Jersey heifer calves

[vclavin]

After years of searching for a Jersey milk cow... we stumbled across a new dairy that bought one of our angus for his dairy herd. We got there a little early with the bull and as his wife was feeding the calves told us her husband would sell the heifer calves..$200 each. We pick out one Jersey heifer and on the way home decided we better have 2, just incase..
I've raised lots of beef calves on the bottle but not dairy heifers. They are 2 and 3 weeks old and already gone thru the scours. Our vet is to vaccinate them and ear notch test for BVD before we bring them home, anything else I should know that may be diffrent than raising beef calves? ( I understand Jersey don't tolerate cold very well... also.. suggestions for AI when they are old enough?.. like to plan ahead)
Thanks
Valerie

 

[3waycross]

After years of searching for a Jersey milk cow... we stumbled across a new dairy that bought one of our angus for his dairy herd. We got there a little early with the bull and as his wife was feeding the calves told us her husband would sell the heifer calves..$200 each. We pick out one Jersey heifer and on the way home decided we better have 2, just incase..
I've raised lots of beef calves on the bottle but not dairy heifers. They are 2 and 3 weeks old and already gone thru the scours. Our vet is to vaccinate them and ear notch test for BVD before we bring them home, anything else I should know that may be diffrent than raising beef calves? ( I understand Jersey don't tolerate cold very well... also.. suggestions for AI when they are old enough?.. like to plan ahead)
Thanks
Valerie

Based on my friends recent experiences with a 3yr old Jersey cow (hooked her everyday for a week) who is now without horns I would say the best thing to AI them with is a 30-06.

 

[TexasBred]

After years of searching for a Jersey milk cow... we stumbled across a new dairy that bought one of our angus for his dairy herd. We got there a little early with the bull and as his wife was feeding the calves told us her husband would sell the heifer calves..$200 each. We pick out one Jersey heifer and on the way home decided we better have 2, just incase..
I've raised lots of beef calves on the bottle but not dairy heifers. They are 2 and 3 weeks old and already gone thru the scours. Our vet is to vaccinate them and ear notch test for BVD before we bring them home, anything else I should know that may be diffrent than raising beef calves? ( I understand Jersey don't tolerate cold very well... also.. suggestions for AI when they are old enough?.. like to plan ahead)
Thanks
Valerie

Weigh them asap so you calculate the amt. of milk replacer correctly. Directions are typically for a 100 lb beef calf. Then go out every morning expecting to find both dead. :lol2: But a good high quality textured calf starter in front of them right away (18% protein medicated with Deccox or Bovatec).

Now why in the world would your friends want to milk a black angus??

 

[hillsdown]

Are they close enough to you Val that you can buy milk from them to feed your calves ? If not TB gave great advice about the calf starter and be really careful with milk replacer, they do best on real milk but a real replacer at least 20-20-20 will work as well.

Good luck with them .

 

[dun]

Now why in the world would your friends want to milk a black angus??

Chocolate milk maybe?

 

[Suzie Q]

I would say they are going to use the bull over their Dairy cows so as the calves are worth a little more. I bet they don't try to milk a bull!!!!!!

 

[vclavin]

After years of searching for a Jersey milk cow... we stumbled across a new dairy that bought one of our angus for his dairy herd. We got there a little early with the bull and as his wife was feeding the calves told us her husband would sell the heifer calves..$200 each. We pick out one Jersey heifer and on the way home decided we better have 2, just incase..
I've raised lots of beef calves on the bottle but not dairy heifers. They are 2 and 3 weeks old and already gone thru the scours. Our vet is to vaccinate them and ear notch test for BVD before we bring them home, anything else I should know that may be diffrent than raising beef calves? ( I understand Jersey don't tolerate cold very well... also.. suggestions for AI when they are old enough?.. like to plan ahead)
Thanks
Valerie

Weigh them asap so you calculate the amt. of milk replacer correctly. Directions are typically for a 100 lb beef calf. Then go out every morning expecting to find both dead. :lol2: But a good high quality textured calf starter in front of them right away (18% protein medicated with Deccox or Bovatec).

Now why in the world would your friends want to milk a black angus??

:lol: TB, he just wanted to get them bred quickly! He won't be able to keep any for replacements into is dairy herd, he halso has a beef herd...maybe wanting them for that herd?
Valerie

 

[vclavin]

Are they close enough to you Val that you can buy milk from them to feed your calves ? If not TB gave great advice about the calf starter and be really careful with milk replacer, they do best on real milk but a real replacer at least 20-20-20 will work as well.

Good luck with them .

They are a little ways but they said they sell all their milk.. I , of course, didn't think to ask about buying milk from them for the calves. There's an amish lady not too far away that charges $2 galon for Holstein milk - didn't figure that would be much good? Or has Holstein milk inproved over the years>
Thanks Hillsdown, I use Kent milk replacer for the beef calves so will probably use it on he Jersey Heifers. They have 19 more "heifers" to calve. Don't know what breeds they are, the gentleman bought these cows from a dairy down south. I believe he has some Holsteins, guernsey, Jersey of course and not sure what else.
When the time comes, I assume I'd have to AI to a Jersey bull? Maybe they'll have sexed semen so I can get more females.... we all know females are worth more!! ;-)

 

[vclavin]

Now why in the world would your friends want to milk a black angus??

Chocolate milk maybe?

YUM!!!!

