raising Guernsey bottle calves

[bulldog]

First of all I would like to thank yall for the warm welcome last night when I joined.

I have found a new supplier of calves who has a dairy and only has Guernsey cattle. I know that everyone I have spoke to and all that I have read bottle feed Holsteins, Jersey's, etc. But never heard anything on Gurnseys. I was wondering if the Gurnsey calves are in the same price range at selling time as Holsteins, or will they be like a Jersey (A dime a dozen) and not much profit margin. Has anybody out there ever raised any bottle Gurnsey calves.
:?:

Bulldog

 

[dun]

We raised Gurnsey bottle calves many years ago but there aren;t that many Guernsey herds left which is part of the reason you see more Holstein and Jersey calves and dairys. The few I've seen lately in this area sell about like the Jerseys and if it's a small salebarn and mostly folks looking for a calf to raise in their backyard for the kids the Jerseys outsell them (they're a "cuter" calf). Guernseys are about the poorest muscled for the size of any of the dairy breeds. They also generally tend to be almost as big a dullard as Brown Swiss. Not particularly robust or vigorous.

dun

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

I for one would like to find a couple of good Guernsey heifers to buy.We had a Guernsy cow when I was a kid and I really liked her.Good milker with lots of cream! ;-) :cboy:

 

[bulldog]

I guess they are worth the effort since I only give $50.00 a piece for them, and he usually has 4 or 5 bull calves a month during the calving season. Do they grow off slow like a Jersey? Also do any of you know how they are for beef, from what I have read they sound like they will be fine, just that the fat is kinda yellow instead of white like other breeds. Anyone out there experienced this first hand.

I just picked up 2 last week, I will get some pictures this weekend and attempt to post them.

Thanks,

Bulldog

 

[certherfbeef]

In my experience a guernsey is pretty dumb. And once they get sick...they have not much will to live.

Local vet when I was growing said a sick guernsey was a dead guernsey.

Good luck to ya. Keep ollie's love potion #9 pasted to the wall.

 

[bulldog]

Maybe I should just try and raise the one Guernsey I have now to see if they are strong enough to survive if they do get sick and gain a little experience with the breed. I have one Gurnsey bull calf now and he seams to be doing fine, but no sickness yet. I would hate to get 10 or 12 and them get sick and die.

Thanks,

Bulldog

 

[CopeMan]

First of all I would like to thank yall for the warm welcome last night when I joined.

I have found a new supplier of calves who has a dairy and only has Guernsey cattle. I know that everyone I have spoke to and all that I have read bottle feed Holsteins, Jersey's, etc. But never heard anything on Gurnseys. I was wondering if the Gurnsey calves are in the same price range at selling time as Holsteins, or will they be like a Jersey (A dime a dozen) and not much profit margin. Has anybody out there ever raised any bottle Gurnsey calves.
:?:

Bulldog

Did they come form Bergeys Dairy Farm in Chesapeake VA?

 

[bulldog]

Dun,

This may be a dumb question, but what did you mean when you said "They also generally tend to be almost as big a dullard as Brown Swiss. Not particularly robust or vigorous."

 

[certherfbeef]

Dun,

This may be a dumb question, but what did you mean when you said "They also generally tend to be almost as big a dullard as Brown Swiss. Not particularly robust or vigorous."

I think he ment they are stupid, bulldog.

A brown swiss isn't the most intelligent dairy animal either. And they don't move very fast. But I'll say that a swiss is a little hardier than a guernsey.

 

[bulldog]

First of all I would like to thank yall for the warm welcome last night when I joined.

I have found a new supplier of calves who has a dairy and only has Guernsey cattle. I know that everyone I have spoke to and all that I have read bottle feed Holsteins, Jersey's, etc. But never heard anything on Gurnseys. I was wondering if the Gurnsey calves are in the same price range at selling time as Holsteins, or will they be like a Jersey (A dime a dozen) and not much profit margin. Has anybody out there ever raised any bottle Gurnsey calves.
:?:

Bulldog

Did they come form Bergeys Dairy Farm in Chesapeake VA?

No they came from a small dairy here in N.C.

 

[bulldog]

Dun,

This may be a dumb question, but what did you mean when you said "They also generally tend to be almost as big a dullard as Brown Swiss. Not particularly robust or vigorous."

I think he ment they are stupid, bulldog.

A brown swiss isn't the most intelligent dairy animal either. And they don't move very fast. But I'll say that a swiss is a little hardier than a guernsey.

Makes since to me, he sure was cussing them like a dog the other day, when he was trying to get them into the barn so they must be dumb!!!! :lol:

I also noticed that the cows looked real thin, and I asked him about it and he said that it was just the breed.

 

[dun]

Dun,

This may be a dumb question, but what did you mean when you said "They also generally tend to be almost as big a dullard as Brown Swiss. Not particularly robust or vigorous."

I think he ment they are stupid, bulldog.

A brown swiss isn't the most intelligent dairy animal either. And they don't move very fast. But I'll say that a swiss is a little hardier than a guernsey.

Makes since to me, he sure was cussing them like a dog the other day, when he was trying to get them into the barn so they must be dumb!!!! :lol:

I also noticed that the cows looked real thin, and I asked him about it and he said that it was just the breed.

Sorry, didn;t even see that question until it was in the quote. Sluggish, no spunk or spirit, laid back to the point of be slooooow and lazy.

dun

 

[stocky]

I have raised many different bottle calves out of dairy cows. The guernseys were just fine. They grow out much better than the jerseys and not too far behind the holsteins. They will generally sell a little under the holsteins but considerably better than the jerseys. For 50 dollars, I would certainly give those guernsey bulls a try and sell them at 400 lbs the first of July for a dollar per pound--which would be about 15 dollars under the holsteins at the current market