Thanks, Terry! I use electric fences with the cloth/wire braid for my horses. It works great. It's the only way to go, especially if you're going to rotate pastures, because it's so easy to move.
Rich
Rich
Bred Heifers
- Thread starter RichZ
- Start date
TerryinMD
Veteran Member
Cool!!
You're ahead of the game.
Terry
You're ahead of the game.
Terry
Anonymous Poster
New member
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- Sep 27, 2005
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You can end up buying junk from the livestock auctions,unless you know what you are doing.
Thanks for the advice, Mr. Careful! My friend who's a lifelong dairy farmer will set me up with some of our local dairy farmers who have too many heifers to raise, to buy them, if I go through with this. As far as auctions, I'm not going to buy there. I'm just going to follow Al's good advice that I can see what the market is by observing them.
Thanks,
Rich
Thanks,
Rich
TerryinMD
Veteran Member
RichZ,
I just couldn't resist the urge..... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
Buy low - Sell high!!!! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Terry
I just couldn't resist the urge..... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
Buy low - Sell high!!!! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Terry
jdkid
Gold Member
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- Apr 16, 2000
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- Tractor
- 8350 valmet with 980SL FEL duels had a 150 Hp deutz just sold it 10 NOV 01
Hi ya
seeing ya can get left over heifers from some cow cockys ya need to get records too if i was milking cows the one with the better background get's the higher bid a big fat cow that dose not milk is worth 5/8 of FA ..cold winds, rain will kill dairy calfs over night so sheds are a must have with something on the floor (woodchips )and may have to get cleaned out a few times to cut down the out brake of disease etc etc...they have to be handled to keep carm .i'll have a surf around and see what i can come up with ..
end of the day if ya can sell a well rounded heifer with good records that is not scared ya will get the bucks anything else ya will only get meat money
catch ya
JD Kid
seeing ya can get left over heifers from some cow cockys ya need to get records too if i was milking cows the one with the better background get's the higher bid a big fat cow that dose not milk is worth 5/8 of FA ..cold winds, rain will kill dairy calfs over night so sheds are a must have with something on the floor (woodchips )and may have to get cleaned out a few times to cut down the out brake of disease etc etc...they have to be handled to keep carm .i'll have a surf around and see what i can come up with ..
end of the day if ya can sell a well rounded heifer with good records that is not scared ya will get the bucks anything else ya will only get meat money
catch ya
JD Kid
cowboydoc
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Well said JD. It's a whole different ballgame than raising feed cattle. ALOT of work goes into them and like you said they are tempermental as heck about dying.
jdkid
Gold Member
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2000
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- Tractor
- 8350 valmet with 980SL FEL duels had a 150 Hp deutz just sold it 10 NOV 01
HI ya
here is some info for ya i have not had a lot of time to look for ya yet.i got this off a farm site one guys idea of calf rearing
I have been rearing bought in calves for about 20 years now (approx 100 per year) - and over that time have accumulated a folder about 3 inches thick on methods etc of so doing. There is a vast amount of literature out there on calf rearing - most of it good stuff but also a lot with varying degrees of commercial bias. From all this and my own experience I believe some basic principles can be identified that are essential no matter what system is undertaken. As follows;
[1] The KISS principle - Keep It Simple Stupid. By far the best and easiest way to rear a calf is to leave it on its mother - (ask any beef breeder). Unfortunately its also the most expensive and least efficient. Next best would be multiple suckling on nurse cows, then ad lib feeding on warm milk, then restricted feeding, then cold milk, then milk replacer, then limited replacer plus meal and so on. The point is that the further you get away from the natural system and the more artificial you get the more things can go wrong and the more likely it is that they will go wrong - and when things start going wrong with calves, problems compound rapidly. Once calves start going back its a real struggle to get them going forward again - and the more artificial the system the harder it is likely to be.
[2] If it aint broke don't try to fix it. If you have developed a system that works well for you and delivers a good end product stick with it - don't make big changes for the sake of saving a few dollars - mistakes in trying something radically different could cost far more than potential savings. Over the years I have developed a system that works well for me that will consistently take a 40 - 45kg week old calf to 100kg in 12 -14 weeks, on approx 1 bag of milk replacer and 1.5 bags (60kgs) meal. With the certainty that my system can and will deliver I can thus budget my performance, costs, and profits with confidence. For the coming season I am expecting a bag of powder to cost $90, 60kg meal $45, and the calf $100. I anticipate my 100 kg plus weaner to be worth $400 in November - I reckon $100 kg profit per calf is required to make the job worth while. I am obviously going to be well above that with my proven system, even when all the extra smaller costs are also taken into account. So why embark on an unfamiliar, minor cost cutting exercise?
