Need some Advice

7thswan · #1 02/08/12, 02:30 PM

DH and I raise Beef,have for along time. I've wanted a Dairy cow, but have never been arround them enough to know what to look for in a calf. Dh went last weekend and looked at 2 Jersey Heifers on their separate mothers, he supprised me when he told me about it. So I'll probably be going to look at them this weekend. They were born in December. What should I look for in something that young? Also, sinse they are nursing,what should I expect as far as putting one on milk replacer(which I keep on hand).The farmer said he'll take 1.00 a lb,dh says they weigh arround 200. Any info will help. Thank You.

avrugu · #2 02/08/12, 02:38 PM

I can't answer your question but I have one for you. What does DH stand for? I've seen it all over this forum.

It's not 'dumb husband' it?

bama-newsteader · #3 02/08/12, 02:43 PM

Thank you Avrugu - I have been wondering the same thing!

Cheryl aka JM · #4 02/08/12, 03:11 PM

I beleive it is Dear Husband

7thswan · #5 02/08/12, 03:59 PM

Yes, Dear Husband,then DD is Dear Daughter,DS Dear Son....

RoyalValley · #6 02/08/12, 04:21 PM

If they are that young, your best bet is to see what the parents are like. Ask about milk production, look at the mother's udder and see if it is balanced and symmetrical, his high rear udder attachment (tight ligaments toward the tail) and point hips. If they have boney hips then in theory they are good at turning their food into milk instead of fat.

They could be pretty close to 3 months and so if they are looking good and will eat some grain, you would not have to use milk replacer, but you could bottle them just to keep them friendly.

Get some pics, I would love to see them

Callieslamb · #7 02/08/12, 09:39 PM

that's a great price...does he have more???????

I don't know that I'd try to train a calf that old to take a bottle. I think feeding them some grain will help them get good and friendly.

About the only thing you can go by with heifer calves is to look at the parents. Look at the parents for udder placement and how well it is attached. A saggy udder isn't going to improve over time. If the mom is heavy on the back and light on the front - that's another thing to consider. If you are going to hand milk- how easy does that milk come out of the momma. It won't always be the same mother to daughter but it's about all you are going to have. Was the sire and AI bull? They don't use junk bulls for AI.

RoyalValley · #8 02/08/12, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Callieslamb

that's a great price...does he have more???????

RIGHT??? I'd take a few for that price

myersfarm · #9 02/08/12, 09:57 PM

at that price I bet they were sold after your DH left...I would take 300 right now..haul 150 to sale and get $2.00 a pound and have 150 free calfs

BlackWillowFarm · #10 02/09/12, 10:12 AM

Look at the cows, how they're put together, udder strength, teat length, udder attachment, temperament etc.....

The heifer calves should have nice straight backs, deep bodies relative to their size and wide chests looking from the front. They shouldn't have any kind of udder development as this could show they've been suckled by each other and that could lead to udder issues when they calve.

Does he only have two to sell?

mozarkian · #11 02/09/12, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avrugu

I can't answer your question but I have one for you. What does DH stand for? I've seen it all over this forum.

It's not 'dumb husband' it?

Sometimes, depends on what day it is!

mamahen · #12 02/09/12, 11:53 AM

If they were born in December and they are full Jersey, I don't think they'd weigh 200 lbs? But that's a great price, that's the same price we pay for beef calves. Dairy heifers are usually at least $300 for newborns, in my area.

Also a link about picking and growing a quality Jersey Heifer: http://www.usjersey.com/Reference/Qu...erBrochure.pdf

7thswan · #13 02/10/12, 11:24 AM

Thanks for the info. Not sure how many calfs hes got. I was hopeing to go look asap,but dh has to work(we are getting snow).