Post by SnowHunter (X2 Farm) on May 15, 2011 22:07:05 GMT -5
Well we brought home Jezzie several months ago with the intentions of getting her conditioned and breeding her. She was on the thin side but healthy as could be and a sweetheart!
As luck would have it, we ended up with a calf bein abandoned by a first calf heifer from the beef herd, and after three days of working him up to take a bottle, I put him in the barnyard to keep Jezzie company and be close to the house for feedings. To my suprise, the calf (who we call Norman, a Charolais/Angus bull calf) walked right up to her and started suckling and Jezzie just sniffed and licked him and heaved a sigh of contentment. Now, mind you, Jezzie was dry as a bone! Not a drip of milk in sight.... Norman didn't care. So we decided to keep an eye on him and her. He got his bottle that night, I checked em the next morning and Jezzie had started to bag up some. WOW! I ran into the house and woke up grumpy DH to tell him the good news. Strangely, he wasn't near as happy as I was
Anyways, after a couple days of watching and mid day bottles for Normal, Jezzie was obviously producing enough milk to satisfy him. He looked like a normal healthy calf, though Jezzies udder wasn't near as big as I'd thought it would get.
So, pardon the rambling, but my questions are this... without suitable bulls here to breed her to, we'll be having to look into the AI route, which is a bit pricey on our meager budget. I know it'll be a bit before I need to worry about it, its been 3 months since the calf and her paired up and I'm just now doing morning milkings. She's producing enough for me and the calf with no signs of problems.
Would it be unthinkable to allow her to dry off late in winter and then find another calf to "graft" to her a couple months later? Jan-June always finds dairies south of Atlanta with tons of 1-3wk old calves for sale, so it wouldn't be a problem getting the calf. Am I nuts to think she'll take another calf next time? Or would there be any health issues to not breeding her and expecting her to produce as a nurse cow again?
I'm willing to go either way, but I want to make sure we do what'll be best for Jezzie and her overall health.
I do know, well, I was told by the gentleman we bought her from, she'd had a calf weaned off her a couple months before we bought her. Could that be why she so readily took on Norman?
I appreciate any advice or insight yall can give me!! Thanks!
As luck would have it, we ended up with a calf bein abandoned by a first calf heifer from the beef herd, and after three days of working him up to take a bottle, I put him in the barnyard to keep Jezzie company and be close to the house for feedings. To my suprise, the calf (who we call Norman, a Charolais/Angus bull calf) walked right up to her and started suckling and Jezzie just sniffed and licked him and heaved a sigh of contentment. Now, mind you, Jezzie was dry as a bone! Not a drip of milk in sight.... Norman didn't care. So we decided to keep an eye on him and her. He got his bottle that night, I checked em the next morning and Jezzie had started to bag up some. WOW! I ran into the house and woke up grumpy DH to tell him the good news. Strangely, he wasn't near as happy as I was
Anyways, after a couple days of watching and mid day bottles for Normal, Jezzie was obviously producing enough milk to satisfy him. He looked like a normal healthy calf, though Jezzies udder wasn't near as big as I'd thought it would get.
So, pardon the rambling, but my questions are this... without suitable bulls here to breed her to, we'll be having to look into the AI route, which is a bit pricey on our meager budget. I know it'll be a bit before I need to worry about it, its been 3 months since the calf and her paired up and I'm just now doing morning milkings. She's producing enough for me and the calf with no signs of problems.
Would it be unthinkable to allow her to dry off late in winter and then find another calf to "graft" to her a couple months later? Jan-June always finds dairies south of Atlanta with tons of 1-3wk old calves for sale, so it wouldn't be a problem getting the calf. Am I nuts to think she'll take another calf next time? Or would there be any health issues to not breeding her and expecting her to produce as a nurse cow again?
I'm willing to go either way, but I want to make sure we do what'll be best for Jezzie and her overall health.
I do know, well, I was told by the gentleman we bought her from, she'd had a calf weaned off her a couple months before we bought her. Could that be why she so readily took on Norman?
I appreciate any advice or insight yall can give me!! Thanks!