Peace
Well-known member
Same as the dog in the movie "The Jerk".
Eleanor (Profitability from Jersey cows)
- Thread starter MurraysMutts
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Same as the dog in the movie "The Jerk".
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MurraysMutts
Well-known member
How many calves do your jerseys raise??
A jersey that's producing 4 gallon (as an example) should be sufficient for 4 calves no? Especially with the calves already starting in on feed and hay.
Bessie has had a hand in 13 calves over 2 years. And she ain't even full jersey!
As u can see, she's being fed very well. I've had to back the feed off just a bit. Messy tail...
As was said before, the 4th calf will be doing something else soon. Gotta get my butcher heifer outta here first. 3 more days!
farmerjan
Well-known member
I don't think you should be "ashamed" for having the 4 calves on the cow. What was her production on the dairy do you know? If she was making at least 30-40 lbs a day, she was making 4 or more gallons a day. That is sufficient for feeding 4 calves... not to get them roly poly but to meet their needs and they will want to get into feed sooner since they are not getting too much. With that said, she will not put weight on very fast, and it might stop her from cycling or breeding back as fast since her body condition is a little thin in my opinion. NOT SKINNY, but a little thin. Since a 5 gallon bucket will hold 20-25 lbs more or less, she needs to be getting about that per day... and she will start to put some weight on as her milk slows down and that is mostly due to length of lactation.
You don't want dairy cows too fat... although I like mine to carry a little more flesh than some... but I do not want them too fat. They will have more tendencies to milk fever if they are fatter rather than less fat at calving. But also, realize that jerseys are very much more prone to milk fever. So, get and keep some tubes of gel on hand for when she calves and don't hesitate to give her one if she is the slightest bit sluggish or wobbly after calving. It is basically water soluable so will flush out of her system if it is not well absorbed into the blood stream because she needs it.
Also; keeping her in good production is actually more conducive to getting her to cycle once she reaches the balance of her weight/milking production... if she is gaining just a bit of weight, she will be more likely to cycle while she is still in production. It is very hard to get a dry cow to settle as her system seems to go "into hibernation"... like a permanent rest period. Keep her producing, just make sure she is getting a little extra feed until she is confirmed preg then you can decide how many and how long you will keep calves on her. Give her a good 3 month dry period this trip and let her get her body reserves built back up good.
You don't want dairy cows too fat... although I like mine to carry a little more flesh than some... but I do not want them too fat. They will have more tendencies to milk fever if they are fatter rather than less fat at calving. But also, realize that jerseys are very much more prone to milk fever. So, get and keep some tubes of gel on hand for when she calves and don't hesitate to give her one if she is the slightest bit sluggish or wobbly after calving. It is basically water soluable so will flush out of her system if it is not well absorbed into the blood stream because she needs it.
Also; keeping her in good production is actually more conducive to getting her to cycle once she reaches the balance of her weight/milking production... if she is gaining just a bit of weight, she will be more likely to cycle while she is still in production. It is very hard to get a dry cow to settle as her system seems to go "into hibernation"... like a permanent rest period. Keep her producing, just make sure she is getting a little extra feed until she is confirmed preg then you can decide how many and how long you will keep calves on her. Give her a good 3 month dry period this trip and let her get her body reserves built back up good.
farmerjan
Well-known member
She already looks more filled out than when you got her... All the hay she wants will go a long way to getting her system back into working order and breeding back.
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MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Thanks @farmerjan
I asked if she was making 6 gallon when I got her, and somehow or another we got sidetracked talking about other stuff. It was a definite NO on the 6 gallon.
He said she really let's down tho once she starts milking (machine milked) and we never got back to actual production numbers.
You can bet I'm
her!!
This one is turning onto a real sweetheart too! So calm an easy going now that she's settling in some. Have not seen any calf licking going on but she's letting them have all they can get.
Couple more days and she will have more room to roam and a big round bale. I've been feeding my best Bermuda cut off that cemetery this spring. Amazing stuff, but I'm running low already. Only made 1/4 of the squares I did last year.
I asked if she was making 6 gallon when I got her, and somehow or another we got sidetracked talking about other stuff. It was a definite NO on the 6 gallon.
He said she really let's down tho once she starts milking (machine milked) and we never got back to actual production numbers.
You can bet I'm
her!!This one is turning onto a real sweetheart too! So calm an easy going now that she's settling in some. Have not seen any calf licking going on but she's letting them have all they can get.
Couple more days and she will have more room to roam and a big round bale. I've been feeding my best Bermuda cut off that cemetery this spring. Amazing stuff, but I'm running low already. Only made 1/4 of the squares I did last year.
