Buying First Family Milk Cows

highlandview · #1 04/20/10, 10:30 AM

My DH and I are buying two calves. They are a cross between Jersey (mother) and Dutch Belt (father). We will be getting them at one month old. My question is - About how much will they weigh at this age?

TSYORK · #2 04/20/10, 10:44 AM

Will you be bottle feeding them for another month, because at one month old, they will not be weaned?

It's hard to say how much they'll way, but I would expect them to be 100 pounds, but it depends on what their birth weight is, too.

highlandview · #3 04/20/10, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TSYORK

Will you be bottle feeding them for another month, because at one month old, they will not be weaned?

It's hard to say how much they'll way, but I would expect them to be 100 pounds, but it depends on what their birth weight is, too.

Yes I will be bottle feeding them.

topside1 · #4 04/20/10, 12:50 PM

I agree with TSYORK,,,100 pounds or less....Topside

Farm 36 · #5 04/20/10, 08:32 PM

I would leave them at the farm and on the cow a little longer get them to two and a half months old then they can be weaned and will get a good start and you can have less troubles. JMO

highlandview · #6 04/21/10, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Farm 36

I would leave them at the farm and on the cow a little longer get them to two and a half months old then they can be weaned and will get a good start and you can have less troubles. JMO

I'm hoping to be able to train them to lead on a lead rope with a halter. Is 2 1/2 months too old to start that?

Apryl in ND · #7 04/21/10, 09:33 AM

I'm curious, what do these calves look like? I'm also getting a baby calf to raise as a milk cow. I wish I could get something like that cross around here. Mine will be a jersey/holstein cross.

Farm 36 · #8 04/21/10, 10:39 AM

A calf can be taught to lead anytime personaly I like to wait till the animal is older to teach to lead .

Jay · #9 04/21/10, 10:41 AM

Start working with them when you get them. They are easier to deal with when they are smaller.

highlandview · #10 04/21/10, 01:49 PM

I don't have a picture of the cross. But Dutch Belt are black with a white belt around the middle. I believe they are about the same size as the Jersey.

francismilker · #11 04/21/10, 07:03 PM

If you want to haltar break them for the future you can put a rope haltar on them as during the day and let them drag it around in the corral with them. Don't turn them out onto open pasture or they might get it tangled on something and be choked/hung.

Dragging the haltar around will get their nose a little sore and cause them to be more attentive to you pulling on them. I also will tie them up at 18" high and give them about 18" of slack in the rope and let them learn to stand tied. Just don't give them too much lead or they will become tangled in the rope when they fight it. And yes, they will fight it at first. Usually a few days to a week of doing this for a few hours at a time and then you go try and lead them to food or water and they get the picture. Once you've got them leading well lead them every day for a few weeks to imprint leading into their brain.

I've got some cows that were trained as calves that will still submit to being led years later if needed.

Apryl in ND · #12 04/22/10, 06:27 PM

Jerseys weigh 800-1200 lbs. and Dutch belted weigh 900-1500 lbs.