Post by Manda on Dec 26, 2011 9:52:23 GMT -5
Today is the day of our weekly livestock auction (which is a hour drive away) we haven't gone in a long time and we enjoy it once in awhile but today my husband has the day off because of the holiday. I have asked him about getting a bottle bull calf to raise up to eventually breed to my Jersey Heifer calf. i have done the sales barn bottle calves before and I have lost 6 out of 8 to pnemonia. I KNOW they are very sensitive. I know. oh I know. I know they are under huge stress and sometimes don't even get colostrum before being shipped off to the sales barn. But, something about those Jersey bull calves makes me want to sweep them up into my arms and bring them home anyways lol.
Anyways, What I am wondering is, what if I got a jersey bull calf (the one with the driest tail, biggest spunk and most shriveled umbilical cord) and brought him home to be a bottle baby and raised him up til he is old enough to breed my girl and then toss him in the freezer? I know that A.I is cheaper but I also have 7 children and I do need meat for the freezer. It is all purchased in hay but I need the fertilizer and I absolutely love the experience... Then also my girl would have a buddy to help keep warm in the winter. We technically haven't even seen winter yet (its MIA) but right now the temps could tolerate a little calf better than if i waited a month or two (when i think winter might actually have shown up) If I wait til April which is when Spring will be here, it will be a lot longer until I get milk. She is just 5 1/2-6 months old now so 9 months from now when he would roughly mature (from what i have read here) would get her bred around 14-15 months old. to calve when shes around 2 years.
Anything wrong with my idea? can Jersey bulls mature faster than 9 months? I sure wouldn't want him mature at 6 months... if he can mature at 6 months old then i'd rather wait til April. Tell me what your experiences are.... specially if you have thought of doing this. I need the meat and i know Jerseys aren't much. I know I can A.I. but still that will cost me probably $100-$200 won't it? for the purchase of sperm AND for a tech to do the job? which may or may not take at first... though i know that a bull may or may not even get the job done... risk risks everywhere..
Anyways, What I am wondering is, what if I got a jersey bull calf (the one with the driest tail, biggest spunk and most shriveled umbilical cord) and brought him home to be a bottle baby and raised him up til he is old enough to breed my girl and then toss him in the freezer? I know that A.I is cheaper but I also have 7 children and I do need meat for the freezer. It is all purchased in hay but I need the fertilizer and I absolutely love the experience... Then also my girl would have a buddy to help keep warm in the winter. We technically haven't even seen winter yet (its MIA) but right now the temps could tolerate a little calf better than if i waited a month or two (when i think winter might actually have shown up) If I wait til April which is when Spring will be here, it will be a lot longer until I get milk. She is just 5 1/2-6 months old now so 9 months from now when he would roughly mature (from what i have read here) would get her bred around 14-15 months old. to calve when shes around 2 years.
Anything wrong with my idea? can Jersey bulls mature faster than 9 months? I sure wouldn't want him mature at 6 months... if he can mature at 6 months old then i'd rather wait til April. Tell me what your experiences are.... specially if you have thought of doing this. I need the meat and i know Jerseys aren't much. I know I can A.I. but still that will cost me probably $100-$200 won't it? for the purchase of sperm AND for a tech to do the job? which may or may not take at first... though i know that a bull may or may not even get the job done... risk risks everywhere..