Estimate weight of Jersey calf

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I disagree with your time frame. Beef calves nurse 7 months (6-8 months). Not saying they CAN'T nurse for 10 months, just not the "norm". Cows need a rest period to prepare for the next calf. We generally try to have a cow calve every 12 months.
Yes, there are farms that only let them nurse 4 months and farms that never wean a calf. This is just not the "normal" handling of beef calves.

 

[TCRanch]

Beef calves nurse 10 months so a dairy calf can easily be fed milk that long of you can afford it but it is to expensive for me. Once they have a calf, I would say you are way past bottle feeding but I can see giving you pet cow a bottle as a treat or to calm them down for a procedure, or to give medicine without restraining them.

That was a rejected (purebred Angus) twin/subsequent bottle calf and I cut her off at 6 months. She prolapsed as a first calf heifer and that was her reward for letting me take out her stitches in the pasture.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

This is a bottle raised Jersey heifer from a dairy. They are not raised by their dams like beef because they make way too much milk. At the price of milk replacer I weaned her off at 3 months with calf grain and hay. Fed her 2% of her weight each day with 14% stocker grower and she gained 2 lbs a day on washy pasture. When the grass came on shes been putting on 2 lbs a day on just grass, fat and happy and is bulling every few weeks.

I need to get her bred in August or Sept. to get her to calf at 24 months during the grassus maximus next April. Haveing an AI tech come out multiple times for shots and inseminations for 1 heifer that might even not take the first time-- Seems like I should rent a Jersey yealing bull calf. I'll but an add in the paper since this is dairy country-
Wanted to rent - Jersey yearling bull calf for breding- I fatten, you get him back and eat him.

 

[farmerjan]

One bad thing I have seen in dairy and dairy/x heifers that have been allowed to nurse too long is they are more likely to try to nurse another cow after becoming an adult. I have had 2 in the last couple of years that were raised on a nurse cow and weaned off at 5-6 months and put one more calf on the cow as she did not breed back as soon as I wanted; and 2 of the 3 on the nurse cow went to sucking later when the group of heifers all calved... one was real bad about sucking another first calf heifer from the back while the heifers' own calf was trying to nurse from the side... I put weaner nose rings in, and she got 2 different ones off and I got pi$$ed and shipped her and her calf to a sale... the other one that was trying to suck some, got moved in with some older cows and haven't seen her do it since. She tried one cow and the cow swung around and butted her so hard she got knocked down and I think that was her comeuppence....

I also have had bottle calves that were kept on a bottle over 3 months decide to try sucking anything they could as adults.... not many but a few.

Funny that I have had only one or two beef heifers that were weaned off their dam at 6-7 months, ever bother about trying to suck after they were bred and calved in as first calf heifers...over 40 years.... and we run over 150 brood cows on average. Both of them got moved in with other cows and immediately stopped. Needless to say I am not a fan of ever offering a bottle to an adult cow. @TCRanch has that one pet cow (hers are all "pets"... and nice animals) that will take a bottle as an adult.... but I don't think she would tolerate her sucking another cow...

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Fortunately, Honeydew shows no interest in other cow's udders. I fed her milk replacer for three months but the last month it was out of a pail. The little wench would NEVER PAY ANY ATTENTION to calf starter grain until I started pouring her milk on it like a bowl of cereal.

 

[TCRanch]

but I don't think she would tolerate her sucking another cow...

That would result in a ride to the sale!

 

[farmerjan]

Sorry, my comment/post, was basically refuting what @darcelina4 posted about how long calves nursed beef cows and other comments.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

That's Inga. According to breed standard an adult male German Shepherd should weigh anywhere from 75 to 90 pounds. A female German Shepherd weighs notably less at 55 to 70 pounds. Inga's a fit ranch dog and weighs 65 lbs. The calf probably weighs at least 2 Ingas maybe 3 Ingas. But I would like to know much wormer to give the calf so another Ingas worth of wormer is a big difference.
View attachment 21298

I am trying to figure the heifer's weight for this reason. I figure the eye of the stockman tends to over estimate the weight of their cattle. That's what an auction yard employee told me.

View attachment 21300
Here's this Penn State growth chart. It says my 10 week old heifer could weigh 150 lbs or she might weigh 200lbs. But the height she is is that of a 14 month old. It's true she was mostly long legs like a horse foal but the last couple of weeks she is bodying out. Here she was at 7 weeks.

