Any advice

[Montanaidiot]

I'm in the begining of setting up to get a couple bottle calves this spring. Loafing shed is up 14x12. Corral going in this weekend. 30x30. My place is almost fenced 4 wire. On 28 acres. Prob 25 is pasture. It's in the hills with lots of burned down trees from a fire awhile back that I'm slowly cleaning up.

I have zero clue if I'm doing anything right or wrong so looking for any helpful tips or mistakes I am making.

Thanks

 

[darcelina4]

What is your bottle calf plan? What kind do you plan to buy? Feed for how long? Sell where? Do you have a good vet relationship? Lots of good meds on hand? Do you know how to use the meds? Esophageal feeder? Raising bottle calves can be tough. I raise lots. You need to only get calves you have an end market for. Dont lose money buying and raising what you cant sell for a profit.

 

[Aaron]

Forget bottle calves. If you are a noobie, you are going to have significant pile of dead bottle calves. Far too touchy.

Buy 10 small yearlings this spring, put them on grass and sell in fall. Less likely to die and you might actually make money.

 

[MRRherefords]

Forget bottle calves. If you are a noobie, you are going to have significant pile of dead bottle calves. Far too touchy.

Buy 10 small yearlings this spring, put them on grass and sell in fall. Less likely to die and you might actually make money.

:clap: This is great advise. Many a cattleman start like this and are successful. Unfortunately not enough, as many start with cattle bear minimum from sale barn who are nearly dead and give up as soon as it doesn't work.

 

[Montanaidiot]

I am planning on just starting with 2 or 3. I'm really not sure how much grass I need and dont want to over graze my place. I was thinking of getting herefords ( they say they have a better temperament) and just raise them for me and my friends freezer.

So maybe I need to buy older calves and finish them and butcher each fall?

 

[Montanaidiot]

After doing more reading. What would be the best way to be able to butcher every year?

I need some sort of rotation?

 

[sstterry]

Will you have access to hay? In Montana, you will need it based on my trips there.

Are you planning on finishing them on grain or grass?

You could buy some yearlings in the spring and grow them each year or buy 4 and butcher 2 next fall and feed the others for another year. (I would really like to know which part of Montanna, it makes a difference on your grass availability.)
Bottle feeding is a pretty intensive job.

 

[Montanaidiot]

I'm in kinda small mountains (bull mountains north of billings) in central montana. About half the summer we get tons of rain and grass but then it drys out. I can get hay pretty easy around here so that's not a problem.

I want to finish them on grain. I'm not into organic whatever. I just want a big taste steak

 

[sstterry]

I'm in kinda small mountains (bull mountains north of billings) in central montana. About half the summer we get tons of rain and grass but then it drys out. I can get hay pretty easy around here so that's not a problem.

I want to finish them on grain. I'm not into organic whatever. I just want a big taste steak

If it were me I would buy yearlings in the spring and then finish them on grain in the fall. That way you don't have to mess with much hay in the Winter. But, there are a lot of more knowledgeable folks than me on this Board.

 

[Montanaidiot]

I do like that plan. Then I get winters off

 

[Montanaidiot]

So what if I got a pair and a yearling this year and just ai the cow every year? And butchering the calves as they get big enough.

Bad idea?

 

[Smithfarms954]

I'm new to the board here also. I've raised a lot of bottle calves. Some success and some loss. It's kind of like gambling. All depends on if the calf gets it's colostrum from momma. From experience most sale barn calves do not. Best route is your local dairy barn. Raising bottle calves is a great way to get your feet wet into the business but don't let it get you discouraged if things go wrong at times because like I said the bottle babies are a gamble. My advice for what it's worth would be become great friends with your local vet and to buy a case of electrolytes for when one gets the scours. Keep an eye on them and there behavior as much as you possibly can. Good luck

 

[Aaron]

https://imgflip.com/memegenerator

 

[CG1]

Personally I love raising bottle calves. I've never lost one but I have put more money into one than they were worth. You can pick up a dairy cross angus around here for $50-$200. I also keep connected to local ranchers and take in the orphans they can't handle or they can't get on a bottle. They come free. But raising a bottle calf for the freezer is tough. I get way too attached to the bottle calves. I sell mine at about 8-12 months old. I get a good price for them. I never sell by weight, I sell most at around $1,500-$2,000. Some people feed them out, some process. By biggest customers are small hobby farmers that just need a very calm animal.

