Can you buy
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bigbull338
Well-known member
yes you should be able to find baby holstein heifers at your local sale barns.Hcc":1ojhj3ys said:
There are generaly salebarns that sort of specialize in beef and there are those that do the same with dairy. While eithr barn may have a few of the other type, if you go to dairy sale barn you'll have a better selection of dairy types then id you go to the beef sale barn.
Ask around at a couple of dairys and see which barn they prefer
dun
Ask around at a couple of dairys and see which barn they prefer
dun
GMN
Well-known member
Go to a special dairy heifer sale. Around by us several of the sale barns have them, once a month.
GMN
GMN
Sorry it's taken me so long to get back.
What normally do dairy heifers run? And what time of the year is best to get one?
I am thinking that it would be best if I could get a heifer around May or June cause that is when the most goat milk is available, (that is what I would be feeding.)
About how much milk should a calf get a day?
What normally do dairy heifers run? And what time of the year is best to get one?
I am thinking that it would be best if I could get a heifer around May or June cause that is when the most goat milk is available, (that is what I would be feeding.)
About how much milk should a calf get a day?
GMN
Well-known member
Hcc":ay3hr8eq said:
Baby heifer calves prices vary, a few months ago, couldn't touch one for under $200, I've seen newborns go for $400, now the market is down, should be able to pick one up from anywhere between $100-$200, varying on what it is you want. Sometimes you can get sickly calves at sales barns, as you are a beginner I would not recommend buying one at a typical weekend sale, more than likely it might be a free martin (Half of a twin, other is male, 93% likely heifer is sterile) or it has the scoots, etc.. Really if you can find a neighboring farm that would sell you one off a farm, would be the best, but usually dairies, do not sell their heifer calves.
Best time of year to buy one, also that is hard to say. I raise calves year round, must say I prefer spring myself, winter and fall seem to be the hardest on baby calves.
As to how much they drink, 2-3 calf bottles a day, 2 in warmer weather, 3 in very cold weather. Some folks feed the 2 quart bottles twice a day, now they have 3 quart bottles also, I feed cows milk to mine, I use to feed milk replacer, but it got to be too costly on the pocketbook. I'm not sure about goats milk, might ask that question under the nutrition part of the forum, maybe someone else has fed goats milk.
Also you may want to read some of the posts under calf scours, etc... just in case, to get better informed on what may go wrong.
Hope this helps, and good luck.
GMN
Thanks for the info.
Calf scours are something I "THINK" I can handle. Good greif we had so many problems with coccidia with our goats . (No matter how clean the pens or what prevenative measures we took. It was in the ground.)
I am a HUGE fan of vitmin and electrolyte powder, probias, and Pepto bismal. :lol: I also keep several anti-biotics on hand, But I will still look up the health issues on that.
I know a couple of people who raise steer calves on goat milk every year. (One of them used to own and operate a dairy farm.) They seem to do really well on it. I don't like useing formula if at all possible. They tend to get sick easier on that stuff.
This is all in the thinking stages right now. Not for sure if i even want to tie myself down to a milking schedual again.
I did that for 8 years (and I am only 21 ). I know with goats you can slowly cut them back to milking one time a day if you don't want to show or can't do it twice a day. I didn't know if you could do that with a dairy cow cause the genetics have gotten so they are producing even too much milk at one time for twice a day milkings. That is why I have heard many farms are going to three times a day. To help keep their cows from getting mastitis.
Although, since we wouldn't need a TON of milk. Couldn't her diet be adjusted to cut back on the milk production? Like a lower protein grain along with a high protein hay like pure alfalfa? That way if we only wanted to milk twice a day she wouldn't get quite so full.
Also, would it be ok to breed her to an angus bull to get beef calves out of? That way we could raise it to eat and it wouldn't be quite as "fatty" as the purebred angus.
Calf scours are something I "THINK" I can handle. Good greif we had so many problems with coccidia with our goats . (No matter how clean the pens or what prevenative measures we took. It was in the ground.)
I am a HUGE fan of vitmin and electrolyte powder, probias, and Pepto bismal. :lol: I also keep several anti-biotics on hand, But I will still look up the health issues on that.
I know a couple of people who raise steer calves on goat milk every year. (One of them used to own and operate a dairy farm.) They seem to do really well on it. I don't like useing formula if at all possible. They tend to get sick easier on that stuff.
This is all in the thinking stages right now. Not for sure if i even want to tie myself down to a milking schedual again.
