I have the same problem -- it's real hard to walk away from that baby that so obviously needs the time and attention that you would give to it. Last year I bought several weak little newborn calves cheap at the sale barn, fed them this rich Jersey milk for a couple of weeks, then took them back to the salebarn and sold them at a substancial profit. I kept 1 for my own freezer. But this year I've just decided that I was extremely lucky last year in not having brought any diseases in, so hard as it is, I don't stay for the calf sale anymore. This year I bought a healthy, vaccinated, weaned, 10 week old Angus calf (twin) from my neighbor -- I didn't make enough off of the calves last to year to make up for the loss if my milk cows were to catch something from them.
Ann B
> We buy bull calves privately, but
> I'll run across 3-4 sale barn
> calves that I buy pretty cheap. I
> was hoping someone had some
> thoughts on treating them. I know
> they don't get their mama's first
> milk, so they really don't have to
> good a chance in the first place.
> Is there anything I can do or give
> them to boost their immune
> systems, or am I just basically
> beating a dead calf and give up on
> buying sale barn calves. I just
> feel so bad for them, I feel as
> though I maybe able to help them.
> My dad always did tell me that
> we're running a farm and not a
> zoo.
[email protected]