Post by kellyj on Jun 16, 2008 11:45:04 GMT -5
Shasta (3yr Jersey)arrives on Wednesday and I have a decisions that I've yet to make.
1)Shasta is coming from a commercial dairy where she is being fed 15 pounds of selective mix grains (wheat, corn, beet, soy, molasses; 5%CP) and is producing 5 gallons of milk a day.
A) I don't need this much milk. B) I'd rather not feed her this much grain. What is the best way to taper her off? I have bought the ingredients to duplicate the mix as best as I can. Her grazing has been higher protein content then I have at the moment so I have to compensate some with her grain.
2)I have Rhino, a one month old Jersey bull from another farm here to keep Shasta company. Rhino has only been bottle fed and is doing well. I had intially thought to try and to put him onto
Shasta if she is willing. Now I wonder if it's best to keep him on the bottle and avoid the need to wean.
3)Number 2 question may be affected by this question. Rhino's future is the freezer. When to butcher is the question? My husband thinks we should keep him until next summer to have him breed Shasta (providing breediing schedule goes to plan, ideally she'd be bred back this July and calve next April/May). I had thought to fatten him and butcher him late this fall. Will Shasta be unhappy to be solo all winter? Do I really want a bull around all winter and spring? I have a small barn and a small pasture.
The closer I get to owning a cow the more I realize how very little I know! I grew up on a farm but this kind of decision making has my head spinning.
Thanks, KellyJ
1)Shasta is coming from a commercial dairy where she is being fed 15 pounds of selective mix grains (wheat, corn, beet, soy, molasses; 5%CP) and is producing 5 gallons of milk a day.
A) I don't need this much milk. B) I'd rather not feed her this much grain. What is the best way to taper her off? I have bought the ingredients to duplicate the mix as best as I can. Her grazing has been higher protein content then I have at the moment so I have to compensate some with her grain.
2)I have Rhino, a one month old Jersey bull from another farm here to keep Shasta company. Rhino has only been bottle fed and is doing well. I had intially thought to try and to put him onto
Shasta if she is willing. Now I wonder if it's best to keep him on the bottle and avoid the need to wean.
3)Number 2 question may be affected by this question. Rhino's future is the freezer. When to butcher is the question? My husband thinks we should keep him until next summer to have him breed Shasta (providing breediing schedule goes to plan, ideally she'd be bred back this July and calve next April/May). I had thought to fatten him and butcher him late this fall. Will Shasta be unhappy to be solo all winter? Do I really want a bull around all winter and spring? I have a small barn and a small pasture.
The closer I get to owning a cow the more I realize how very little I know! I grew up on a farm but this kind of decision making has my head spinning.
Thanks, KellyJ