 

[StrykerScout]

Don't get discouraged by others comment. I agree that their are challenges and hurdles raising bottle calves. The market for dairy calves is almost non existent unless you plan on operating a dairy or direct marketing into a niche market of some kind.. As a commercial beef animal the cost to simply wean a dairy breed almost exceeds its finished market value atleast in my area at.$40-$60/vet Luckily you can find beef bottle babies.. L
As stated previously it can be a challenge. I saw where someone stated, that you are going to end up with a bunch of dead bottle babies.. Their life is in your hands, maybe that individual didn't put the effort into caring for bottle babies that you might. A lot of livestock are subject to neglect from their owners and as a result many do die. There was a time I knew absolutely nothing about cattle. I bought 3 jersey calves from a local dairy and a beef heifer who lost her momma from a neighbor.. It wasn't easy, their were hurdles, I put in the effort to make sure they were all taken care of exhausting all resources including every vet in town. After a year I lost 50 dollars each on the 3 jerseys, but made 200 dollars on the beef heifer. I made 50 dollars while gaining very valuable experience my first year considering all cost except my labor. I could have taken a total loss on all four of those calves+expenses for the year and the investment would have paid for my education. The fact is you aren't going make much money if any at all starting with a few bottle calves but the experience is priceless if you aspire to expand or grow into maybe a cow calf operation. The biggest thing is you have an obligation to care for these animals, give it 100 percent even if it means depleting your profit margins or losing money. If it's something you truly want to do it won't matter because it is an investment in your own education.. So what if you have to pay the vet $300 to come out and tube a calf, start an I.V., maybe let one down from bloat because you fed to much alfalfa. Now you know and your vet will gladly teach you how to do these things and how to prevent them. Your vet paid several hundreds of thousands of dollars for these lessons. Its a pretty cheap education in my opinion if you are ambitious about raising cattle. Those 4 bottle calves taught me so much and none of them died because I did my best.. Final thoughts are you need to know that you aren't going to make a lot of money in the cattle business, especially with a few bottle calves. Those few bottle calves however can transpire into a profitable cattle business building wealth over time. Don't let people discourage you from making an honest effort. Just because they lost a bunch of calves doesn't mean you will. 5 years in the cattle business now I have only lost one animal "still" birth.. Don't be discouraged by others negative comments. If you wanna buy a few bottle calves That's exactly what you should do. Don't expect to get rich or expect it to be easy. Good Luck!

 

[greggy]

I am feeding some milk atm...

Will be getting a couple more tomorrow it seem, they are at weaning age, but will prob just feed them milk too for a week or so...

There is only one way too learn.

I would suggest reading...A LOT....and also reading forum threads on illness and problems....

If starting with 2 or 3, you will learn a lot.

Make sure you give them milk, and learn how to transition to other feeds. Follow your milk replacers guide.

The biggest thing with real young or small calves, is they must get nutrition from milk, they cannot live on grass or hay, the rumen must have some time and ecouragement too develop.

If you keep the milk up too them, it can be trouble free, but you also have to be prepared for possible loss, it happens, although they are hardy animals.

 

[Montanaidiot]

I in no way expect to make any money. I'm already way in the negative with this project. I got a loafing shed built a corral and a head catch that a farmer friend donated to my crazieness and almost have my place fenced. been about -10k so far . I'm completely doing this for the fun of it. It will never be more then a few cows to butcher to feed my family and anyone who is hungry

I have tried to plan this out but I'm still very confused on a few areas. The timeline of getting calves and when to butcher so I can do it every fall.

I think i could run 2-4 on my place (28 acres). I'm not 100% sure so I would want to start less and not over graze my place. I have emailed the extension office to try and get more info but I guess they are too busy.

Different thoughts- buy 2 bottle calves every year. (first year buy a feeder also so I have something for the freezer this fall)

- buy 2 feeders every year and butcher in the fall. ( no winter feeding but feeders and way more expensive then bottle calves) + not getting to enjoy calves and make them your friend lol

This is kinda assuming it will take 18 months to get them 1200lbs...(thinking herfords if I can find some)

Or some variation of all this.

I also have to many questions on finishing them. But maybe another thread later

I just wanted to throw out I do have some cattle experience. Always been the hired man when I was young and still have friends and family who have farms and ranches. Moved away and was very blessed in life so now I can get back to what I enjoy. I can text and call any of them with immediate questions. But i know way less then i want them to know i know lol. So here i am

 

[Montanaidiot]

People start calving here around the end of the month so I think I will be able to start finding bottle calves soon. I can keep them in the corral until I get my fence finished when the ground thaws.

Any recommendations on types of milk replacer?

How long do I need to keep them on milk? ( never seem to find a straight answer)

Feeding twice a day enough?

Should I keep a little hay in with them incase they want to try it? It's been a mild winter but I can put out straw for bedding. Or I can build a little pen in my shop if it gets too cold.

What types of meds should I keep on hand for emergencies?

 

[haase]

We usually feed out 5 to six feeders a year for freezer beef, usually get them in the end of October or beginning of November, take them in for processing in September, there weight when we get them is around 600lbs and finish around 1100 to 1200lbs that's on pasture hay and feed, we have a self feeder that holds around 3 1/2 tons of feed, I usually buy them from the same farmer every year, there already weaned and there shots.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Buy the best milk replacer. You should have Electrolytes on hand. You need to have an esophageal tuber and learn how to tube a calf. Like this: https://www.jefferspet.com/products/2-quart-fluid-feeder-with-nipple-probe. Thermometer - a must. Get some kind of antibiotic from your vet for respiratory (what he recommends). I, personally, would give each calf a dose of Inforce 3, a shot of selenium (BoSe or Multimin90 - must get from vet), and vitamin A&D shot.
I do not raise bottle calves - but a calf is a calf.