Thinking of getting two calves. A few questions.

[nathan104]

We are considering getting to calves to put our pasture to use. We have never had any cows before and just got our first rabbit and a pair of feeder pigs which we have in a pen. We have about 5 acres of pasture with a large 1 acre pond in the middle so about 3/12 -4 acre of pasture for grazing. We have good barb wire fencing and cross fencing making it where we could have two seperate pastures, both of which would have access to the pond. Most of what is in our field is bahia. Would it be feasible to put two calves out there and them get enough from the bahia to sustain themselves?

I would not want to start off with bottle calves for our time. Would want weaned, pasture ready calves. But, Im not sure what age or size they would have to be for that or if they would be considered calves anymore. Im also not sure if we would want to start out with milking cows for our first cows since they have to be milked every day no matter what. Basically just want the easiest thing to start out with to learn from and get used to and then maybe a year or so down the road try bottle calves or a milking cow.

I know if we keep them past the fall we would have to put out hay for them for overwinter but not sure yet if we would just feed them out til fall and either butcher them, sell them off, or overwinter them.

Im not trying to raise cheap beef or trying to make money with them. Just want the experience and to try it out and for my girls to experience it.

Im hoping I can get some suggestions on what breed would fit what Im looking for, age, weight and approximate price I would expect to pay, and if my pasture by itself would provide enough for them or if I would have to supplement with hay or other types of feed.

Thanks for any help.

[nathan104]

Anyone know anything about cows and could help me out? Im open to opinions, doesnt have to be expert advice. Thanks.

[netexan]

Nathan, The cheapest way to meet your needds will be with a couple of dairy steers as they're a heck of a lot cheaper right now than beef calves. 5 acres will feed them fine here during the growing season and will they will be good for your pastures espescially if rotate them every week to 10 days considering the size of your pastures. I grass fed/grazed a holstein steer last year and the meat was/is delicious and I've heard the same about meat from jerseys. There just isn't as much fat in the meat but it's hard to complain when the only cost in the meat is the .60/lb to butcher it.

[nathan104]

netexan, thanks for the reply. I know you are close to where Im at. Did you buy yours from an individual or sale barn type place? Did you end up getting the chickens from the guy I got my pigs from, how'd that go? Thanks.

[topside1]

Nathan, that's a lot of questions. What exactly/specifically do you want to know? I'd be glad to help!!! Just been real busy lately, spring is in the air....Give me a few ???'s and I will do my best to answer them soon....John

[nathan104]

Netexan did a pretty good job of answering most of what I was wondering about. Im still not sure what age or approx weight a cow would be to be able to just turn out to pasture and not worry about bottle feeding.

When I was trying to decide on getting our first pigs, I read tons of info and got myself overwhelmed by it all. Once I got them though, its easy. So, for the cows, was just hoping to get basic info so I wouldnt make the same mistake I did with the pigs. So, Im not going to start off with bottle feeding or milking, just looking for the easiest option so we can get the experience, and then maybe next year we will try bottle feeding or a milk cow. So now, just wondering about age or weight for what Im looking at getting. There are three livestock auction barns close to me and they have auctions all the time. Once I know what Im looking for, Ill try and hook up with someone who knows what they are looking at to help pick a healthy pair unless I can find an individual in my area that sells them.

[topside1]

Nathan, the weaned calves that you buy should at a minumum be eight weeks old. Even at 8 weeks they will still need to be penned at night and given calf grower feed twice a day...Hay would also need to be provided during non-growing months....Free choice water and loose minerals.

If you are targeting dairy steers expect a 8 week old holstein to weigh 150-200 pounds.
A Jersey steer will only weigh 100-130 pounds at 8 weeks of age.

Ideally buy your starter steers from a small farm vice the sale barn. Small farms will usually bottle feed and thus you are generally buying a tamer healthier bovine. Finding an eight week old steer at auction would be rare. So if you go the auction route plan on buying older calf @ approx. 250-350. If you are not ready for bottle calves, then by all means don't let anyone convince you that you are. The first few can be challenging...

[randiliana]

Your best bet IMO is to get a couple of yearlings. Something that has been weaned from the cow/bottle for a while. They will be a lot easier, and healthier to deal with than freshly weaned calves, and they should hopefully respect a fence. I would look for something that is over 600 lbs, as that size should be healthier and ready to grow. As for your pasture, I can't help you much, as we are a totally different climate than you are.

If you can find a mentor, that would be best. But here are some tips. Look for an animal with a healthy, perky demeanor. Look for an animal that is interested in it's environment. Compare to other animals around it. You don't want to see sunken in eyes, droopy ears (extra droopy for Brahman) or lot's of coughing. The nose should be moist looking, not dry or peeling.

Move them around a bit, this works two fold. You can see the ones that aren't feeling good, as they will be slower moving, dragging their feet etc, and you will see the ones that are Wild, they will be bouncing off the walls. You don't want something that is wild either, they are hard on everyone. These ones will be the ones with their head up above the rest, they will watch your every move, if you spook them they will bounce off the walls, and may even try to jump out of the fences. You want an animal that will move away from you, but not one that is looking for an exit as soon as it spots you.

If you go to an auction, remember, buyer beware. If an animal is going really cheap, there is probably a reason, and you would be best to stay away from it. Do look for odd colored animals, as you can get some good buys there. Make sure what you are buying is castrated (if it is a steer) and stay away from horned animals, unless that is really what you want. Bulls and horned animals will likely sell cheaper, but bulls become problems when they get older, and can be dangerous. Horns also become problems as they get bigger, and an animal can hurt you with them, even if it didn't intend to. You are better off buying an animal in the middle of the price range, than looking for a cheap one. The order buyers, and more experienced buyers can pick out the sick and poor doing ones, that is why some animals will sell for next to nothing. If you know what you are doing they may work, but they are not for a beginner to start out with. Unless you want a crash course in vet care or some such......

[netexan]

Nathan, My neighbor gave me the steer last year. Kieth is supposed to bring the chickens to me next Tuesday and he seemed like a pretty nice fellow. I'm looking forward to dealing with him again when his next litter of piglets arrive. Thanks for the contact info.
At present my neighbor has 8 bull calves out in my pasture that are weened and average around 250lbs. If you'd like I can ask him if he's interested in selling a couple, if he is you're welcome to come by and take a look at them. If so you'd probably want to run them by the vet's office over by the sale barn to get their shots and have them cut, it only cost a couple of dollars each.

[nathan104]

That would be great. Let me know what he says.