New calves from the auction

[bja105]

I bought these Wednesday, and moved them from my neighbor's barn today. The Jersey looking steer was easy to lead, the black Heifer took two men. Once we got her into the pasture, she calmed down.
He looks like a Jersey, any guesses on her? My neighbor thinks she is a Holstein.

[bja105]

The auction is fun! I couldn't understand much of what the auctioneer was saying, including the price. I never saw any other bidders bid, and every time I scratched my nose I was afraid I had bought a goat. Fortunately, only cattle. I hope mine taste better than the hamburgers at the auction.

[solsikkefarms]

Auctions are fun, and kinda dangerous... i hate to lose. lol

I would say Jersey and Holstein as well. Good luck!

[bja105]

[mary,tx]

Once when I got one of those calves I couldn't budge forward I found that I could back her into where I wanted her. Just thought I'd share that

My guess would also be Holstein, though I'm no expert.

I love the auction, too. I'm planning a trip for Tuesday-week to off-load a few goats, and will likely stay until after they run the calves through, just in case.

[Final Stop Farm]

is it the photo, her coloring, or has the Jersey's tail and behind been shaved?

[sv.maple]

Id say ones a jersey and the others a cross breed. The markings on the legs are not pure holstien markings.

[bja105]

Any fresh guesses on what kind of mix the black heifer is?

They have grown a lot, and the black one has calmed down quit a bit. The steer is still so friendly that he's a pest.

ImageUploadedByHomesteading Today1407076609.274752.jpg

ImageUploadedByHomesteading Today1407076650.637085.jpg

ImageUploadedByHomesteading Today1407076705.295736.jpg

ImageUploadedByHomesteading Today1407076735.767159.jpg

The black heifer was so cheap at the auction, that I wonder if she was a freemartin. A dairy person we know thinks she might be half angus, half holstein, bred for low birth weight to a first calf heifer. If she is fertile,and we get her to let us handle her, we may breed her to he neighbor's bull next year. Or, we might eat her.

[eon69nc]

My guess is half angus/half holstein too. Good looking girl

[Gravytrain]

Originally Posted by eon69nc

My guess is half angus/half holstein too.

Me too.

[bja105]

I got some new pictures to share. We had a very wet growing season, and the calves I bought in February have grown well.
We also added a bred, we hope, Dexter and a Jersey bottle heifer.
Max taped 72" around the chest. The beef cattle calculator said 1049 lbs, which I doubt, but he is still pretty big. If I didn't just butcher three deer, I would do him.
ImageUploadedByHomesteading Today1418589719.750459.jpg

Erma is fat. I wormed her twice,no change. Do we still think she is half beef? My neighbor just got a bull I can borrow, and I'll be quite sad if she is a freemartin.
ImageUploadedByHomesteading Today1418589992.452537.jpg
ImageUploadedByHomesteading Today1418590030.795975.jpg
ImageUploadedByHomesteading Today1418590056.058239.jpg

Clarabelle is definitely our favorite. We like her small size and her temperment.
ImageUploadedByHomesteading Today1418590251.789605.jpg

Elsa has been raised by our neighbor's boys, with their Jersey steers. She needs a grooming, and less poop on her. She is a little smaller than Max was when we got him. She is on hay and grain now, no more milk replacer.
ImageUploadedByHomesteading Today1418590364.326831.jpg

[bja105]

Here's a bonus pic. I laid out most of our hay so instead of running the tractor in mud or snow, I can just move a fence.
Its well into December and we still have pasture. I also let them graze down some corn stalks and sunflowers. The birds ate all the black oil sunflowers, but the mammoths still had plenty of seeds. I don't think the cattle new the seeds were up there. I had to knock down a sunflower for them, then they figured it out. I ended up knocking them all down for them so they wouldn't short out the fence with the stalks.

ImageUploadedByHomesteading Today1418590945.976060.jpg

I fed the herd two round bales a month ago since I was going to be out of town and there was snow in the forcast. I overreacted, they didn't need it. I don't plan to give them any more until next week.

[OakCreekFarm]

I don't think its Angus x Holstein because F1 Angus x Holstein are usually solid black. I do not see any dairy influence in her. She do looks like either simmental or Maine.

[Gravytrain]

Originally Posted by bja105

Here's a bonus pic.

Where the heck is all your snow???

[bja105]

The snow melted overnight. Yesterday I froze, hunting. We had a bit of snow, and it was in the high 20's. This morning, it was 39, raining, and muddy.

[WadeFisher]

bja105:

I'm in central PA. What a muddy season!!!!!!!!
3 weeks late on first cutting of hay.

But man did the pasture stay green.

[CountryMom22]

I have to agree, I don't see any Holstein her. She's too heavy all over. Even a heavy dairy animal will have prominent hip bones. She sure is cute though. Enjoy the lack of snow. I sure am, it makes life much easier!

[bja105]

I am glad you don't think she's Holstein. I don't have anything against Holstein, I was just afraid she was at the auction because she was a female twin. She still could be, I guess. My neighbor just got a Holstein steer, its not built anything like her.

We planned to eat her, but we may try to get a calf first. I am only looking at meat for our family, and the experience. The good thing about learning on the cheapest cattle at the auction, if I mess up, I'm not out much. Eventually I will get some purebred beef, but that can wait until the prices come down a bit. I also need to fence some more pasture and build a corral.

[Allen W]

The one you thought was a holstein is a maine or high persentage maine cross.

[LittleRedHen]

Pretty bovine