# Raising a bucket calf?



## BeardedChick

I'm thinking about selling my Dexter calf later on in Spring and buying a bucket calf to raise (a Jersey or other small milker cross).

What does it cost to raise a bucket calf in terms of milk replacer?  If I can time it right, I can use my Dexter's milk to feed the calf...  But I'd like to know about the cost of milk replacer anyway.

Are there any other big considerations?

Will it grow up to be easier to handle than a cow raised calf?


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## wynedot55

depending on the calf an time that you leave the calf on the bucket.1 50lb sack of milk replacer should get the calf to weaning.an that cost $80/sack more or less.500lbs of feed to 3 months more or less is $60 in feed.plus the cost of meds an the cost of the calf.


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## BeardedChick

Wow, that's not too bad.  My goats are costing more than that as I'm feeding them whole cow's milk.


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## wynedot55

thats just till the calf is 3 months old.then the costs keep adding up.because the calf will eat 5 to 10lbs of grain.plus cost of hay during the winter.


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## BeardedChick

The usual feed costs for hay and grain are not a big deal - keeping cows saves us a *lot* of dinero on our property taxes.

I had wondered specifically about milk replacer costs as I didn't know if one calf would need a couple bags of it or ten.   The 50# bags are around $60 here, so not that expensive if I would need at most 2 bags for 1 calf.


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## Farmer Kitty

Watch the milk replacer. You can get cheaper milk replacer but, it's one of those things that you pay for what you get. The cheaper it is the poorer quality. I can recommend Land O' Lakes brand as that is what we use. It's usually around the $80 price range that wynedot gave you.


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## Imissmygirls

I'll back up Miss Kitty on the milk replacer.  PLEASE use quality stuff. It does make a difference- especially on Jerseys. Remember that Jersey milk is richer to begin with. 
10 years ago when we kept track of such things, the 4H figures were that it cost about $1000 in feed to raise a calf to freshening.  That may give people a baseline-- just keep in mind that info is 10 yrs old!


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## BeardedChick

Farmer Kitty said:
			
		

> Watch the milk replacer. You can get cheaper milk replacer but, it's one of those things that you pay for what you get. The cheaper it is the poorer quality. I can recommend Land O' Lakes brand as that is what we use. It's usually around the $80 price range that wynedot gave you.


I will - if you give me the specific name of the milk replacer that is best to use, I will try to find a source for it here.  The 100% milk protein replacer from Purina was $60 a bag - though they said the price was from last year and it might have gone up.

Either way, it's not that expensive (to me).  I just wanted ballpark numbers.

I'll be raising a calf anyway since we need a companion for the Dexter...  So the fixed feed costs for a couple of years will be the same, whether I keep the Dexter calf or buy a bucket beef or dairy type calf.

One more thing:  would it be possible to graft a calf onto my cow after her calf is ready to wean???  That would be nice...


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## Farmer Kitty

We have used a variety of the Land O' Lakes ones with good results. 

As for grafting a calf to your cow after her's is weaned, no one can say for sure. It depends on the cow and calf. But, remember she will be later in her lactation and will be producing less and may not be able meet the needs of a new calf.


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## BeardedChick

> As for grafting a calf to your cow after her's is weaned, no one can say for sure. It depends on the cow and calf. But, remember she will be later in her lactation and will be producing less and may not be able meet the needs of a new calf.


I can see how that could be a problem, especially if it's a standard size calf onto a Dexter...  Even if I keep milking her to keep production up, it may not meet the demands of a larger breed calf.

Rats.  :/


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## Thewife

Hubby just picked up a 25lb bag of Land O' Lakes, Calf balance 22.
for 28.90. 

I have never really cared for Land O' Lakes milk replacer. Dairy calves do good on it, but not my beef and beef/dairy crosses. I know they have different formulas, maybe the only ones they sell around here are the cheaper ones. 

When I called the feed store to see what they had, the girl told me it ws all milk. The first bag did not have a label, this last bag did, and there is soy in it. If I had know this, I would have sent the boy far an wide to find 100% milk protien. 
I don't know if it's the soy or what, but I am not happy with the way Smokey looks.


