Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2013 22:42:19 GMT -5
I thought it would be good to put a whole group of beginner questions together.
I have been wanting a dairy cow for a while. The Mr. decided to buy a calf for me on the spurt of a moment. Our jump into cattle is a 12 day old bull calf, a Belfair (Dexter-Mini Jersey Cross). The mother is a 900 lb. registered A2/A2 Dexter, the father a 1100 lb. registered Mini Jersey. We hope to add a heifer as soon as we find one and keep Norman (think the cow from City Slickers) for breeding in the future. Our end goal is to have an adult pair and either sell or process the calves and have milk and milk products for our family of two.
Here we go...
Our little guy was bottle fed with the mother's milk for a few days before we picked him up. He has a good temperament, so far, and appears happy and healthy.
Housing:
We just put up a temporary 25' x 25' secure pen until we can fence in several small paddocks. I am using an XL covered dog crate with straw bedding for now and will be building a wood shelter over the next week or so. Since he was a surprise for me, I had to keep him in the crate for a few hours at a time and for the first two nights as we built his pen. I walked him quite a bit so he wasn't just trapped in there. Even after the pen was finished he seems to like his dog crate and still goes right in to lay down for a nap or stand in the shade when it's sunny. It seems oddly unbelievable to have a crate trained cow, but he even waited to poop until coming out of the crate! What do you think about this housing set up? Am I forgetting anything?
Handling:
He is easily handled by both of us and follows me pretty closely. He is cautious with some touching but not too timid. By the end of our first day with him, he was already walking very well on a lead around his neck. He barely even tugs at it at all, only testing it out once or twice each time we walk him around. By the end of our second day with him, he was already accepting and wearing a harness sized for a billy goat. In addition to lead training and familiar touch, are there any other techniques we should consider to ensure safe and easy handling when he is full grown?
He is starting to headbutt me more and more. I know this is feeding behavior but I'm wondering if it is also testing behavior. Do I need to start corrective measures by pushing him off with my knee, some semi-firm kicks to the flank or what have you? I don't want him to think he can be aggressive with people but I also don't want him to think people are aggressive.
The original owner said we should definitely de-horn. The parents were both very mild mannered, he even said the father was the most docile bull they ever had, but he seemed pretty serious about de-horning all bulls no matter what. Both of our families had cattle as children and our parents did not de-horn, so this concept is just foreign to us and seems unnecessary in a calf from docile lineage. Is de-horning really that necessary? Why or why not?
Feeding:
We are finishing up the gallon of mother's milk cut with milk replacer tomorrow. We are giving 2 quarts, twice per day at 7 am and 7 pm. These are the same times the original owner was feeding so we stayed with that. It seems that he is pretty hungry in the middle of the day - i.e. plenty of headbutting and muzzle poking - and he really wants more when he finishes his bottle. Is this feeding schedule ok for a 50 lb bull calf at 13 days old? Do I need to split the feeding into 3 sessions and keep the same daily amount? Do I need to go ahead and add more feed per day? I want to find that happy balance of not over feeding and not under feeding, but I can't find any clear feeding schedule through online sources.
We have straw and hay in the paddock but he is not interested in the hay and chooses to nibble on the straw. Is eating the straw problem or symptom? He likes our tall grass patches and is already nibbling on the seed heads. He seems pretty offended by the smell of the calf starter feed and won't even explore it, even if I wet it and smash it onto my fingers. He is having none of that. None of it! I'm sure he is convinced this feed is some sort of devilish plot. Is his hatred for the starter feed an issue? Should I just leave a small amount out as free choice? He has a fresh water bucket and is drinking well. I'm sure he is lacking some minerals because he also eats our Georgia red dirt, even if it is in the form of a large ant hill. We thought we had THE SMARTEST CALF EVER since he is crate and leash trained, but he doesn't seem to get the fact that ants live in those hills. He goes at them, eating that dirt with reckless abandon just like cookie monster devouring cookies, then runs over to me to wipe the ants off his face! At least he knows where to turn to get the ants off, right? What free choice supplements do we need to add? Salt? What kind of minerals? Other items? I saw this person on YouTube had a free choice mineral bin set up with different loose minerals in each of 10-12 slots. Each cow would pass through there a few times a day and pick out the ones they wanted/needed. Is having separate minerals better or should I just go with some kind of mix since we only have one calf? Is giving minerals even ok for calves?
