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slick4591

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I have a yearling heifer that's being beaten back from the trough and hay ring. It looks like my only option is to bring her to the house and put her on the 2.5 acres here so I can grow her out until she's 18 months. I know I'll probably have trouble out her if I don't have a pasture mate for her, so I'd like to get something commercial around her age that won't break the bank and not end up costing me too bad in the long run. I can buy some crap off of Craigs List or a Facebook page, or spend more up front for something of decent quality for resale later on. Is there a good option here?
 
Jeanne - Simme Valley":1euqkj9x said:
TennesseeTuxedo":1euqkj9x said:
Buy another hay ring perhaps?
LOL - sorry, but that was funny.
Do you have anything that is smaller than her that you could move?
I would put her by herself rather than buying a complete unknown. What problems might you bring home?

Thought of this, but the two closest is a 30 day old and a bred heifer 22 months, and part of the problem. Yes, my brain has ran through the possibilities of bringing one in. My fear is that I live on a fairly busy highway and she'll find a way out if she doesn't have company. She's really easy going but she's never been by herself. No pens over here at the moment and doesn't look like any will be here for a while. Just barb wire on all sides.
 
Any chance someone around raises bottle calves? Get a bigger one that they have weaned. Their home raised, gentle, and will grow if you feed them. Sell it when your done with it.
 
kenny thomas":3c1hsfxk said:
Any chance someone around raises bottle calves? Get a bigger one that they have weaned. Their home raised, gentle, and will grow if you feed them. Sell it when your done with it.

No one that I know, KT. I see some advertised but don't know anything about them or their operations. I've read all the FB livestock pages and CL listings for the last several days. Just don't know what direction to go and not self destruct. Can I at least keep my drawers doing it this way? :lol:
 
Sure, I buy bottle fed calves that weigh 250-400 after the kids get tired of them. Most are unkept and after I work them good they really grow. It takes them a few months to not look like a big gut bottle calf but they can make a lot of money. And in with your heifers they will make her really gentle.
 
kenny thomas":2gx82zih said:
Sure, I buy bottle fed calves that weigh 250-400 after the kids get tired of them. Most are unkept and after I work them good they really grow. It takes them a few months to not look like a big gut bottle calf but they can make a lot of money. And in with your heifers they will make her really gentle.

Sounds like a good way to go. Thanks!
 
kenny thomas":wx1cdap3 said:
Add to the above, most of them will be at the bottom of the pecking order so they won't be pushing her around.

Right now she's pretty timid, but I'd bet she gets better with not getting pushed around so much.
 
Personally I'd leave her in with the herd,,she gonna have to toughen up sooner or later... Every year I turn my replacement back out.. the main herd picks a fight with them to show em,who de boss mans is...
 
ALACOWMAN":21luv223 said:
Personally I'd leave her in with the herd,,she gonna have to toughen up sooner or later... Every year I turn my replacement back out.. the main herd picks a fight with them to show em,who de boss mans is...

The boss thing has been established long ago. The thing is she can't seem to eat without one of the others knocking her off the food. I've watched them and when she goes to one ring one will break from the other ring and go out of their way to run her off. When I put out cubes I run a string and pour some in the trough. She has to sit back wait for the others to start eating and when she finally gets up to a vacant spot one will go after her. I'm really afraid she won't grow to her potential. She's 11 months and Pieds seem to have a growing spurt at around a year.
 
I agree, but if there's a safeguard to keep something detrimental happening to them, then I think it's my duty as an owner to make the effort. Don't necessarily think they need to be in padded stall, but I think she'll give me better service if I take good care of her.
 
If you keep her expect to make the same exceptions for her daughters... The downfall of the guernsey breed in the modern dairy industry is that they were shy at the feedbunk so they couldn't perform.
 

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