Jersey questions

[Kell-inKY]

All this talk about Jersey flavor has me curious.

Are the steers as batshyt crazy as the bulls?
Is dehorning a problem for a small time operation like me?
Can I just cut them when they get too long etc.?
I assume I am going to only find calves pulled from their mommas very young and will probably always be runts or on the small side and possibly sickly right?

Been toying with this for years now, the amish around here claim they are the best tasting from what I hear.

 

[crossbredcalves]

We butcher a Jersey steer about every year, so we usually have a couple at varying sizes. We don't have any complaints out of any of the steers we have raised for this purpose.

*I have never had any trouble with any of my steers being "crazy." We cut them whenever we get them if they haven't already been cut.
*I haven't ever dehorned any of mine. I don't see the use in putting them through the stress of it. Of course, I have Longhorn cross cows, so I occasionally have calves with horns that the steers are running with.
*Again, I don't dehorn.
*I have bought some off of Craigslist. I have bought them at all different sizes, from bottle calf to 250 pounds and already on grain. You just have to look to see what is available.

 

[Bigfoot]

They show up weaned at the yards pretty regular. they suck for tie down roping, but I take all I can find. Worth nothing. They'd be good for you practice dehorning on.

 

[gaurus]

All this talk about Jersey flavor has me curious.

Their beef is said to be the most marbled only second to Japanese Wagyu, their beef is said to taste like butter and melts on your mouth.
I am fattening a Jersey steer and will get to experience this first hand.

 

[J&D Cattle]

We've never had a crazy steer. I'm sure it can happen though. Most of the ones we have bought are around 250-350 and have been bought directly from a dairy which already took care of the horns. We have picked up some through the sale barn and have dehorned those. I'd just leave the horns but my Dad always removes them.

I've never wanted to deal with dairy bottle babies, they don't have the heart and will to live of a beef calf it seems to me.

 

[Son of Butch]

I've never wanted to deal with dairy bottle babies, they don't have the heart and will to live of a beef calf...

Often comes from failure of getting enough colostrum to build immunity by separating at birth or from stress by
overcrowding or poor sanitation where the baby bottle calves housed. Especially when the plan is to just sell them
at the sale barn between 2- 8 days of age. (Most sellers know not to put a wet navel in the ring) but it's a definite
"Let The Buyer Beware" scenario.

As for dehorning the younger the better and scooping little horns is no big deal, but burning them even younger is better yet.

 

[Ky hills]

For dehorning small calves I use an electric dehorner, and for a little bigger calves a Barnes dehorner.

 

[farmerjan]

I also eat 99% jersey beef. they are the 2nd best marbling breed behind the wagyu. Flavor is a little different from store bought beef but I also mostly raise mine on grass. They are a little "sweeter" tasting meat, and very lean naturally.

I find jersey bottle babies are some of the most resilient ones if they have had colostrum. The biggest problem is everyone tries to feed them too much in the beginning. They are little and don't need all that milk that other bottle babies get.

My steers are usually friendlier than the heifers.... Band whenever you can, but I like to wait til they are weaned and eating real good. They will sometimes get that "pot gut" or hay belly. I don't always take off the horns, but some will use them, so then we dehorn.
They grow good after a year old, on pasture. Wait until they are in the 24+ age to butcher with a good finish on them. All animals need to MATURE to properly marble. I usually get mine put in the freezer at the 26-28 month stage.

 

[Nite Hawk]

We have ate quite a bit of Jersey meat, and it is excellent, not much on them, bony like a chickadee, but what is there is good..

 

[BK9954]

I have ny 3rd jersey bull. Use them for heifers. Young they are okay, they just tear everything up they can. Seriously, more so then any other animal I have owned. Overturn water troughs, mineral feeders etc... anything over 18 months can get pretty aggressive. Dehorning is a must. I have dehorned all of them as soon as I got them.

 

[Kell-inKY]

That's some great info all, thanks.

I'm on the lookout, probably have to be off of craigslist though. I've seen heifers as much as bull calves IIRC when I was searching in the past, I'm not too picky at this point though.

