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Nurse cow?
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<blockquote data-quote="backhoeboogie" data-source="post: 1339256" data-attributes="member: 3162"><p>The right cow can nurse six. I've owned a lot of nurse cows but never one of the best. </p><p></p><p>Four calves start off fine for me. But I have to seperate the cow from the calves. If I go with 3 calves I can turn them out to pasture and let them be. </p><p></p><p>At first she'll likely do fine with 4. You might even have to milk her out a little after they are done nursing. 4 weeks from now it won't be the same. The calves will be wanting more than what she'll give. That's why you are going to have to keep them in seperate pens and put them together when it is time for the cow to nurse. </p><p></p><p>When I am grafting new calves onto a cow it can be cumbersome. I have a nursing crate I put the cow in. After the calves have nursed the cow for 3 days or so, they'll have her scent and generally she'll accept them. </p><p></p><p>Rafter S is on the money on feed. Those calves have to pay for the feed going into the cow. Around $1.25 per day cost per calf. </p><p></p><p>The dairy bull calves aren't going to be worth as much as beef calves when you go to sell them. Maintenance cost is the same. Beef heifers will bring more than dairy steers. I try to buy beef splits from the sale barn. A couple of weeks old is perfect. Let them get hungry. Crate the cow, then crowd the calves toward her. They figure it out pretty quick.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="backhoeboogie, post: 1339256, member: 3162"] The right cow can nurse six. I've owned a lot of nurse cows but never one of the best. Four calves start off fine for me. But I have to seperate the cow from the calves. If I go with 3 calves I can turn them out to pasture and let them be. At first she'll likely do fine with 4. You might even have to milk her out a little after they are done nursing. 4 weeks from now it won't be the same. The calves will be wanting more than what she'll give. That's why you are going to have to keep them in seperate pens and put them together when it is time for the cow to nurse. When I am grafting new calves onto a cow it can be cumbersome. I have a nursing crate I put the cow in. After the calves have nursed the cow for 3 days or so, they'll have her scent and generally she'll accept them. Rafter S is on the money on feed. Those calves have to pay for the feed going into the cow. Around $1.25 per day cost per calf. The dairy bull calves aren't going to be worth as much as beef calves when you go to sell them. Maintenance cost is the same. Beef heifers will bring more than dairy steers. I try to buy beef splits from the sale barn. A couple of weeks old is perfect. Let them get hungry. Crate the cow, then crowd the calves toward her. They figure it out pretty quick. [/QUOTE]
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