What all is involved with raising a calf for beef?

[ne prairiemama]

Can they be raised on goat milk while they need bottle fed? Are they fairly hearty or do they die easily? We are raising goats but have never had our own calf/steer.

[topside1]

I've raised several dozen on goats milk, never a problem in fact it's easier to digest then milk replacer or cows milk. The vast majority of calves will thrive without problems, usually the owner kills them by breaking simple rules...Topside

[ne prairiemama]

Thank you topside. What are the simple rules?

[Valmai]

Rule 1 Do not over-feed your calf!!!

[Callieslamb]

Rule 2 - they always think they are hungry so don't over feed the calf.

[topside1]

Rule #3 is similar to rules 1 & 2, (don't over feed). A hungry calf is a healthy calf.

[topside1]

Rule #4=avoid stress if possible. By far stress will kill a calf quicker than the owner...Enough gloom, if you were to buy every calf from a well managed farm than your success rate should hover around 95%. JMO

[sammyd]

we also fed a lot of goat milk to calves.
If we buy calves from the sales barn we put a bottle of electrolytes in them as soon as they get home and that really helped our success rate.

[janij]

I think they need a friend as well. Just my opinion. I think they are happier. Goats make good friends.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

#5 just because they are drinking milk doesn't mean they don't need water.

[boiledfrog]

Don't buy day old calves right after a storm. I couldn't pump enough antibodies into them. They were my first calves and I lost over half. A lot of dairy calves make it to a auction without ever getting colostrum. The death rate can push 60%. I started getting calves from a trusted dairyman and have yet to lose a single one.

[trbizwiz]

Bottle calves arent usually too hardy. htough if you meet their needs they do well. They need to remain warm dry and out of a breeze for the first few weeks. I doubt you will find a dairy bottle calf this time of year, but if you did the warm would not be an issue, but you might try to guard against them over heating. Also dairy bottle calves that go to an all grass diet 9especially jerseys) look like they are starved for the first year. they are boney and pitiful looking. THis leads most to feed milk much longer than needed. It wont hurt, and if the milk is free go on and do it. But if you are buying Milk replacer much over 5 to 6 weeks is a waste. You could feed grains too if you like but they arent necessary either. Mine 2 qts of a MR 2 times per day for 3 to 3.5 weeks. When they are taking grain well, they drop to 1 feeding of 2 qts of Mr per day at night. When they are eating 2 lbs of grains per day and some grass they are off the MR all together usually 4.5 to 5 weeks. I will finish a bag of MR if I have it on hand. When they are eating grass well i cut them back to feed 1 time per day at night. By 2 months they get no grain at all. This year I had them off grain at 1.5 months. I had much better forage and they seemed to prefer the forage to the feed. He has been on straight forage since the first of may, so its probably time ot worm the little bag of bones. Last years jersey is 15 months now and starting to muscle up nicely now. He will likely look pretty good this fall. But I am guessing he wont fatten until next spring. Last years Holstein will likely fatten this fall. He is a much nicer looking steer. But he has some angus in him. He is all black except his legs from the knee down.
For your first calf you might want to go with a pure beef breed. They should be healthier. But they will cost more. try to find an orphan.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

Originally Posted by trbizwiz

I doubt you will find a dairy bottle calf this time of year,

Depends on where you are. here in cheese land, you can get them by the dozens most any day of the year.