Post by LillysRgirl on Jun 16, 2010 0:32:12 GMT -5
Hi all,
Just looking for any advice on raising a Jersey bull calf, born this March, so he is 3 months old now. (he's the one you all helped save in "very sick 3 day old calf" - sorry I don't know how to put a link to that here.)
I'd like to raise him to butcher, but have never raised a Jersey for meat so I don't know anything about how to do it or if it is even worthwhile. We have raised a few angus, mostly grass/hay fed and finished with corn, so we have a little experience. If I would have to really push the grain, I don't think I'd really want to do it. The dairy we got his mother from raises their bulls for butchering and raves about the choice and prime grades they get, but they told me they are fed lots of corn with straw (!) for roughage and some sort of supplement that sounded like baking soda to me. I've dealt with enough accidental and life-threatening acidosis that I have no interest in doing it that way if that is what has to be done to get good (?) meat.
How long should we keep him with his mother (or bucket feed him milk if he is hurting her by nursing - I'm starting to wonder about that...)? I like to do things as natural (also easily and with as little expense as necessary) as possible, so it seems that he should have milk for as long as possible, especially since we don't need all she gives. If we bucket feed, how much each day? I'm guessing he is guzzling several gallons a day right now by what we are missing. He will drink water and eat hay/corn and is on pasture that is mostly grass.
How long will it take for him to be of a good size and yet still safe? Especially since grass-fed grow slower. I know and have read enough here to know that he will become dangerous and don't want any part of that with little ones around, not to mention big ones (We had a young bull here to breed Lilly a couple of years ago who always made us nervous. We found out that shortly after he went home, he almost killed his owner.) He is still cute and friendly with his cousin, mothers and aunts around, but I know that will change quickly and I would not trust our fences if he started acting like the one I just read about in "bull questions..."
Will the meat be any good anyway? And will there be enough to justify the expense of butchering? What should I figure for yield?
I can't remember at this late hour (and with all my memory, that is kids, sleeping if we castrated him or not - I think so. If not, how would be best at his age? That is best, right?
Sorry for so many questions at once..
Any advice would be much appreciated!
Karen
Just looking for any advice on raising a Jersey bull calf, born this March, so he is 3 months old now. (he's the one you all helped save in "very sick 3 day old calf" - sorry I don't know how to put a link to that here.)
I'd like to raise him to butcher, but have never raised a Jersey for meat so I don't know anything about how to do it or if it is even worthwhile. We have raised a few angus, mostly grass/hay fed and finished with corn, so we have a little experience. If I would have to really push the grain, I don't think I'd really want to do it. The dairy we got his mother from raises their bulls for butchering and raves about the choice and prime grades they get, but they told me they are fed lots of corn with straw (!) for roughage and some sort of supplement that sounded like baking soda to me. I've dealt with enough accidental and life-threatening acidosis that I have no interest in doing it that way if that is what has to be done to get good (?) meat.
How long should we keep him with his mother (or bucket feed him milk if he is hurting her by nursing - I'm starting to wonder about that...)? I like to do things as natural (also easily and with as little expense as necessary) as possible, so it seems that he should have milk for as long as possible, especially since we don't need all she gives. If we bucket feed, how much each day? I'm guessing he is guzzling several gallons a day right now by what we are missing. He will drink water and eat hay/corn and is on pasture that is mostly grass.
How long will it take for him to be of a good size and yet still safe? Especially since grass-fed grow slower. I know and have read enough here to know that he will become dangerous and don't want any part of that with little ones around, not to mention big ones (We had a young bull here to breed Lilly a couple of years ago who always made us nervous. We found out that shortly after he went home, he almost killed his owner.) He is still cute and friendly with his cousin, mothers and aunts around, but I know that will change quickly and I would not trust our fences if he started acting like the one I just read about in "bull questions..."
Will the meat be any good anyway? And will there be enough to justify the expense of butchering? What should I figure for yield?
I can't remember at this late hour (and with all my memory, that is kids, sleeping if we castrated him or not - I think so. If not, how would be best at his age? That is best, right?
Sorry for so many questions at once..
Any advice would be much appreciated!
Karen