open pastures vs secure area for new calf milking

[uscangus]

Is there any differences in regard to milking new calf in an opened pasture or secured area in the barn during wet winter in northwest, wa. our winter is mostly wet and chronic drizzled rain. our snow precipitations are usually several days and wash out during the rain. our lowest temperatures are usually low 30's with winds ranging 10-20mph. since they are animals, i thought it would be natural and would be better to prevent respiratory diseases. i humbly accepts the "board advises" with their highly experiences. i am a newbie in this business. thank you for kind advises. :help:

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Never seen a calf that would give milk. You need to find a local rancher to show you how to raise cattle in your area.

 

[SRBeef]

Is there any differences in regard to milking new calf in an opened pasture or secured area in the barn during wet winter in northwest, wa. our winter is mostly wet and chronic drizzled rain. our snow precipitations are usually several days and wash out during the rain. our lowest temperatures are usually low 30's with winds ranging 10-20mph. since they are animals, i thought it would be natural and would be better to prevent respiratory diseases. i humbly accepts the "board advises" with their highly experiences. i am a newbie in this business. thank you for kind advises. :help:

Your weather in the NW is really not important.

These are cattle, not people. They are meant to be outdoors. They do stay healthier outdoors. They need protection from the winds (as they would find in the wild on their own) but this can be trees or a wind break. But that is about all. Mine are never under a roof until they get on the trailer to the processor.

As mentioned above, get some advice and read a few books on raising cattle. It is nice to have a local experienced cattle person to talk to but you don't necessarily need to raise cattle the way a neighbor does it either... Good luck.

Jim

PS: as a fellow beginner there are a couple books that I found helpful: "Storey's Guide to Raising Beef Cattle" by Heather Smith Thomas for facts, "Beef Cattle: Keeping a Small-Scale Herd for Pleasure and Profit" by Ann Larkin-Hansen for northern climate cattle handling/training/attitude etc. and Joel Salatin's original book, "Salad Bar Beef" for philosophical information on rotational grazing. These are 3 very different books. You don't need to accept all of what's in them but taken together they give you a pretty good background to come up with your own system of raising cattle that fits your resources and general situation. You can get all three from Amazon.

Start slowly and add experience and you will be successful, whatever that means to you. jmho.

 

[Cowdirt]

Never seen a calf that would give milk. You need to find a local rancher to show you how to raise cattle in your area.

Red Bull, you've gotta get out more! ;-)

 

[uscangus]

I meant a new calf receiving milk from the mother cow in open pasture or secure area. sorry.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I have been out a about as much as i want to cowdirt. But i still have never seen a calf give milk. I have milked a few cows time to time. Besides some of them calves only has one tit and they never give milk. First thing uscangus needs is a few leasons in how to talk about cows.

But he or she is learning.

 

[S&WSigma40VEShooter]

I meant a new calf receiving milk from the mother cow in open pasture or secure area. sorry.

Put em in the pasture and leave em alone. This aint no human mama breast feeding her baby that needs privacy. ROFLMA

 

[dun]

I have been out a about as much as i want to cowdirt. But i still have never seen a calf give milk. I have milked a few cows time to time. Besides some of them calves only has one tit and they never give milk. First thing uscangus needs is a few leasons in how to talk about cows.

But he or she is learning.

If you're gonna get fussy about that, how about saling something and sellbarn

 

[S&WSigma40VEShooter]

Is there any differences in regard to milking new calf in an opened pasture or secured area in the barn during wet winter in northwest, wa. our winter is mostly wet and chronic drizzled rain. our snow precipitations are usually several days and wash out during the rain. our lowest temperatures are usually low 30's with winds ranging 10-20mph. since they are animals, i thought it would be natural and would be better to prevent respiratory diseases. i humbly accepts the "board advises" with their highly experiences. i am a newbie in this business. thank you for kind advises. :help:

City folks trying to raise cattle. Cracks me up ever time.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I ain't being fussy Dun. I just ain't never seen a calf give milk. But i have been sent a saling across the barn lot a few times. :lol:

 

[dun]

I ain't being fussy Dun. I just ain't never seen a calf give milk. But i have been sent a saling across the barn lot a few times. :lol:

Was that at the sellbarn?

 

[Angus Cowman]

I ain't being fussy Dun. I just ain't never seen a calf give milk. But i have been sent a saling across the barn lot a few times. :lol:

Was that at the sellbarn?

Dun
I have met his wife so don't let him try to tell ya it was by an ornery cow or bull I would say he probably opened his mouth when she said to shut it and he went saling :lol2: :lol2:

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I like a gal with a lot of spunk!! Don't matter if its a woman or a bovine.

 

[msscamp]

since they are animals, i thought it would be natural and would be better to prevent respiratory diseases. i humbly accepts the "board advises" with their highly experiences. i am a newbie in this business. thank you for kind advises. :help:

If I'm understanding your post right, you're thinking you can prevent respiratory illness by confining your animals to the barn? Is that right? If so, the fastest route to respiratory illness is to confine animals to a barn. God did not intend animals to be confined to a barn. He intended them to be outside with fresh air and sunshine, both of which are vital for their health! Fresh air eliminates the ammonia produced by their urine, and sunshine kills bacteria. If you want your animals to be healthy, get them out of that barn, and into the pasture! Shelter is good but, if it is shed type shelter, it needs to be regularly cleaned and free of ammonia.