# buying calfs



## miron28 (Nov 15, 2008)

I am thinking about getting a calf for Christmas for my 3 year old daughter named "labella" she loves cows. should i get a calf that has to be bottle feed or one that is already eating hay? this cow probably will be her pet that will not be eaten. if i do get one that has to bottle feed how much does the feed cost and how long do they have to be bottle feed?


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 16, 2008)

Either one would be okay. The bottle fed one would be smaller and need more work but, may bond better with her being that she is young she may not be able to deal with the bigger calf so well to bond with. 

Calves need milk replacer until they are about 2 months old. As for the cost, it depends, but don't get a cheap milk replacer. Ours is around $80 a bag but, one bag should do a calf. 

I also put mine on a pail at about 3 days of age. Easier on the person feeding and I've had less trouble with them sucking on each other later.


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## Imissmygirls (Nov 16, 2008)

If you are going to keep it, decide now if it should be a boy or girl. If it's a boy , you need to castrate it. You sure don't want a bull around your little girl! Next year it will be  almost 1000 lbs and she will only be 4!  Steers are much more docile if they are going to be a pet. 
Personally, I vote for a heifer!


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## miron28 (Nov 16, 2008)

how much does a heifer go for at a auction? and if i do get a bull how do i castrate him?  or how much do you think i would cost for a vet to do it?


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## Imissmygirls (Nov 16, 2008)

Cost depends on what you are looking for. If you don't know what you are looking for, you need a mentor. Get to be very good friends with a 4H leader and learn! The local cooperative extension service should have booklets for you to read to give you some direction. 
First of all, you need to decide beef or dairy. 
What is your ultimate choice to do with it?  Meat, milk, or pet?


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## Imissmygirls (Nov 16, 2008)

The first 6 months are the most $$ in the cost of raising a calf. Not only do you have the milk replacer that Farmer Kitty mentioned, you have to feed grain mixture too. A calf should be on milk replacer until it is eating 3-5 pounds of grain a day plus some good hay. ( That's 100 lbs  of grain every month-- at minimum.)

I have also had luck with pasturing calves very early. They need a lot of attention from the kids to fence train, but I found that nibbling grass  helped a lot with the sucking problems.  It gave those mouths something to do.   It works best in the spring with fresh tender grass that is high in protein. Don't expect a baby to eat tough old grass. It would be ideal in a backyard where you can monitor the baby all the time and keep grass trimmed to encourage new growth. I used to use rotational grazing on the lawn.


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 17, 2008)

Imissmygirls said:
			
		

> The first 6 months are the most $$ in the cost of raising a calf. Not only do you have the milk replacer that Farmer Kitty mentioned, you have to feed grain mixture too. A calf should be on milk replacer until it is eating 3-5 pounds of grain a day plus some good hay. ( That's 100 lbs  of grain every month-- at minimum.) *Grain and hay will be needed at any age but, Imissmygirls is correct that the calf grain is expensive and it's an age where you shouldn't cheat either.*
> 
> I have also had luck with pasturing calves very early. They need a lot of attention from the kids to fence train, but I found that nibbling grass  helped a lot with the sucking problems.  It gave those mouths something to do.   It works best in the spring with fresh tender grass that is high in protein. Don't expect a baby to eat tough old grass. It would be ideal in a backyard where you can monitor the baby all the time and keep grass trimmed to encourage new growth. I used to use rotational grazing on the lawn. *When our calves come off milkreplacer and it's not winter we use a small pasture for them that is made of livestock panels and I have run an electric fence inside it. By the time we take them out of there they know what the electric fence is and problems are very minimal. A calf tends to run through an electric fence until you can get it taught what that thing is for.*
> 
> ...


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## wynedot55 (Nov 17, 2008)

since the calf will grow up as a pet for your 3yr old.id get a heifer calf.i would not raise a steer as a pet.your lil girl will love raising a baby calf.


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## miron28 (Nov 17, 2008)

I think i am going to get her a heifer! now i just got to save up a couple of hundred bucks! my neighbor told me they sell for 400-500 dollars and the bull sell for around 25.00 so that is a big difference in price! but anything for daddy's little girls! hahaha they are spoiled


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## wynedot55 (Nov 17, 2008)

yes we do love spoiling the lil1s.


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 17, 2008)

But, when the heifer calf gets big enough you can breed her if you choose and have your own milk supply. The only options for a steer is just pet or put it in the freezer. With a heifer you have those two plus the option of milking!


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## Imissmygirls (Nov 17, 2008)

Has anyone had any problem raising just one alone? We never raised a *single* heifer after we learned of a neighbor who had raised a cow as a  pet and then had to put her at a farm because of family circumstances. The cow never ever adjusted because she never related to cows at all even though she had been placed at a small farm where she was babied.
Even tho we tried to raise at least 2 preferably 3 together, they sometimes have a tough time adjusting to the pecking order of herd conditions.
If there is ever any possibility that she will some day have to go to a dairy herd, I'd suggest getting her a $25 steer buddy. Bovine buddy for her and freezer meat for you. 
Just name him Mr Beef so your daughter understands he won't be there forever!


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## beefy (Nov 18, 2008)

i always recommend having two of a like species, especially cows because they are gregarious by nature. they will be much happier with a friend of the same species to communicate and learn with/from. 

personally i would get a couple of heifers, and not really young calves if you dont have experience raising them. calves can be pretty hard to raise on a bottle on account of illnesses even if you know what you are doing.


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## wynedot55 (Nov 18, 2008)

ive raised calves alone an had no probs.but i do run the cattle togather.my reg cows do not stay with the stock cows.they mostly stay with their own breed.


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 18, 2008)

We rarely have one at a time but, even when we do there are other cattle around so it's not an issue here.

Calves aren't that bad to raise, as long as you keep the scours away.


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## miron28 (Nov 18, 2008)

i used to raise pigs in Florida and we used to have them butchered. i had to do all the dirty work and they would just cut the meat up in to what ever we wanted. we always  named them dinner that always made it a little easier.


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## neal68 (Dec 6, 2008)

> I think i am going to get her a heifer! now i just got to save up a couple of hundred bucks! my neighbor told me they sell for 400-500 dollars and the bull sell for around 25.00 so that is a big difference in price! but anything for daddy's little girls! hahaha they are spoiled


that is really high for the heifer she should be around $100 and that is kinda high.  $25 for a bull calf is high too if he is under 70 lbs. good luck


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## Farmer Kitty (Dec 7, 2008)

neal68 That's not high here. It depends on what part of the country you are from and the demand of the calves. 

Here is how markets here closed last week:

Calves  
39% of the Bull Calves Sold 50.00 - 115.00 per head 
24% of the Bull Calves Sold 20.00- 49.00 per head 
Top Quality Holstein Heifer Calves 200.00 - 490.00 per head 
Plain Quality Heifer Calves 150.00- 200.00 per head 
Lightweight Heifer Calves 100.00 per head and down


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## wynedot55 (Dec 7, 2008)

holstein heifer calves around here are $300 to $500.the last hol heifer i bought i gave $450 years ago.


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