Post by nitaree on Jul 23, 2014 21:25:45 GMT -5
I have a purebred jersey bull calf from a dairy. My intention is to keep him entire and around for only as long as is necessary to get the cows back in calf or until he looks like showing aggression.
What do you find is the general age at which a jersey bull calf is able to work?
Also when do you find is the general age at which they typically become aggressive?
He is about 3-4 months old now and is the most docile placid calf I have had. I also have a Holstein and a Holstein/Jersey and they started getting very rambunctious and dancing at me etc sometime around 6 weeks of age - banded them straight away then (which was my original intention anyway).
Being a Jersey tho, with the reputation they have, I will not be letting down my guard at any time.
Hoping that the test results will show Ivy as bred now and due in 6 months - means that she could be bred in 9 months time or so. Or leave her so that Daisy calves before her and then Ivy for the next period making it about 18 months before breeding her again.
Also have Daisy who is 3 months now so would be 12 months before I want to breed her.
Wondering then whether or not to breed Suzie who appears to be open now and would probably be wanting to breed her in about 3-6 months time if at all.
My preference is to keep it that I have a cow calve about each 6 months (intention is to have only 2 cows turn about), so they get a little break between lactations (whether it be that they have their calf only for the last 3 months before drying up or dry for 6 months).
Thinking then to pick up a bull calf each 6 months as a foster to then grow out to get a cow in calf before going in the freezer. Depends whether they can usually work at 6 months, or whether it would be at the 12 months age and are they going to be too aggressive usually by that stage?
I'm still in the working it out stage on a lot of these things, so feel like I'm thinking out loud and would love anyone else's experiences or input to help in working out my plan.
What do you find is the general age at which a jersey bull calf is able to work?
Also when do you find is the general age at which they typically become aggressive?
He is about 3-4 months old now and is the most docile placid calf I have had. I also have a Holstein and a Holstein/Jersey and they started getting very rambunctious and dancing at me etc sometime around 6 weeks of age - banded them straight away then (which was my original intention anyway).
Being a Jersey tho, with the reputation they have, I will not be letting down my guard at any time.
Hoping that the test results will show Ivy as bred now and due in 6 months - means that she could be bred in 9 months time or so. Or leave her so that Daisy calves before her and then Ivy for the next period making it about 18 months before breeding her again.
Also have Daisy who is 3 months now so would be 12 months before I want to breed her.
Wondering then whether or not to breed Suzie who appears to be open now and would probably be wanting to breed her in about 3-6 months time if at all.
My preference is to keep it that I have a cow calve about each 6 months (intention is to have only 2 cows turn about), so they get a little break between lactations (whether it be that they have their calf only for the last 3 months before drying up or dry for 6 months).
Thinking then to pick up a bull calf each 6 months as a foster to then grow out to get a cow in calf before going in the freezer. Depends whether they can usually work at 6 months, or whether it would be at the 12 months age and are they going to be too aggressive usually by that stage?
I'm still in the working it out stage on a lot of these things, so feel like I'm thinking out loud and would love anyone else's experiences or input to help in working out my plan.