Post by tanglewoodhills on Jun 8, 2011 8:46:59 GMT -5
Hello! Not sure if I'm doing this right, but thought I'd ask a few questions. We are looking to add a Mini Jersey to our little farm. She's a 3 month old heifer that comes from a Mini Jersey/Milking Shorthorn mama and a full blooded Jersey bull.
My first question is: at what age can you wean? I was told by the current owner that I need to let her stay with mama or bottle feed her until she is 6 months old. If I can't wean her yet...how much do I give her a day if we choose to bring her home now...and at what age can we stop the bottles? She is eating grass and doing great but they say she needs more time on mom or we'll have issues later in life.
My second question is about milking. The mama has been milked a little in the past and gave around 2 gallons of milk a day. I have no idea how consistent they were in milking...kind of feel like she milked her for a while and then stopped for whatever reason. She has never been given much grain and only fed field grass...no high protein hay. The sire of this calf is a full sized, full blooded Jersey bull with awesome milking lineage. Will this help the calf's ability to produce better? I'm not looking for much more than 2 gallons a day, but really don't want to go under that. While the milking records for the mama are a bit sketchy, what would y'all say my chances are with this little girl?
Thank you SO much for any advice you can give. I KNOW I have a ton to learn. We've raised dairy goats for 7 years, but a cow is a whole new world for me. Can't wait to start this new adventure!!! We just want to make sure we are doing things right and making wise choices.
My first question is: at what age can you wean? I was told by the current owner that I need to let her stay with mama or bottle feed her until she is 6 months old. If I can't wean her yet...how much do I give her a day if we choose to bring her home now...and at what age can we stop the bottles? She is eating grass and doing great but they say she needs more time on mom or we'll have issues later in life.
My second question is about milking. The mama has been milked a little in the past and gave around 2 gallons of milk a day. I have no idea how consistent they were in milking...kind of feel like she milked her for a while and then stopped for whatever reason. She has never been given much grain and only fed field grass...no high protein hay. The sire of this calf is a full sized, full blooded Jersey bull with awesome milking lineage. Will this help the calf's ability to produce better? I'm not looking for much more than 2 gallons a day, but really don't want to go under that. While the milking records for the mama are a bit sketchy, what would y'all say my chances are with this little girl?
Thank you SO much for any advice you can give. I KNOW I have a ton to learn. We've raised dairy goats for 7 years, but a cow is a whole new world for me. Can't wait to start this new adventure!!! We just want to make sure we are doing things right and making wise choices.