Companionship and future breeding:
Since cattle are herd/social animals, we are letting our female Lab spend a few minutes at a time with him. In due time, we hope to have her stay in the pen with him for companionship and early warnings of predators on that side of the yard. He loves watching our ducks waddle around the yard and goof off in their pool by his pen. He moos and grunts at them all the time. The ducks were so convinced this new creature was Satan that I had to forcibly evict each and every one of them from the duck house the morning after we got him. They have since decided the Satan creature is fine, as long as he stays at least 8.67 feet away.
We are looking for a heifer as soon as possible but this may be a difficult find for this cross breed. We are very interested in having A2 milk, but aren't sure what direction to take. I understand the Belfair is a great dual purpose cross for milk and beef, but what are some other small breeds we should consider? Is a zebu a viable option? Also, I am beginning to think it's better to wait a while to breed so the female has a better calving experience the first time out, especially since we are both new to this. Will they breed too early if they are kept together or will nature take it's course at the proper time? Is it a good idea to seek an older heifer or a pregnant cow now or should we just keep looking for a heifer around the same age?
Health and wellness:
What's up with scours and what are the specific things I need to be looking for as signs for beginning health problems? What about vaccinations? I love the Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks, but I have read reviews saying some of the other Storey's guides are not good at all. Is the Storey's Guide to raising Beef Cattle a good resource? What would be your "must have" book for a first time calf owner like me? I would also love a book that teaches good examination and home treatment skills and any other reputable online resources.
And FINALLY:
Anything else missing? I know, I know, I forgot to give you his bowel movement schedule, his DNA analysis, the results of his last pap smear, and his psychic reading.
Thanks to everyone in advance! I am looking forward to learning from your past and hopefully avoiding some missteps through your wise advice and experience.
-KBB
I have been wanting a dairy cow for a while. The Mr. decided to buy a calf for me on the spurt of a moment. Our jump into cattle is a 12 day old bull calf, a Belfair (Dexter-Mini Jersey Cross). The mother is a 900 lb. registered A2/A2 Dexter, the father a 1100 lb. registered Mini Jersey. We hope to add a heifer as soon as we find one and keep Norman (think the cow from City Slickers) for breeding in the future. Our end goal is to have an adult pair and either sell or process the calves and have milk and milk products for our family of two.
Here we go...
Our little guy was bottle fed with the mother's milk for a few days before we picked him up. He has a good temperament, so far, and appears happy and healthy.
Housing:
We just put up a temporary 25' x 25' secure pen until we can fence in several small paddocks. I am using an XL covered dog crate with straw bedding for now and will be building a wood shelter over the next week or so. Since he was a surprise for me, I had to keep him in the crate for a few hours at a time and for the first two nights as we built his pen. I walked him quite a bit so he wasn't just trapped in there. Even after the pen was finished he seems to like his dog crate and still goes right in to lay down for a nap or stand in the shade when it's sunny. It seems oddly unbelievable to have a crate trained cow, but he even waited to poop until coming out of the crate! What do you think about this housing set up? Am I forgetting anything?
Handling:
He is easily handled by both of us and follows me pretty closely. He is cautious with some touching but not too timid. By the end of our first day with him, he was already walking very well on a lead around his neck. He barely even tugs at it at all, only testing it out once or twice each time we walk him around. By the end of our second day with him, he was already accepting and wearing a harness sized for a billy goat. In addition to lead training and familiar touch, are there any other techniques we should consider to ensure safe and easy handling when he is full grown?
He is starting to headbutt me more and more. I know this is feeding behavior but I'm wondering if it is also testing behavior. Do I need to start corrective measures by pushing him off with my knee, some semi-firm kicks to the flank or what have you? I don't want him to think he can be aggressive with people but I also don't want him to think people are aggressive.