I did that for 8 years (and I am only 21 ). I know with goats you can slowly cut them back to milking one time a day if you don't want to show or can't do it twice a day. I didn't know if you could do that with a dairy cow cause the genetics have gotten so they are producing even too much milk at one time for twice a day milkings. That is why I have heard many farms are going to three times a day. To help keep their cows from getting mastitis. Although, since we wouldn't need a TON of milk. Couldn't her diet be adjusted to cut back on the milk production? Like a lower protein grain along with a high protein hay like pure alfalfa? That way if we only wanted to milk twice a day she wouldn't get quite so full.
Also, would it be ok to breed her to an angus bull to get beef calves out of? That way we could raise it to eat and it wouldn't be quite as "fatty" as the purebred angus.
There isn;t any great dark secrets to raising healthy claves on replacer. You start with healthy clave, use a high quality milk replacer, preferably medicated. Not the soy based junk. Keep them out of drafts and dry.
Calves do very well on goats milk but they need to be gradually adapted to it or they'll scour their brains out.
You can find a 3 titter or a 2 titter at some sale barns and even some dairys before they cull them. Lowering the guality/quantity of the groceries will help, but if you start with a lighter milking breed you won;t have the same problems. Crossing a beef bull on a dairy breed like a Holstein will give you a decent calf ut it will still be moreframey and require longer to finish then a straight beef breed. If you have a dairy around that does that cross on the heifers, they do make a good family cow. They'll provide milk for the table and still raise a good calf, or several.
dun
Calves do very well on goats milk but they need to be gradually adapted to it or they'll scour their brains out.
You can find a 3 titter or a 2 titter at some sale barns and even some dairys before they cull them. Lowering the guality/quantity of the groceries will help, but if you start with a lighter milking breed you won;t have the same problems. Crossing a beef bull on a dairy breed like a Holstein will give you a decent calf ut it will still be moreframey and require longer to finish then a straight beef breed. If you have a dairy around that does that cross on the heifers, they do make a good family cow. They'll provide milk for the table and still raise a good calf, or several.
dun
Yeah I know about the draft free places and plenty of sunshine and a clean stall. That would all be easy.
Definately switching from cow milk straght to goats would be a horrible thing to do. LOL Definately a transtiton period would be needed.
The reason I asked about the angus cross was beacuse we wanted a beef with a little less "marbling." That sure tastes good but is not that good for us. I realize that it will take longer to finish that cross out, but that wasn't our main goal.
Also, my younger brother "may" show a dairy cow. Not sure tho. So I don't really want a beef cross cow. But I do understand why that would be a good idea for a family milker.
Thanks!
Definately switching from cow milk straght to goats would be a horrible thing to do. LOL Definately a transtiton period would be needed.
The reason I asked about the angus cross was beacuse we wanted a beef with a little less "marbling." That sure tastes good but is not that good for us.
I realize that it will take longer to finish that cross out, but that wasn't our main goal. Also, my younger brother "may" show a dairy cow. Not sure tho. So I don't really want a beef cross cow. But I do understand why that would be a good idea for a family milker.
Thanks!
Yeah, that is what I was thinking too. I would rather have a somewhat smaller breed and holsteins are huge. I like the look of Jerseys and I have heard guernsys are very docile.
Guess I have to look around.
I don't really know where to start. My family used to run a dairy operation milking Holsteins, (before I was born). But since then, just beef. SO we are kinda out of the "loop" so to speak.
Guess I have to look around.
I don't really know where to start. My family used to run a dairy operation milking Holsteins, (before I was born). But since then, just beef. SO we are kinda out of the "loop" so to speak.
saddlebum
Member
My cousin has a jersey that is great because she's real quiet, but I like my brown swiss because she's tall (and so am I) so its not uncomfortable for me to milk her. Her personality is good, too. Not at all like I'd been warned.
oscar p
Well-known member
Go to http://www.familycow.proboards32.com They have classaified section. There are a few jersey cows in your area for sale
GMN
Well-known member
Hcc":3bq29r1y said:
We have several holstein crosses in our herd, some holstein crosses with Jerseys, some whitefaces crossed with holsteins, and this helps with the butterfat greatly. I see nothing wrong with a crossed dairy herd. We use only Holstein bulls now, but there was a time when we had a angus cross bull, and it helped with marketing the steers, got more money for beefy animals, even though they were crosses.
GMN
Thanks for the info!
I agree that there is nothing wrong with a cross dairy cow. It can actually help higher the butterfat or increase milk production.
Ans I can definately see a angus holstein bull calf going for more money than a pure holstein.
I agree that there is nothing wrong with a cross dairy cow. It can actually help higher the butterfat or increase milk production.
Ans I can definately see a angus holstein bull calf going for more money than a pure holstein.
vs_cattle
Well-known member
yes, you can find dairy cattle at Auctions
