Estimate weight of Jersey calf

[TexasJerseyMilker]

" There is no bull in there now so not worried that they will cycle early... which they are more likely to do if they are "well rounded" out too."

The same thing happens with well rounded pre teen girls.

How much 16% 'stocker grower' grain should I be feeding a 200 lb calf? The tag says .5 to 1.5% percent of their weight. I've been feeding her 4 lbs. a day. She's also eating dairy quality alfalfa and the 2 quarts of whats left of the milk replacer. She goes out in the pasture with my other 2 cows a few hours a day

 

[MurraysMutts]

" There is no bull in there now so not worried that they will cycle early... which they are more likely to do if they are "well rounded" out too."

The same thing happens with well rounded pre teen girls.

How much 16% 'stocker grower' grain should I be feeding a 200 lb calf? The tag says .5 to 1.5% percent of their weight. I've been feeding her 4 lbs. a day. She's also eating dairy quality alfalfa and the 2 quarts of whats left of the milk replacer. She goes out in the pasture with my other 2 cows a few hours a day

Shrs dang sure got enough to eat!

 

[farmerjan]

I would cut the milk replacer and put the rest of the powder in a bag in the freezer for an emergency... The grain is a little more than needed but... 5 gallon bucket weighs 20-25 lbs so 1 gal is about 5 lbs... +/- .... I would feed her maybe 3-4 lbs a day.. not a feeding.... but I do not feed any alfalfa to calves... just a good grass hay to develop the rumen. With grain they do not need the extra protein from the hay. I would cut the grain or cut the hay....

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Good idea to have calf milk in the freezer. I've been feeding her 2 lbs morning and at night (I weigh it). She also has a rack of local grass hay in her pen.

One thing- I would like for her to have more respect for my space when I lead her. Maybe because I had feeding a 1/2 gallon of milk a day in a bucket. She blocks, buffets me and knocks me around as if I am her mother cow. She does not butt but is overly physical. Yet with the other two cows she is most respectful. Giving her a pop on the nose has an immediate effect but she goes right back at it. I don't think bovines should get in the habit of putting their heads on people.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

In her world you gave up the right not to be touched when you put your hands on her.
She could give a rat what you think about bovines.

 

[greybeard]

I don't think bovines should get in the habit of putting their heads on people.

Most Jerseys don't agree.

 

[TCRanch]

I don't think bovines should get in the habit of putting their heads on people.

Me either! Sorry, I'm on a roll here

 

[MurraysMutts]

They can be quite annoying.
My jersey is too uppity for that tho.
Shes fidgets

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

I would like to hear Farmerjan's opinion on this. She handles a lot of milking dairy cows.

 

[MurraysMutts]

I would like to hear Farmerjan's opinion on this. She handles a lot of milking dairy cows.

@farmerjan

@Jeanne - Simme Valley shows a lot of animals. Perhaps she has some tips to break them from being too up close and personal. Or bossy maybe?

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

I have an hornless, dear, old cull pet Jersey, She is sweet and affectionate and I love like my sister. She comes running from the field, bag a swinging, when I sing to her and is quiet and kind and loves to be petted and scratched. But she has her ways. For instance, she does not want to be haltered and violently swings her boney head all around. Or at feeding time she will threaten the other and watch out, thats the one that knocks you down.

A short time ago I had little baby bottle calf now a 200lb rowdy. You know how a big calf treats it's mother trying to get milk? Thats how she does me. Is this just a stage? Should I carry a piece of pvc pipe and hit her with it?

 

[farmerjan]

I can't give you a set of rules to not make a calf too pushy with her head. I have one that has been friendly from a calf on her mother and can get in my face but I can give her an open handed slap on the side of her face and tell her NO BRAT... and then work from the side of her neck and scratch her neck, throat, or whatever. She doesn't take offense and backs off and then wants to be scratched... I never singled her out for being a pet... she just likes people....
I try hard to feed a calf from its side.. not standing directly in front of it... because of their NATURAL and normal tendency to butt. After the first couple of feedings to get it good at wanting the bottle. I stand next to them and hold the bottle in front and they bend their neck around a little like they would on a cow....but it stops the getting butted and a swift PAIN in the crotch or thigh....
I can't imagine using a pvc pipe... I smack them right in the nose with a flat hand and say NO... My longhorn will come down to the barn and I can just stop her with a NO JESS... and she will stand there and not try to push through me for grain. Maybe it is my tone of voice... and I have gotten LOUD a couple of times... but they know if I say NO they had better not shove or get too aggressive.
If the cow hates to be haltered.... get a halter on her and leave it on her. Get a COW halter, NOT an adapted horse halter. They cannot tolerate the tightness under the throat latch area like a horse.. the cow halters crisscross under the throat area, above the chin, with a ring there to hold it "together" so to speak; so they don't get a tightness... a rope halter is different.
My one nurse cow is pushy in the barn in the feed trough. She will back off when I put the grain in there... and I respect her eating space. She will flip a calf if they get in her space... I have hollered at her... but it is her grain...
It starts from the beginning... and I have just gotten so that I will not tolerate one that tries to run me over for the grain bucket. The beef cows will come and crowd you at the feed trough and I get it... so now mostly I will feed in the troughs in the catch pen with the gate closed since I cannot move fast enough to get out of their way. Then I let them in... but a single cow cannot be allowed to be "the boss" if you don't want to get hurt. It starts with them as small calves.
I don't want them to be "big babies" in the barn...

