nurse holstein cow

[boonecounty]

I was wondering if i could hand milk a holstein cow & use that milk to bottle feed sale barn bottle calves.And how many calves could should i get.any ideas????

 

[AllForage]

Sure, problem is that the dang teats are too small these days to get a grip on. Would be easier to just let the calves do the sucking. I would guess 3-4

 

[Bigfoot]

I think a Jersey makes a better nurse cow. If you gotta buy one anyway.

 

[boonecounty]

bigfoot-i have heard jersey milk is very rich & could cause scours. How many calves??

 

[Bigfoot]

I hadn't done it since I was kid. It's a little too time consuming for me now. I have had as many as 4 on them when the cow first freshened. Wean them, and add three.

 

[Sir Loin]

It would be a whole lot easier, less expensive, better for the calves and time consuming to simply feed them milk replacer.
SL

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Please tell me how milk replacer is better for the calves than the real thing?
Having nursed three of my own "calves", I know NOTHING is better than the real thing!

 

[Bigfoot]

It would be a whole lot easier, less expensive, better for the calves and time consuming to simply feed them milk replacer.
SL

You gotta figure the nurse cows calf pays her way. The other 6 are eating cheap.

 

[Sir Loin]

FS,

Re:

Please tell me how milk replacer is better for the calves than the real thing?

If you are implying a mother's milk is best for HER calf, provided she is in good condition and healthy, you are correct.
But that is not what was stated/asked and that is what I was responding too.
This is what I was responding too.

I was wondering if i could hand milk a holstein cow & use that milk to bottle feed sale barn bottle calves.And how many calves could should i get.any ideas????

Now to answer your question.
Feeding a medicated milk replacer, under these circumstances, will furnish the calve(s) with the proper level of antibiotics and nutrition whereas a Holstein cow may not.
Especially if she is expected to be feeding more then one calf of different breeds.

SL

 

[ousoonerfan22]

Have you priced milk replacer lately?

 

[randiliana]

I would just let the calves suck her. And I believe the milk cow would be a much better option than feeding milk replacer.

 

[chippie]

I would just let the calves suck her. And I believe the milk cow would be a much better option than feeding milk replacer.

ditto, however you need to consider that you will need to feed the cow a good quality high protein feed and hay. A dairy cow puts all of her energy into making milk and if you don't feed her, her body condition will decline.

For us it is best keep the cow and calves separate and bring the cow up twice daily to be fed and nurse the calves. You really don't want a bunch of calves banging on her udder all day long.

ETA: you may need to train the cow to accept the calves. Some can be kind of particular at first. good luck!

 

[oscar p]

I recommend a jersey. Holstein are not as gentle as a jersey, and a lot bigger.I have 3 jersey nurse cows, and a jersey bull. I keep the jersey bull loaned out most of the time. Anyway, I just keep 2 calves to the cow. Starting off the cow could take 4, but as they get bigger and need more milk, you end up with one good calf, one pretty good calf, and a runny calf, and so on, not to mention wearing out your cow. With just 2 calves nursing,you get the real deal. But good day old beef calves are so expensive now, a man can't afford them.

 

[redcowsrule33]

Feeding a medicated milk replacer, under these circumstances, will furnish the calve(s) with the proper level of antibiotics and nutrition whereas a Holstein cow may not.

Since when do bottle calves require antibiotics to thrive?

 

[randiliana]

A Holstien cow will work, it is all we've ever used. I would have loved a Jersey or Guernsey or such, but they are all but impossible to find around here.

 

[Sir Loin]

22,
Re:

Have you priced milk replacer lately?

Yes!
It's $58 per 50 lb. I generally use 2 bags per calf. ( 20% P - 15% F)
I also use 2 bags of 18 % palletized calf starter feed @ $12.40 per 50 lb bag.
Both are medicated.
Plus about $10 of hay.

For total cost of $150.00 to raise a bottle baby up to around 300 lbs when they go on pasture and hay only.
Plus ½ hr labor = $5.00

Now what is the cost to buy a cow and feed and maintain her for 3 months?
Remember cows depreciate at a rate of around $100 per year.
What is your labor cost?