 

[vclavin]

TB & Hillsdown,

Kent formula 1
Neomycin Sulfate: 1,600 g/ton ( could be 1.600g? hard to read)
Oxytetracycline : same as above
-------
Protein: 20%
Fat: 20%
fiber: max .15%
calcium: min .75% max 1.25%
Phosphorus: .7%
Vitamin A: min 30,000 IU/lb
Vitamin D3: min 10,000 IU/lb
Vitamin E; min 150 IU/lb

Dried Whey, Dried whey protein concentrate, Animal and vegetable fat, dried whey product, ...
....... Selenium yeast, Reed-Sledge Peat

Calf weight:
70lbs 1 1/2 qts twice day

Cold weather feeding:
Add 1-2oz per feeding of Advance Milk Energizer to increase the total energy level of the milk replacer during times of cold stress.

Start feeding calf starter when 4 days old.
==========================
Hillsdown , you said 20-20-20... what is the last 20?

Do I need to get some of what they are using and slowing chance the calf over to the new milk? Are their systems picky about changing milk cold turkey?
THanks
Valerie

 

[TexasBred]

That should work ok. Kent usually makes good products. I prefer not to have an antibiotic like CTC in milk replacer but don't guess it will hurt anything. You now how to raise calves so they will be in good hands. Send pics when they get about 4-5 months old. Should be real beauties.


PS....dehorn them as soon as possible.

 

[vclavin]

That should work ok. Kent usually makes good products. I prefer not to have an antibiotic like CTC in milk replacer but don't guess it will hurt anything. You now how to raise calves so they will be in good hands. Send pics when they get about 4-5 months old. Should be real beauties.


PS....dehorn them as soon as possible.

Holy Smokes! I didn't know they had horns! When do they appear and how soon can this procedure be done on them?
Valerie

 

[VanC]

Are they close enough to you Val that you can buy milk from them to feed your calves ? If not TB gave great advice about the calf starter and be really careful with milk replacer, they do best on real milk but a real replacer at least 20-20-20 will work as well.

Good luck with them .

They are a little ways but they said they sell all their milk.. I , of course, didn't think to ask about buying milk from them for the calves. There's an amish lady not too far away that charges $2 galon for Holstein milk - didn't figure that would be much good? Or has Holstein milk inproved over the years>
Thanks Hillsdown, I use Kent milk replacer for the beef calves so will probably use it on he Jersey Heifers. They have 19 more "heifers" to calve. Don't know what breeds they are, the gentleman bought these cows from a dairy down south. I believe he has some Holsteins, guernsey, Jersey of course and not sure what else.
When the time comes, I assume I'd have to AI to a Jersey bull? Maybe they'll have sexed semen so I can get more females.... we all know females are worth more!! ;-)

90% of the dairy products in the U.S. are made with Holstein milk, and it's been that way for many years. Why would you think the milk isn't good?

 

[vclavin]

VanC... I should have said.. Does it have any cream now?
Valerie

 

[VanC]

VanC... I should have said.. Does it have any cream now?
Valerie

Yes, it always has, but Jersey milk is higher in milk solids. So, as a rule, you will get more cream from a gallon of fresh Jersey milk than you will from a gallon of fresh Holstein milk.

 

[TexasBred]

True but thousands of calves are raised everyday on holstein milk. Jersey milk is much richer but by the time it's mixed with milk from other breeds at the creamery and then all the butterfat and other solids sucked out we're left with little more than white water to buy at the grocery store. 3% butterfat at best.

 

[hillsdown]

True but thousands of calves are raised everyday on holstein milk. Jersey milk is much richer but by the time it's mixed with milk from other breeds at the creamery and then all the butterfat and other solids sucked out we're left with little more than white water to buy at the grocery store. 3% butterfat at best.

Also in the last 10-15 years Holstein genetics have been aimed at higher butterfat as you get more moola for your milk.

Val the replacer I use when I have to is 24% protein 20% fat and 20% milk sources ,no medication. The other one I used was even higher but at $125.00 a bag just does not make it feasible. Btw all of our Holstein calves were raised on real milk at the dairy ,we never used replacement and I contribute that to a huge part of my great success with bottle calves.

I thought you might be able to buy excess milk somewhere, like milk that cannot go into the tank because of WD times . How are they doing ?

 

[TexasBred]

We raised all our dairy calves on fresh milk as well but never what we called "dump milk". Had a valve that allowed us to take it right out of the pipeline still warm from mama. That probably had as much as anything to do with wife's great success raising calves. That and the fact that the ladies are just better at it that we guys. :cry2:

 

[cow pollinater]

Jersey's are actually quite easy to bottle raise IFFFFF you get the nutrition right. Holstien milk or replacer meant for holstien calves won't cut it(as you've already figured out). Fat is the key.
As far as AI'ing them, sorted jersey is one of the best values out there. Jersey heifers will concieve with sorted semen almost as well as they will with conventional and you can have OK results using it on the lactating cows as well. Get in touch with me before you purchase semen for them and I'd be happy to let you know which sorted bulls are performing well for me at that point in time as I use thousands of sorted units a year and fertility can vary from bull to bull.

 

[TexasBred]

Jersey's are actually quite easy to bottle raise IFFFFF you get the nutrition right. Holstien milk or replacer meant for holstien calves won't cut it(as you've already figured out). Fat is the key.
As far as AI'ing them, sorted jersey is one of the best values out there. Jersey heifers will concieve with sorted semen almost as well as they will with conventional and you can have OK results using it on the lactating cows as well. Get in touch with me before you purchase semen for them and I'd be happy to let you know which sorted bulls are performing well for me at that point in time as I use thousands of sorted units a year and fertility can vary from bull to bull.

I've yet to see a milk replacer labeled for "Holstein calves" only. We raised a few jersey calves every year on our regular milk which was 99% holstein with no problems.