Jersey bull calves from Dairy

springvalley · #21 12/11/12, 10:40 PM

Francismilker, very well said my friend. > Thanks Marc

cedarcreekranch · #22 12/18/12, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by francismilker

On the jersey bull calf prices....................... My family raised about 40 last year and never gave over $15 a piece for them from a dairy sale. I seen a few weak ones go through for $3 each.

I wish I could find some for that price! I live in eastern OK and they're bringing over $100 everywhere I've looked. I've a couple of Jersey heifers due to freshen soon and would like to find a couple for each but not at over $150 each! Would you share where you get them?

happydog · #23 12/19/12, 09:09 AM

cedarcreekranch, go to the Jersey breeder directory here, look for a breeder in your state, and call them directly. The ones I've talked to were very friendly and helpful. They have to dispose of their bull calves somewhere, and they were happy to take my number and call me when they had one born. I paid $20 in North Carolina and $35 in Tennessee. I feel a lot better about buying directly from a breeder than going through a sale barn.

haypoint · #24 12/19/12, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cedarcreekranch

I wish I could find some for that price! I live in eastern OK and they're bringing over $100 everywhere I've looked. I've a couple of Jersey heifers due to freshen soon and would like to find a couple for each but not at over $150 each! Would you share where you get them?

Red Flag! Unless you have lots of experience and are lucky, stay away from weak $3 calves.

Keeping a new born calf alive takes a good bit of experience. A $100 calf that is healthy enough to survive is a lot cheaper than a $3. one that starts out weak. For those new to raising calves, they tend to overlook the pitfalls. It is common to over feed just a bit, then wait a day too long to stop the diarrhea. Even when properly diagnosed and quickly treated, a weak calf may still die in your arms.

You get a healthy one and it may be as easy to raise as a puppy. Maybe not.

If I wanted to nip a person's interest in calves in the bud, I'd give them a couple $3 calves.

francismilker · #25 12/19/12, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haypoint

Red Flag! Unless you have lots of experience and are lucky, stay away from weak $3 calves.

Keeping a new born calf alive takes a good bit of experience. A $100 calf that is healthy enough to survive is a lot cheaper than a $3. one that starts out weak. For those new to raising calves, they tend to overlook the pitfalls. It is common to over feed just a bit, then wait a day too long to stop the diarrhea. Even when properly diagnosed and quickly treated, a weak calf may still die in your arms.

You get a healthy one and it may be as easy to raise as a puppy. Maybe not.

If I wanted to nip a person's interest in calves in the bud, I'd give them a couple $3 calves.

Amen to that haypoint! I've raised a lot of them and leave the weak ones at the salebarn for those interested in a hopeless cause. It doesn't matter what the price is or even if it's free, I don't waste any effort on a weak bull calf. I have taken a gamble or two on a weak heifer and lost the battle more than once. It's not worth the time, money, or heartache to keep a sick calf alive by turning it into a pin cushion full of different meds only to eventually put it down.

If a calf still has a wet cord, it most likely didn't ever see mama's udder and get any colostrum imho.

I can tout how many I've raised over the years and brag a bit, then someone would ask me how many I've lost and I'd have to hang my head and say "plenty". It happens when raising calves.

Callieslamb · #26 12/19/12, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happydog

...............
Thank you Callieslamb! This is very encouraging and inspirational. Do you have any problem finding buyers for Jersey beef or Jersey steers? Do you think you'd make more money if you raised beef calves instead of Jerseys?

I don't know. I can't buy a beef steer as a bottle baby or even just weaned here. We are orchard-land. Not animal land. There are a few beef cattle around but not many. I should run the numbers to see if buying a feeder beef steer would be cheaper and faster in the long run. Our project is for our DS. He can learn a lot of responsibility from bottling calves.

haypoint · #27 12/19/12, 11:16 AM

The emotional pain of losing an animal stays with you forever. When it is a cute baby, all the more so. But as you try to rationalize it, often the reality of it is that it could have been prevented if I knew what I was doing or I could have avoided the tragedy if I’d known the warning signs before I made the purchase.
An event that happened nearly 30 years ago floods my mind every time I hear about someone wanting to go out and buy a calf. The heartache is still there. I went to a dairy farm 40 miles away. I was looking for a Jersey calf. There was a real cute heifer about a week old, tied in a corner with some baler twine around her neck. She had some yellow manure stuck on her hind leg and a bit on her tail. I bought a bag of milk replacer and brought her home. I knew nothing about scours or dehydration.
She was likely sick when I got her and I added to the problem by over feeding. I can’t recall that for sure, but seems likely. As she grew weak I called the Vet. I administered the injections, tablets and electrolytes, I moved her to our heated basement. After a few signs of recovery followed by collapse, I was determined to do everything I could. She was on my lap when she stopped breathing. I held my hand around her muzzle and gave her a form of CPR. She began breathing again. I was hopeful, but it lasted only a few more minutes before she slipped away, forever.
I’ve raised many calves, ewes and colts, etc. since then, with great success. But if I were offered a calf for the price of a bag of stale dinner rolls at the Day Old Bread Store, I’d take the stale dinner rolls.