Hi Everyone, I see lots of talk about nurse cows, but many of the topics are older and I am not sure if I can ask questions there or not, as some of those people may have moved on.
I have purchased an Angus/Holstein Cross heifer and I am hoping to raise her as a "nurse cow". I am planning to breed her angus, and raise her calf for sale, and another dairy calf for myself. Or it is possible that I might wean those two at 4 months and raise two more calves on the cow.
I grew up on a Holstein dairy farm and we housed the cows in tie stalls. I should mention that I live in Canada, and winter is real.
Would you build two pens, one for the cow, and one for the calves, and put the calves on the suck twice a day? or leave the calves with the cow?
What do your cow pens look like? Size? I know that some people use stanchion or stall to get the calves graphed on.
I guess what I am asking first of all is how would you house your Nurse cows? and how do you feed them if you keep switching calves?
thanks,
I have purchased an Angus/Holstein Cross heifer and I am hoping to raise her as a "nurse cow". I am planning to breed her angus, and raise her calf for sale, and another dairy calf for myself. Or it is possible that I might wean those two at 4 months and raise two more calves on the cow.
I grew up on a Holstein dairy farm and we housed the cows in tie stalls. I should mention that I live in Canada, and winter is real.
Would you build two pens, one for the cow, and one for the calves, and put the calves on the suck twice a day? or leave the calves with the cow?
What do your cow pens look like? Size? I know that some people use stanchion or stall to get the calves graphed on.
I guess what I am asking first of all is how would you house your Nurse cows? and how do you feed them if you keep switching calves?
thanks,