View attachment 21301

I'm not particularly knowledgeable on worming, but this may be of some help and/or interest:

Best Deworming Practices for Cattle | University of Maryland Extension

Many producers are aware that gastrointestinal parasites can reduce cattle performance, and accordingly, take measures to protect their animals. This article outlines several steps to follow in order to establish a judicious and effective deworming program.

extension.umd.edu

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

It snowed 4 times here last winter with numerous hard freezes, which is unusual for near the Oregon coast. Parasite ova usually dont freeze in the mild winters so cattle and horses need to be wormed regularly. Well, this spring the parasite eggs were dead as a hammer. All the cattle are unwormed, yet are rolling fat. I've only wormed Honeydew one time in her life and she is fat as butter.

Here is the latest update on Honeydew's breeding status. I want her bred in Augurt or Sept for calf as a 2 year old and also in April - May at the time of 'Grassus Maximus' Its not worth paying for AI process for one heifer. So as I said, I thought I would put an ad in the paper Wanted to rent yearling Jersey bull for 2 months. I breed and fatten you eat him. I told the rancher across the road about my plan and he said remind him and he will deliver one of his black heifer bulls in August. Some of his cows are in our pastures. Probably he is a nice guy who also does not want his cows bred back to a screeby Jersey bull.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Honeydew is a year old now. Her weight today by tape is 640lb.s. Sixty days ago she weighed 550lbs.
90lbs on just grass thats pretty good.


Masks are pinkeye prevention, they didn't rob a bank.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Interesting....
Robbing banks and Tipping over trash cans!

 

[50/50Farms]

Masks are pinkeye prevention, they didn't rob a bank.

Prove it...

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Prove it? These two Jerseys (one is old) have so far prodiced no milk and nothing but cost.

Our neighbor across the road leases the bottom land pastures for his best breeding stock, cows and a bull. This year because of my heifer he just put bred cows over here. When I told I was going to rent a Jersey bull calf he said he would bring one of his black heifer bulls. Well, shes 12 months old now and the heifer bull is now across the road, walking the fencline, avoiding "Yellow' the big Limosine herd bull and looking across the road at Honeydew. Honeydew has been in raging heat. I had to pen her up because these huge limosin cross cows were mounting her. I saw her fall down. She mounts other cows. I have never seen such frenzied heat periods of Jerseys compared to others. Jerseys have so much female hormone they will nurse any calf (most do) the bulls are so full of testosterone they are dangerous killers.

 

[50/50Farms]

Prove it? These two Jerseys (one is old) have so far prodiced no milk and nothing but cost.

Our neighbor across the road leases the bottom land pastures for his best breeding stock, cows and a bull. This year because of my heifer he just put bred cows over here. When I told I was going to rent a Jersey bull calf he said he would bring one of his black heifer bulls. Well, shes 12 months old now and the heifer bull is now across the road, walking the fencline, avoiding "Yellow' the big Limosine herd bull and looking across the road at Honeydew. Honeydew has been in raging heat. I had to pen her up because these huge limosin cross cows were mounting her. I saw her fall down. She mounts other cows. I have never seen such frenzied heat periods of Jerseys compared to others. Jerseys have so much female hormone they will nurse any calf (most do) the bulls are so full of testosterone they are dangerous killers.

So you have no way to prove that they didn't rob a bank?

 

[MurraysMutts]

Running amuck and causing a ruckus!



Can't wait to see what honeydew do...

 

[Travlr]

So you have no way to prove that they didn't rob a bank?

A Jersey in a mask is such a stereotype... of course they are (not) innocent.

 

[50/50Farms]

A Jersey in a mask is such a stereotype... of course they are (not) innocent.

Cheapest I've ever heard a jersey without good grass being fed was $15 a week, might as well be robbers.

My wife is still howling at me about wanting a milk cow... AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Cheapest I've ever heard a jersey without good grass being fed was $15 a week, might as well be robbers.

My wife is still howling at me about wanting a milk cow... AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

GIT SUM!!
Bessie does it on grass!
Eleanor is eating 25lbs a day right now. We had a boo-boo. She calved unexpectedly as she wasn't supposed to be bred. I was a having a hard time figuring out why she was losing condition with only 2 calves on her. She would take less feed if we hadn't screwed up!

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

They must have hid the money in the tall grass.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Honeydew yesterday weighed 720lbs by tape so she gained 80 lbs in two months. I just started feeding her some 20% cubes and grass hay as the grass is less in amount and nutrition and she's a growing heifer. Handling her daily is good too so she remembers I'm the boss. Still waiting on that neighbors heifer bull. Theres a fire in the next county where they keep some of their cattle so he's been busy.