave them to 6-8 months old... easier and they have good growth. By then, the calves are eating alot of grass/hay and the cow's milk will slack off so weaning and letting her go dry is not usually a problem. Especially if she is bred back, nature does just like with the beef cows. If you are feeding them like a dairy cow with lots of feed/protein/etc and pushing them like on a dairy, it will be a little harder to get them to dry up.... but in just grass/pasture they should dry up without too much problem.If we didn't want to raise any more off of them til they calve next year, would they not just dry up when the calves are weaned, like the beef cows do? That is what I am counting on with Gail.
Oh yeah. I do love to sell me some cattle! That is my favorite part of the whole bovine experience! 2nd favorite part is eating them!!o sure they will dry up. Just cut the feed completely off!! Might be hard to explain to zeke. But not raising more calves cuts the profit!
When you wean and sell em, you'll wish you had more to sell!!
I garrr an tee
I don't think Mattie will be able to milk much longer, or even wants to fool with churning, etc, even if Zeke milks. If all we have to fool with is grafting one other calf on Gail, then that is manageable and doable, even if I have to do it. I got to get Scott to quit feeding her that feed he mixes up. He worries because she ain't as fleshy as Whitey the Milking Shorthorn, but those are damned near beef or dual purpose cows, so they gonna be fatter any way. If the vet gets her this week, Gail will be raising three, so don't want her to get too poor. Her calf and the Br x red holstien heifer were born about a week before Christmas, so they are 2 months old, The Fleckveih x Braunveigh heifer is 2 or 3 weeks older than them, I think.Yes, they will dry up if the calves are older and bigger... I now usually only raise one set on my nurse cows... leave them to 6-8 months old... easier and they have good growth. By then, the calves are eating alot of grass/hay and the cow's milk will slack off so weaning and letting her go dry is not usually a problem. Especially if she is bred back, nature does just like with the beef cows. If you are feeding them like a dairy cow with lots of feed/protein/etc and pushing them like on a dairy, it will be a little harder to get them to dry up.... but in just grass/pasture they should dry up without too much problem.
With Gail, if you wean off the calves, she could get milked once a day if they wanted milk and that would gradually slow her production also... then just quit milking her so she gets a dry period of at least 2 months.
And it's a tribute band, to boot...This reminds me of those X1 X2 X3... 'Farewell Tours' that over the hill rock bands have had..
No, Whitey is over at Lisa (the vet) and Joe's place. Same deal, they give me back the 1/2 Brahma heifer each year, and then they can put however many they want to on her for the year. She is the vet for the few dairies around there, and for the beef cattle farmers, too. So, she will know when and where there is an orphan or twin, etc, and can get probably all the calves they will need.. and get calves for the lady that is going to calve out the 1/2 Jeresy's each year. Lisa is going to vaccinate, etc, all 4 nurse cows, ( The G-H is going to stay at Scott's brother's place from now on) their calves, even any calves the other lady gets for the two half Jerseys. And AI Whitey, Gail and the other 2 each year. We will pay her, of course, for the meds at least. Whitey has her MSH x Ash heifer and her Angus steer calf on her, and in May -June, we will get the angus steer back. Scott and I have decided we just gonna let her keep the MSH x Ash heifer. That calf ought to make her a good nurse cow as well.I think not being supplemented with grain or feed, they ought to be okay with just their own calf on them when they freshen. You will just have to watch their udders... but they will adjust their milk somewhat with what the calf drinks, and the hormones will slow down production if it is not being overly "used" or challenged. I often let my 1/2 dairy 1/2 angus heifers run with the beef herd and they are "beef cows" so to speak. Sometimes they will milk the fat off their back... and the calves will get round as a barrel at the expense of the cow's condition... I see no problem with the 1/2 breds just raising their own calf. Just watch the udder so she doesn't get mastitis... if it looks fairly evenly nursed with no swollen/"big" quarters, you will be good to go...
You might want to advertise that milking shorthorn/ayshire cross as a future family cow/nurse cow.... since she is all dairy with the shorthorn adding a little bit of more "beefiness" to her... isn't she at the place where they are going to raise some calves on the cow??? They might know of a prospective buyer...