I raise several Jersey bull calves every year, have 7 and a Jersey cross here right now.
When I sell my bulls (intact) they are 8-1/2 months old and weigh approximately 400 lbs. I get mine from a commercial dairy that has some pretty good sized Jersey cows, but size can really vary.
Once I wean them at 8 weeks I feed them a "generic" cattle feed that is milled locally, they get 2% of their body weight in the feed and free access to good grass hay.
They always look a little thin, but Jerseys are like that and feeding more than 2% of their body weight in grain/feed doesn't make them grow/gain any faster. They're not nearly as feed efficient as the beef breeds. Jerseys just don't do much bulking up until they're pushing a year old.
The thing to remember with Jerseys is that if they have a potbelly their ration isn't rich enough, and they're having to eat too much bulk to get the nutrition they need. My guys never get that potbellied look that most of the Jerseys that go through the salebarn have.
When it comes to what they go for -- depends on where you are and who's buying. Around here (SE Nebraska) Jersey steers go for 50 cents a pound when everything else is going for 80-90 cents. I've seen 300 lb Jersey steers sell for $140. Young Jersey bulls however, can be a good business -- if you get in with the right people. After I got involved with AI and met some of the semen distributors, I found out that Jersey bulls are favored as "gomers" since they supposedly have a higher sex drive than most beef breeds. So I raise mine exclusively for one particular semen distributor. I get a lot more than I'd get at the salebarn -- and he gets halterbroken, dehorned bulls that have had a few manners taught to them, know their name, and will come when called (still don't totally trust them, they are bulls, but they're used to people being at the top of the pecking order)
Ann B
> I have a few jesery calves.They
> will be a year old in october.They
> seem to be growing very
> slowly.They probebly weigh only
> 250-300 pounds only.There height
> is about 3 feet tall.Is there a
> certain feed to give them to help
> them grow?Also what do
> jerseys,catsrated bulls,go
> for?Ruffly?Reason I ask,is because
> I have a freind who gives me all
> of his jersey bull calves.Thanks
> for your help.
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