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MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Haha! She made a liar outta me!
good luck,
Jeanne - Simme Valley
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MurraysMutts
Well-known member
I was kinda hoping Debbie had some kind of insightful advice. Especially the way she seemed to have an idea about what was too much pressure. @debbiea You did NOT hurt my feelings gal. I can assure you of that. I only got 1 feeling left and I'm not sure I can access it, it's buried so deep down... lol
I agree 4 calves is a lot of animal for 1 cow to raise. But what's the difference between the calves taking the milk versus a machine taking it twice a day??
I agree 4 calves is a lot of animal for 1 cow to raise. But what's the difference between the calves taking the milk versus a machine taking it twice a day??
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MurraysMutts
Well-known member
farmerjan
Well-known member
That's just it.. there is no difference EXCEPT that the calves are keeping her milked out so there is little or no pressure built up on the udder... she will be 10 times LESS likely to get mastitis this way... And she is getting to lay around inbetween and be a more "natural cow" than on the dairy... Keep on doing it the way you are @MurraysMutts ... Bessie taught you real well, and you have taken the lessons to heart and done very good for those cows.
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MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Eleanor.... Bessie
Bessie.... Eleanor
Bessie... Opal
Opal.... Bessie and Eleanor
Yada Yada Yada!
Bessie, those are turkeys...
The gangs all here!
Eleanor, Big Sexy.
Big Sexy, Eleanor.
Make it a heifer please!
Told ya I had plans for that 4th calf!
We will see who shares with whom...
Bessie.... Eleanor
Bessie... Opal
Opal.... Bessie and Eleanor
Yada Yada Yada!
Bessie, those are turkeys...
The gangs all here!
Eleanor, Big Sexy.
Big Sexy, Eleanor.
Make it a heifer please!
Told ya I had plans for that 4th calf!
We will see who shares with whom...
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MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Ope! Its already begun. That ain't Bessies calf.....
5 calves. 2 cows. More fun! Plenty to go around.
How bout that @debbiea ?
As an aside folks, if at all possible, buy a short bred nurse cow. If a guy had to buy a bull or rent or whatever, that'll really blow the budget! Bulls eat hay and feed too!
5 calves. 2 cows. More fun! Plenty to go around.
How bout that @debbiea ?
As an aside folks, if at all possible, buy a short bred nurse cow. If a guy had to buy a bull or rent or whatever, that'll really blow the budget! Bulls eat hay and feed too!
Peace
Well-known member
MR Ducks
AR not
OSAR, CM Wings
OA, MR Ducks
As far as the bull goes, you're correct. They eat and use infrastructure and resources just like all the other inventory. To me smaller operations would probably benefit from AI for a couple reasons. Firstly you're not using the resources on them and then you're getting to choose from a selection of bulls that most probably would never buy or be able to justify to buy without getting extremely lucky or being the best judge of bulls in history.
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MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Yeah.
Neighbor just bought that young bull the other day. Iirc he has about 1100 in him, to breed 4 cows. His plan is to sell him this spring after he's done his job. He may even make a nickel on him. Or maybe not. After all he does have to feed him.
He runs on feed and hay year round anyway. Sells a bit of freezer beef.
MR Ducks!
I keep waiting to see em floating around in my stock tank!
O boy. Hope they don't eat my fishies!
Neighbor just bought that young bull the other day. Iirc he has about 1100 in him, to breed 4 cows. His plan is to sell him this spring after he's done his job. He may even make a nickel on him. Or maybe not. After all he does have to feed him.
He runs on feed and hay year round anyway. Sells a bit of freezer beef.
MR Ducks!
I keep waiting to see em floating around in my stock tank!
O boy. Hope they don't eat my fishies!
Peace
Well-known member
Yeah.
Neighbor just bought that young bull the other day. Iirc he has about 1100 in him, to breed 4 cows. His plan is to sell him this spring after he's done his job. He may even make a nickel on him. Or maybe not. After all he does have to feed him.
He runs on feed and hay year round anyway. Sells a bit of freezer beef.
MR Ducks!
I keep waiting to see em floating around in my stock tank!
O boy. Hope they don't eat my fishies!
His plan is something I've done....bought one that looked good, brought him home, fed him and let him do his thing then shipped him. It actually worked out ok, if it cost a couple bucks that was the cost split into the calves...have to be careful though, some states have dumb laws about where how and what on breeding bulls
Those are Mallards...they eat grain. They are GOOD to eat! Muscovies will eat fish and other aquatic creatures...they taste "fishy", like eating a seagull! LOL How come that one Jeresy you have, with the horns, is always pictured with a halter dragging a rope? You leave her in it all the time?MR Ducks!
I keep waiting to see em floating around in my stock tank!
O boy. Hope they don't eat my fishies!
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MurraysMutts
Well-known member
I do... shamefully
She is absolutely he77 to halter.
She will coming to the small pen soon so I can work with her some more. I'm thinking about taking her to the real vet soon to be re-pregged. Here it is November, and she ain't looking close. They called her at least 3 months beginning of June.
Correction. July 9th
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