The original owner said we should definitely de-horn. The parents were both very mild mannered, he even said the father was the most docile bull they ever had, but he seemed pretty serious about de-horning all bulls no matter what. Both of our families had cattle as children and our parents did not de-horn, so this concept is just foreign to us and seems unnecessary in a calf from docile lineage. Is de-horning really that necessary? Why or why not?
Feeding:
We are finishing up the gallon of mother's milk cut with milk replacer tomorrow. We are giving 2 quarts, twice per day at 7 am and 7 pm. These are the same times the original owner was feeding so we stayed with that. It seems that he is pretty hungry in the middle of the day - i.e. plenty of headbutting and muzzle poking - and he really wants more when he finishes his bottle. Is this feeding schedule ok for a 50 lb bull calf at 13 days old? Do I need to split the feeding into 3 sessions and keep the same daily amount? Do I need to go ahead and add more feed per day? I want to find that happy balance of not over feeding and not under feeding, but I can't find any clear feeding schedule through online sources.
We have straw and hay in the paddock but he is not interested in the hay and chooses to nibble on the straw. Is eating the straw problem or symptom? He likes our tall grass patches and is already nibbling on the seed heads. He seems pretty offended by the smell of the calf starter feed and won't even explore it, even if I wet it and smash it onto my fingers. He is having none of that. None of it! I'm sure he is convinced this feed is some sort of devilish plot. Is his hatred for the starter feed an issue? Should I just leave a small amount out as free choice? He has a fresh water bucket and is drinking well. I'm sure he is lacking some minerals because he also eats our Georgia red dirt, even if it is in the form of a large ant hill. We thought we had THE SMARTEST CALF EVER since he is crate and leash trained, but he doesn't seem to get the fact that ants live in those hills. He goes at them, eating that dirt with reckless abandon just like cookie monster devouring cookies, then runs over to me to wipe the ants off his face! At least he knows where to turn to get the ants off, right? What free choice supplements do we need to add? Salt? What kind of minerals? Other items? I saw this person on YouTube had a free choice mineral bin set up with different loose minerals in each of 10-12 slots. Each cow would pass through there a few times a day and pick out the ones they wanted/needed. Is having separate minerals better or should I just go with some kind of mix since we only have one calf? Is giving minerals even ok for calves?
Companionship and future breeding:
Since cattle are herd/social animals, we are letting our female Lab spend a few minutes at a time with him. In due time, we hope to have her stay in the pen with him for companionship and early warnings of predators on that side of the yard. He loves watching our ducks waddle around the yard and goof off in their pool by his pen. He moos and grunts at them all the time. The ducks were so convinced this new creature was Satan that I had to forcibly evict each and every one of them from the duck house the morning after we got him. They have since decided the Satan creature is fine, as long as he stays at least 8.67 feet away.
We are looking for a heifer as soon as possible but this may be a difficult find for this cross breed. We are very interested in having A2 milk, but aren't sure what direction to take. I understand the Belfair is a great dual purpose cross for milk and beef, but what are some other small breeds we should consider? Is a zebu a viable option? Also, I am beginning to think it's better to wait a while to breed so the female has a better calving experience the first time out, especially since we are both new to this. Will they breed too early if they are kept together or will nature take it's course at the proper time? Is it a good idea to seek an older heifer or a pregnant cow now or should we just keep looking for a heifer around the same age?
Health and wellness:
What's up with scours and what are the specific things I need to be looking for as signs for beginning health problems? What about vaccinations? I love the Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks, but I have read reviews saying some of the other Storey's guides are not good at all. Is the Storey's Guide to raising Beef Cattle a good resource? What would be your "must have" book for a first time calf owner like me? I would also love a book that teaches good examination and home treatment skills and any other reputable online resources.
And FINALLY:
Anything else missing? I know, I know, I forgot to give you his bowel movement schedule, his DNA analysis, the results of his last pap smear, and his psychic reading.
Thanks to everyone in advance! I am looking forward to learning from your past and hopefully avoiding some missteps through your wise advice and experience.
-KBB