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## Farmer Kitty

BeardedChick said:
			
		

> As for grafting a calf to your cow after her's is weaned, no one can say for sure. It depends on the cow and calf. But, remember she will be later in her lactation and will be producing less and may not be able meet the needs of a new calf.
> 
> 
> 
> I can see how that could be a problem, especially if it's a standard size calf onto a Dexter...  Even if I keep milking her to keep production up, it may not meet the demands of a larger breed calf.
> 
> Rats.  :/
Click to expand...

Right! A newborn jersey calf needs, if feed twice a day by hand, 1 1/2 quarts of milk/milk replacer. And as it grows older it's going to need more. A larger breed such as holstein, milking shorthorn, guernsey, Ayrshire, will need 2 qts twice a day on hand feedings and more as they grow older. 

That's a big demand on a cow that has raise one calf already this lactation.


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## Farmer Kitty

thewife said:
			
		

> Hubby just picked up a 25lb bag of Land O' Lakes, Calf balance 22.
> for 28.90.
> 
> I have never really cared for Land O' Lakes milk replacer. Dairy calves do good on it, but not my beef and beef/dairy crosses. I know they have different formulas, maybe the only ones they sell around here are the cheaper ones.
> 
> When I called the feed store to see what they had, the girl told me it ws all milk. The first bag did not have a label, this last bag did, and there is soy in it. If I had know this, I would have sent the boy far an wide to find 100% milk protien.
> I don't know if it's the soy or what, but I am not happy with the way Smokey looks.


That comes out to less than $60 a bag. Remember you get what you pay for in milkreplacers. Every brand has a cheap end and a high end. Go as high as you can afford but, around the $80 seems to be a good place to settle. 

With already having this bag you could get another 25# bag of a higher quality stuff and mix it. Don't feed one, one milking and another another milking! Not with one being soy and the other all milk. It can cause problems and even death so mix them.


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## Thewife

Farmer Kitty said:
			
		

> That comes out to less than $60 a bag. Remember you get what you pay for in milkreplacers. Every brand has a cheap end and a high end. Go as high as you can afford but, around the $80 seems to be a good place to settle.
> 
> With already having this bag you could get another 25# bag of a higher quality stuff and mix it. Don't feed one, one milking and another another milking! Not with one being soy and the other all milk. It can cause problems and even death so mix them.


It wasn't like I really had the chance to plan ahead on this one! I didn't go for cheap, I got what was available at the time.

I didn't think changing milk now would be a good thing, after already putting one bag in her. I will check to see what they have down south when I go this week, and do some mixing.


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## Imissmygirls

Just went googling....

Purina web site:
http://dairy.purinamills.com/OurProducts/Replacers/default.aspx

You can see there are lots to choose from.  AS Kitty said, you get what you pay for. I'd spend the $ and get the high protein all milk kind. You should only be needing 1 bag per calf.
Kitty, are you familiar with the 28/20?  Is that 28% protein?
I believe we used to use all the 22 % protein, definitely not the 20%

Re: the grafted calf, I'd suspect it would be a rare first calf heifer that would accept a grafted calf later in lactation. It's hard to get them to accept another even when they are first fresh and all mommy-oriented.  By the time they have weaned one, they have had enough of the udder-bumping annoyance. Can we blame them?


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## Farmer Kitty

Here's what we usually use.


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## BeardedChick

Thanks for all the info & for scanning that label!

I would have to plan way ahead because all the mill here carries is this one:

_Nurse Chow 200 Milk Replacer - A high quality milk replacer formulated with soy protein isolate and milk protein ingredients (22% protein and 12% fat)_

Anything else is special order.

However, the only Jersey bottle heifers I've found are $650 and up (advertised as 'well started').  That seems pricey for a bottle calf...


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## Imissmygirls

Not sure where you are located, BC, but that price doesn't surprise me for a started Jersey heifer.  
Well-started-- I would take to mean weaned or 8 weeks old.  I'd rather pay for a weaned one. In fact, it is likely cheapest to buy a weaned but open heifer if you want to have a Jersey.  You pour a lot of $$ into feed in the first 6 months of a calf's life.


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## BeardedChick

I wrote back to get more info on the bottle heifers.  

Though I'd rather buy a week or so old calf and do the bottle feeding myself - it would be fun to do just once...