I will tell you that many of the dairy heifers that are shown are also the very worst witches in the barn when they come fresh. And I work with a couple of farmers that show their cattle and they will even talk about how some of the heifers are the worst after they have been pampered on the show circuit.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Thank you for your experience and advice. My heifer wears a crisscrossing calf halter with a ring. Daphne my old pet cow has an actual cow halter. It has an adjustable throat latch and a jerk chain if needed under the chin. She wears it all the time. I did have it on my jers/angus yearling but she became unhalter broke so I sold her to the ranch across the road. When I put the halter back on Daphne, hadn't been put back on her in a while and her old aggressive head swing behavior reappeared. Such a sweet natured animal too.



I just don't want to get hurt. You have to teach horses to respect your space. It's horse body language. I pet you, you do not pet me unless your invited. With animals there is the balance of approach/avoidance. For instance, when people bottle feed buck fawns they lose their avoidance. When they grow antlers they approach and kill people.

People making lap pets out of show bulls- not a great idea. Gosh, I knew an Angus bull named Peanut. He was bottle raised and a big pet, was a show bull then a herd sire. The owner was going to move away to west Texas and I wanted to buy Peanut. He was the sire of Daphne's first calf and he made a #3 grade black steer. But I got to thinking What if I go outside in the dark and an overly friendly black bull was standing there. Coming over getting all friendly he could break your ribs just trying to get a fly.

Tomorrow is the heifers last meal of milk replacer. No need to save some powder frozen, the Milkyway feed store is open 7 days a week. Her pushy behavior is mostly associated with the milk bucket. She won't be getting anymore food from me that is not put in her manger. When I lead her I twirl the rope behind me so she doesn't come up all pushy. I think she'll be alright.

 

[farmerjan]

We have had several bulls that are very calm and friendly when you go in the pasture... not aggressive but wanted to get some scratches. Bubba, the big red poll bull... would come to my voice and load right on the trailer. He would not push for grain, and knew that the trailer meant he was going for a ride... which was usually a trip to see some new girls.... both my son and I shed tears when his arthritis got so bad and we shipped him direct to a slaughter plant.
You never turn your back on one but I would rather deal with a bull than an unpredictable cow. A bull pretty much lets you know his feelings... a cow can really switch her attitude....

If she went back to old behavior of the swinging the head, then take it off and leave it off. If she comes to you with no problem, then why use it. I thought she was hard to catch thus the haltering. Use a neck chain to "tie her" in the barn.

Hope that stopping the milk replacer in the bucket will curb the heifers problem.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

". A bull pretty much lets you know his feelings... a cow can really switch her attitude...."

Just like women

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I don't have any problem with my herd or show cattle. But, no matter how much we coddle/pamper them, we always demand respect. If they approach with head down, they get a boot in the nose or a swat with flat hand.
All of them are potentially dangerous. Same with bulls. We never coddle/cuddle their heads. And we put a nose ring in the bull calves. Teaches them to turn their nose away from you.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Yes! You want them to keep their head away from you.

Bulls look nice with nose rings. Women don't

The last 2 days of no more milk Honeydew calf has been walking politely beside me, not all over me.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

I finally got a dairy weight tape. Honeydew is 4 months old today and weighs 270/lbs.

Cobern's Dairy tape for Jerseys says she is almost the average weight of a 6 month old heifer. Shes not fat. I'm feeding her 2% of her weight in stocker grain and she has access to pasture and alfalfa hay. Since being with other cattle she has lost her calf-like pushyness and has become respectful and friendly.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I shoot for 100#/month of age - but mine are heavy muscled beef cattle. That sounds like a real good weight to me.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Yes. Compared to beef calves, dairy calves are spindly little creatures, almost deer-like. You don't want them to get fat in their little udders as this would lower milk production later. One thing I like about my bottle calf, she does not have a pot belly, not at all.