My new method of calf-raising

Donna from Mo · #1 12/12/14, 02:09 PM

I love having a milk cow, but I hate being tied down for twice-a-day milking. So when Gracie had her calf, I bought a couple of expensive Holstein bull calves at a local dairy. My original idea was to turn them out with her, but there are some deep ditches and hollers on our place, and I was afraid we'd lose a calf in a ditch.

So what I'm doing is turning the calves in with the cow twice a day for 15 minutes each time. Yes, I am still tied down. But this way the cow's udder doesn't take a beating and the calves are close by with hay and calf starter handy. I think this is how I will raise calves from now on. Actually, the oldest grandson lives next door, and he could turn the cow in to the calves for 15 minutes if we wanted to go someplace.

If you would like to see how they are growing, here's a link to a blog entry with pictures.

http://donna-justme.blogspot.com/201...wing-fast.html

postroad · #2 12/12/14, 03:30 PM

Looking good.

bja105 · #3 12/12/14, 06:00 PM

Do you still milk at all, or do the calves get it all?

Donna from Mo · #4 12/12/14, 06:09 PM

About once every five days the calves don't get their supper and I take all two gallons of milk. They think they are dying of starvation, but they sure do eat a lot of calf starter that night.

billinwv · #5 12/12/14, 06:15 PM

This is a great way to raise multiple calves on a cow. I hate to see a good cow with three or four calves dragging her down.

MO_cows · #6 12/12/14, 11:21 PM

Looks like it is working out good for you. Did the cow accept the calves right off?

Donna from Mo · #7 12/13/14, 04:18 AM

Yes, she did. I never even put her in a stanchion to force her to let the calves nurse. Now, if her calf had been running with her, it would probably be different. But once I separated them, in order to let her own baby suck, she pretty much had to allow them all. However, I know most cows would not have accepted them so willingly.

idigbeets · #8 12/14/14, 05:42 AM

Yep currently raising 2 calves on our Guernsey this way. Milk her in the AM, take out what we need usually 1-2 gallons. The calves stay separated until 1-2pm, then get put in w/ mama until 4-5pm, and then removed again. They are 3 months old, eating dry hay and baleage in addition to milk and looking great.