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## Farmer Kitty

While prices do very around the country I thought I would post what heifer calves and heifers brought last week so you can get an idea. If you have a local sale barn, check with them on more specific pricing for your area but, it does sound like it may be running similar to ours.

*Open Holstein Heifers*-I know some of this group is usually Jerseys.
Dehorned and Vaccinated Heifers 550-750# 450-900 per head Sales on Open Jersey Heifers 523# - $ 610.00 528# -- $535.00 585#- $620.00 
Dehorned and Vaccinated Heifers 750-950# 650-1000 per head 
Dehorned and Vaccinated Heifers 350-550# 350-700 per head 
*Calves*Top Quality Holstein Heifer Calves 150.00 - 220.00 per head 
Plain Quality Heifer Calves 50.00- 100.00 per head 
Lightweight Heifer Calves 50.00 per head and down


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## BeardedChick

Thanks - I'll go to the sale barn tomorrow (auction day) and see what they are selling.

I would be shocked to find a Jersey here in beef country!


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## wynedot55

you want whole milk replacer.DO NOT  get any of that soy milk replacer crapp.its not worth bringing home.an itll kill calves most times.because it doesnt have what they need to thrive.


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## Thewife

This is what I have. 
Calf Balance 22 NT


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## Imissmygirls

www.jerseydirectory.com

You can find a Registered Jersey breeder in your state. THere are a lot of breeders who aren't in the directory but it gives you a start when looking.
AMerican Jersey Cattle Club is at  usjersey.com

They also have a sales force and pages that show their sales averages. The averages are just that: not all of them go for high prices. And not all those sold are high end cattle. We had sold extra 4H heifers thru Jersey Marketing and got an decent price for them. They went out of state 

One thing about getting a bottle Jersey calf- newborn: They are much smaller and therefor more delicate than any other breed as newborns. It's easier to lose them to illness- especially one going through a sale barn picking up diseases.

good luck finding  one... wish I could !


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## BeardedChick

That was depressing - there are NO registered breeders for Colorado!!  

Craziness!

There is one very local breeder that I know of that has top quality Jerseys for their artisan cheesemaking operation, but he is building out his herd and is keeping all of his heifers.


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## CowCop

Check your local Dept of Ag newsletter--classified section.
There will be good Jerseys for sale there.

Also chat with the cheese maker and strike a deal with him for a good Jersey heifer.   Once he meets you, talks with you and sees that you are sincere in your desire for a quality heifer he may be more receptive to the idea.
Maybe you could work for him part time or offer to raise 2 heifers, one for him and one for you ?  Strike up a relationship with any farmer and show up consistantly to help do chores and you could easily end up with some fine animals.

Anything is possible.

I have had people approach me that want to buy some of my cows that I do not want to sell because I need more of those particular genetics in my herd.  After we talk about possiiblities, they usually end up with the cows they want and i still end up with some of the genetics I want.  Think outside the box and consider all posiibilites.

As for the milk replacer.. get the best.
Personally I HATE seeing ethoxaquin in any kind of animal feed.
Remember all the problems with it in dog food years ago ( eukanuba/Iams ) and it had to be taken out of all dog foods.


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## Imissmygirls

I know you want a baby, but you might even consider a retired cow and use her for a brood cow.  Maybe one who has lost quarters for some reason and is headed for slaughter?  
I know we had to sell a few that we just couldn't afford to keep. I so wish we could have found homes for them. One had a twisted stomach and had dried up while recuperating and the other had had health problems and needed a rest. I had pasture for a summer, but couldn't keep them for a full pregnancy.
If you aren't in a commercial operation where every cow needs to earn her keep, you might find some bargains out there...but you need to ask around!


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## BeardedChick

If I see an older cow like that at the sale, I wouldn't hesitate to buy her.  I read about someone in Santa Fe, NM that buys problem Jerseys (injured or behavior) and rehabs them.  It's a neat idea.

I will be able to put out the word up at the sale tomorrow. 

However, I am very tempted to buy a Belted Dutch calf, if the price is reasonable.  I saw my first Belted Galloways when I was 17 or 18 years old and fell in love with belted cows back then.  I remember exactly where I saw them, and I took photos of them because I liked them so much.  That was a loooong time ago.  It would sure be fun to have an oreo cow in my pasture.


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