Menu
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
New profile posts
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Forums
Cattle Boards
Breeds Board
Dairy and Dairy Cross Calves Raised for Beef
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Help Support CattleToday:
Message
<blockquote data-quote="farmerjan" data-source="post: 1467201" data-attributes="member: 25884"><p>Boy, Steve, that's a loaded question.... :hide: Put me on the spot <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite10" alt=":oops:" title="Oops! :oops:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":oops:" /> </p><p>It's hard to really say, but I have found that older cows either are great or are horrible. The younger ones tend to be more "kicky", and are faster, so it is hard to get away if they take a notion. So I tend to go with older cows. Over the years many of mine were stockyard cows, so you took what you could get and afford. Right now any dairy animal that is in milk is worth little more than cull price due to farmers selling older cows and surpluses of heifers as replacements at bargain prices. Straight holsteins usually make too much milk, but I have had a few. </p><p> </p><p>Actually, as a rule I don't especially care for the hol/jer cross. I have had many over the years, and they tend to be more tempermental if acquired at maturity. They also tend to have udders that will fall apart in the 3rd or 4th lactation or older; center ligament support just lets go. But these last 2 are out of hol/jerseys, bred jer so are 3/4 jersey, and they are both really accepting. I still like the guernseys a little better, but they are very hard to find. And there aren't many of the "old style" ones around. Today's guernseys were bred to be "too dairy" and they sacrificed both the old rawboned type, and the fertility to make them more dairy looking and milk more. They are often much more frail looking today, and even harder to get bred than the older ones were.</p><p></p><p>Any of the 1/2 hol/jer, I breed back jersey. And right now have bred a bunch to Aubrac to see how the calves come out. I also have bred a couple of jerseys to guernsey semen to get the brindle crosses, and will breed them back again to guernsey. </p><p>Mostly, many cows will take calves if you get their calf away when they come fresh, then let their calf and any new ones all go on them at the same time. I do that and they are so happy to have "their baby" back, and glad to get relief from the pressure in their udder, that they will let the other calves nurse too. I separate them for the first week or 2 so that the only time they get their calf is when they get all the calves. Then after the milk goes through the calf, it will smell right to the cow, and they will go from just tolerating, to some outright claiming the calves. The fostered calves also learn pretty quick that they have to go on the cow when the cows' own calf goes on to nurse.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="farmerjan, post: 1467201, member: 25884"] Boy, Steve, that's a loaded question.... :hide: Put me on the spot :oops: It's hard to really say, but I have found that older cows either are great or are horrible. The younger ones tend to be more "kicky", and are faster, so it is hard to get away if they take a notion. So I tend to go with older cows. Over the years many of mine were stockyard cows, so you took what you could get and afford. Right now any dairy animal that is in milk is worth little more than cull price due to farmers selling older cows and surpluses of heifers as replacements at bargain prices. Straight holsteins usually make too much milk, but I have had a few. Actually, as a rule I don't especially care for the hol/jer cross. I have had many over the years, and they tend to be more tempermental if acquired at maturity. They also tend to have udders that will fall apart in the 3rd or 4th lactation or older; center ligament support just lets go. But these last 2 are out of hol/jerseys, bred jer so are 3/4 jersey, and they are both really accepting. I still like the guernseys a little better, but they are very hard to find. And there aren't many of the "old style" ones around. Today's guernseys were bred to be "too dairy" and they sacrificed both the old rawboned type, and the fertility to make them more dairy looking and milk more. They are often much more frail looking today, and even harder to get bred than the older ones were. Any of the 1/2 hol/jer, I breed back jersey. And right now have bred a bunch to Aubrac to see how the calves come out. I also have bred a couple of jerseys to guernsey semen to get the brindle crosses, and will breed them back again to guernsey. Mostly, many cows will take calves if you get their calf away when they come fresh, then let their calf and any new ones all go on them at the same time. I do that and they are so happy to have "their baby" back, and glad to get relief from the pressure in their udder, that they will let the other calves nurse too. I separate them for the first week or 2 so that the only time they get their calf is when they get all the calves. Then after the milk goes through the calf, it will smell right to the cow, and they will go from just tolerating, to some outright claiming the calves. The fostered calves also learn pretty quick that they have to go on the cow when the cows' own calf goes on to nurse. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Cattle Boards
Breeds Board
Dairy and Dairy Cross Calves Raised for Beef
Top