33,
Re:

Since when do bottle calves require antibiotics to thrive?

Since they have virtually no immune system of their own until they are around 3 mo old.
Plus they have no momma to attend to their external medical needs and need to be protected.

SL

 

[backhoeboogie]

Use her for a nurse cow. You may have to strip her out when the calves are small. Put 4 calves on her twice. Buy beef calves split off of aged cows. More expensive initially but more profit in the long haul. I would have milk replacer on hand in case of an accident or train wreck.

I've got a nursing crate. Usually after 3 days the calves have the cow's scent and she doesn't have to be crated. It is best to keep them separate and put them together twice a day.

My cost is about a dollar a day per calf when they are on the nurse cow. That's the cow's feed and keep pro-rated. Milk replacer is much more expensive and the calves don't do as well, for me anyway.

My best nurse cow is 1/2 jersey 1/2 Holstein.

 

[Nite Hawk]

I have seen calves survive on milk replacer, but not thrive. They tend to look scruffy and pot bellied even with the best of care with replacer. On real milk they do much better.
Concerning a nurse cow, when she has raised 3-4 calves for a couple of months, a fresh batch can be put on her, of course taking into consideration her milk production, and her condition one can reduce the amount of calves on her.
holstein vs Jersey--
Alot of the new generation of holstein are HUGE, along with their production. I have milked 1700 pound cows, and cows that are producing 100 pounds of milk a day. One cow reached 140 pounds a day. translate that over to 10 gallons ( imperial gallons that is which are bigger than USA gallons) to 14 gallons a aday. Hard to believe but these cows were on government test programs and the records are out there somewhere.
Alot of your modern jersey cattle have also gotten alot bigger. The PB jersey that I have right now is around 1000 pounds and will produce about 6 gallons a day at peak, but I did have one that produced 8 gallons.
with the increase in volume, generally ( not always,) there is usually a reduction in butterfat.
I prefer to milk the cow and then feed calves, so i know exactly what volume is consumed, and can cut back if there is indications of scours, or dilute the milk with water.
There are smaller examples of both breeds out there, but up here- north of the USA-Canada border, they are becoming harder to find.
hope this helps in your decision..

 

[chippie]

Re:

Since when do bottle calves require antibiotics to thrive?

Since they have virtually no immune system of their own until they are around 3 mo old.
Plus they have no momma to attend to their external medical needs and need to be protected.

SL

The Ideal Nurse Cow - prepared to take care of all calves medical needs.

 

[TexasBred]

I have seen calves survive on milk replacer, but not thrive. They tend to look scruffy and pot bellied even with the best of care with replacer. On real milk they do much better.
Concerning a nurse cow, when she has raised 3-4 calves for a couple of months, a fresh batch can be put on her, of course taking into consideration her milk production, and her condition one can reduce the amount of calves on her.
holstein vs Jersey--
Alot of the new generation of holstein are HUGE, along with their production. I have milked 1700 pound cows, and cows that are producing 100 pounds of milk a day. One cow reached 140 pounds a day. translate that over to 10 gallons ( imperial gallons that is which are bigger than USA gallons) to 14 gallons a aday. Hard to believe but these cows were on government test programs and the records are out there somewhere.
Alot of your modern jersey cattle have also gotten alot bigger. The PB jersey that I have right now is around 1000 pounds and will produce about 6 gallons a day at peak, but I did have one that produced 8 gallons.
with the increase in volume, generally ( not always,) there is usually a reduction in butterfat.
I prefer to milk the cow and then feed calves, so i know exactly what volume is consumed, and can cut back if there is indications of scours, or dilute the milk with water.
There are smaller examples of both breeds out there, but up here- north of the USA-Canada border, they are becoming harder to find.
hope this helps in your decision..

Use to raise over 400 dairy calves a year on nothing but mama's milk right out of the pipeline still warm along with a high quality calf starter and would lose about 3=4 a year. No meds. at all unless you had to treat an individual calf.

SirLoin you need to spend another ten=fifteen bucks a bag and get a good milk replacer medicated only with Bovatec. The calves will do much better.