 

[Bigfoot]

That's some great info all, thanks.

I'm on the lookout, probably have to be off of craigslist though. I've seen heifers as much as bull calves IIRC when I was searching in the past, I'm not too picky at this point though.

Don't over pay buying from an individual. They bring next to nothing at yard.

 

[Son of Butch]

That's some great info all, thanks.

I'm on the lookout, probably have to be off of craigslist though. I've seen heifers as much as bull calves IIRC when I was searching in the past, I'm not too picky at this point though.

Don't over pay buying from an individual. They bring next to nothing at yard.

So true.
At small barns auctioneers always have trouble getting them started, unless a newbie jumps in early to over pay.

I've bought hojo steers (hols x jersey) in the past and they seem smarter, friendlier and have more curiosity than
others. I prefer them dumb, the smarter they are the more minor trouble they seem to create or get into.

 

[Kell-inKY]

I would have to take off work for an auction (Tuesday mornings), plus I don't know what I'm doing. Steep learning curve I'm sure. I like selling at auction cause I can just drop off at night though.

 

[farmerjan]

Do you know any of the guys who sell at the auction? Or ask the owner of the sale barn. Most of them buy on orders, charge a fee but if you deal with them a few times a year, they know who you are and tell them EXACTLY what you are looking for. Might take them a month to find a decent one. We see a few go through here a couple of times a month. 300-600 lbs mostly. Right now they are running in the $.40 - $.60 lb range. About 1/3 to 1/2 of what a feeder angus will bring. Also, if you have some cattle at home like weaned heifers that it can go with, would be good. They don't like to be alone either.

I have kept 2 jersey bulls, one at a time, for a dairy farmer and got to use them in the bargain. Both were very well behaved, were dehorned, and when he needed them back to use as cleanup on some holstein heifers, I called them in the pen with some grain and then just loaded them. I know all the stories, and never trust an animal that outweighs me 5-10 times, but honestly they were better behaved than I ever thought they would be. All the steers I have are pretty friendly.

 

[TexasBred]

Temple Grandin, Colorado State University professor and animal scientist, wrote an article called "Preventing Bull Accidents," where she states "the most dangerous dairy bull is a bull that has not been properly socialized to his own kind."

She noted that the bull calf that is raised alone thinks he is a person, and he wants to exert dominance over "the herd."
"When they are raised with their own kind, they know who they are and they are less likely to think that people are part of the herd," she wrote.
She added that bull calves should not be petted on the forehead, as pressure on the forehead will encourage butting. Bull calves can be petted under the chin, on the rear or on the shoulders.
Grandin pointed out that bulls sometimes stand sideways so a person can see how large they are, prior to an attack. If this is recognized, a person can back away slowly from the bull.
"A bull that does a broadside threat to milkers should be culled," she said.

 

[Kell-inKY]

farmerjan, no I don't have any real contacts in farming, just pester the heck out of everyone I run into (kinda like here). Plenty of other calves to hang out with too.

TexasBred, thanks for the info, don't worry, I'm not raising pets, that doesn't mean I don't enjoy interacting with the cattle though. We have people out in the pasture all the time, a crazy would not be good

 

[WalnutCrest]

Temple Grandin, Colorado State University professor and animal scientist, wrote an article called "Preventing Bull Accidents," where she states "the most dangerous dairy bull is a bull that has not been properly socialized to his own kind."

She noted that the bull calf that is raised alone thinks he is a person, and he wants to exert dominance over "the herd."
"When they are raised with their own kind, they know who they are and they are less likely to think that people are part of the herd," she wrote.
She added that bull calves should not be petted on the forehead, as pressure on the forehead will encourage butting. Bull calves can be petted under the chin, on the rear or on the shoulders.
Grandin pointed out that bulls sometimes stand sideways so a person can see how large they are, prior to an attack. If this is recognized, a person can back away slowly from the bull.
"A bull that does a broadside threat to milkers should be culled," she said.

This is excellent advice. It should be in the thread for newbies if it's not already.