[3] BASIC REARING PRINCIPLES;
[A] Select only big, healthy calves. Minimise stress when transporting and rest them in the new environment for at least 8 hours before feeding. It is absolutely essential that the newborn calf receives colostrum - preferably within 6 hrs - certainly within 10 hrs - after birth. Volumes or percentage of liveweight recommendations for this vary a bit - in practice one good gut full and a contented calf is a good enough guideline. [C] Provide adequate nutrition - both quality and quantity. Good quality hay and meal should be available ad lib from week 1. [D] Keep calf dry at all times and draught free. Wind and wet separately are bad for the calf - dramatically increasing maintenance feed requirements. Together they are deadly. A shivering calf is a very bad sign. [E] Provide clean water with easy ad lib access from day 1. [F] Provide clean and dry flooring and bedding. Don't use tanalised sawdust or shavings. Top up with fresh stuff regularly as required. [G] Don't overcrowd. At least 1m2 per calf - especially if they are to be kept inside 24 hrs a day - preferably 1.5m2. Keep batch sizes down if inside permanently - maximum 20 per pen and don't shift calves between groups. [H] Bring the milk to the calves - not the calves to the milk. Observe good hygiene all the time.
catch ya
JD Kid
here is some info for ya i have not had a lot of time to look for ya yet.i got this off a farm site one guys idea of calf rearing
I have been rearing bought in calves for about 20 years now (approx 100 per year) - and over that time have accumulated a folder about 3 inches thick on methods etc of so doing. There is a vast amount of literature out there on calf rearing - most of it good stuff but also a lot with varying degrees of commercial bias. From all this and my own experience I believe some basic principles can be identified that are essential no matter what system is undertaken. As follows;
[1] The KISS principle - Keep It Simple Stupid. By far the best and easiest way to rear a calf is to leave it on its mother - (ask any beef breeder). Unfortunately its also the most expensive and least efficient. Next best would be multiple suckling on nurse cows, then ad lib feeding on warm milk, then restricted feeding, then cold milk, then milk replacer, then limited replacer plus meal and so on. The point is that the further you get away from the natural system and the more artificial you get the more things can go wrong and the more likely it is that they will go wrong - and when things start going wrong with calves, problems compound rapidly. Once calves start going back its a real struggle to get them going forward again - and the more artificial the system the harder it is likely to be.
[2] If it aint broke don't try to fix it. If you have developed a system that works well for you and delivers a good end product stick with it - don't make big changes for the sake of saving a few dollars - mistakes in trying something radically different could cost far more than potential savings. Over the years I have developed a system that works well for me that will consistently take a 40 - 45kg week old calf to 100kg in 12 -14 weeks, on approx 1 bag of milk replacer and 1.5 bags (60kgs) meal. With the certainty that my system can and will deliver I can thus budget my performance, costs, and profits with confidence. For the coming season I am expecting a bag of powder to cost $90, 60kg meal $45, and the calf $100. I anticipate my 100 kg plus weaner to be worth $400 in November - I reckon $100 kg profit per calf is required to make the job worth while. I am obviously going to be well above that with my proven system, even when all the extra smaller costs are also taken into account. So why embark on an unfamiliar, minor cost cutting exercise?
[3] BASIC REARING PRINCIPLES;
[A] Select only big, healthy calves. Minimise stress when transporting and rest them in the new environment for at least 8 hours before feeding. It is absolutely essential that the newborn calf receives colostrum - preferably within 6 hrs - certainly within 10 hrs - after birth. Volumes or percentage of liveweight recommendations for this vary a bit - in practice one good gut full and a contented calf is a good enough guideline. [C] Provide adequate nutrition - both quality and quantity. Good quality hay and meal should be available ad lib from week 1. [D] Keep calf dry at all times and draught free. Wind and wet separately are bad for the calf - dramatically increasing maintenance feed requirements. Together they are deadly. A shivering calf is a very bad sign. [E] Provide clean water with easy ad lib access from day 1. [F] Provide clean and dry flooring and bedding. Don't use tanalised sawdust or shavings. Top up with fresh stuff regularly as required. [G] Don't overcrowd. At least 1m2 per calf - especially if they are to be kept inside 24 hrs a day - preferably 1.5m2. Keep batch sizes down if inside permanently - maximum 20 per pen and don't shift calves between groups. [H] Bring the milk to the calves - not the calves to the milk. Observe good hygiene all the time.
catch ya
JD Kid
jdkid
Gold Member
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2000
- Messages
- 424
- Tractor
- 8350 valmet with 980SL FEL duels had a 150 Hp deutz just sold it 10 NOV 01
Hi ya
Here are some links for ya
http://www.calfcountry.co.nz/
http://www.waimatevets.co.nz/Calf Rearing.htm
http://www.ngahiwifarms.co.nz/index.htm
the last one has a forum on it so could be worth alook keep in mind all these sites are in KIWI DOLLARS!!!! as a rule of thumb 1 Kiwi dollar= 50 USA cents ,,,1Kg =2.2 Lbs ,,,, also some of the drugs and diseases will be diffrent but it will give ya some idea
catch ya
JD Kid
Here are some links for ya
http://www.calfcountry.co.nz/
http://www.waimatevets.co.nz/Calf Rearing.htm
http://www.ngahiwifarms.co.nz/index.htm
the last one has a forum on it so could be worth alook keep in mind all these sites are in KIWI DOLLARS!!!! as a rule of thumb 1 Kiwi dollar= 50 USA cents ,,,1Kg =2.2 Lbs ,,,, also some of the drugs and diseases will be diffrent but it will give ya some idea
catch ya
JD Kid
Bird
Epic Contributor
I mentioned this thread to a beef rancher neighbor yesterday. He and his brother both run herds of beef cattle and he said a couple of years ago, his brother bought 25 calves like you're talking about (and tried to get him to do the same - gonna make money). He said he won't try that again. He also mentioned that if you want dairies to buy those bred heifers, they're going to want to know about both the sire and dam that they came from. No personal knowledge at all; just what I've been told.
