# $400 for jersey heifer



## Moody (Feb 18, 2015)

One of them is a little over 2 weeks and eating some feed and the others are 1 week. He said they are healthy and from their full blood jersey milking herd. Had shots already. 

Does this seem like a good deal? I'm wanting one to raise for cream basically (I have 2 goats for milk and a yearling dexter I could milk way sooner than a week old jersey calf). I really don't need extra dairy animals but not sure my dexter can bring the cream. So I could raise her to be a family milker and hopefully sell her as trained family milker for $1800 ish. 

This place is about a 40 min drive for me. I don't want to drive to Timbuktu and really fear a calf dying on me after $ invested in milk replacer and meds to keep on hand. 

Which brings me to other questions. I see 25 lb bag of non medicated mr at TSC for $50 ish. Or should I get medicated? I planned on getting some save a calf in case i see scours. I have pennicillin on hand already. 

I know from reading posts NOT to over feed. That can cause scours and it can die. I also have seen to keep it in a pen with water and feed available. Replace and clean bowls daily. 

I have a "barn" that is a run in type shed. I have one full 8'x16' stall open that can be fitted with 8' gate. I know young calves need to be fairly warm. I live in north texas. It may get cold again before permanently warming for spring. This barn faces north because we will add on to it later for a  full fledged barn. Anyway if needed I could put up a "wall" with square bales to add a bit of wind block. I could also put a goat in her pen with her. 

What kind of hay to offer free choice? Sudan or coastal? I have one 4 month pregnant goat that I worry will die before I ever get a drop of our first milk. Will Putting a calf in the same barn and small fenced pasture possibly affect the goat if the calf were to get sick and/or die from some strange multi species infection?

I'm new to homesteading and really fear I will kill our investments from lack of knowledge about preventable illness. 

Thanks so much if you made it this far in my thread full of questions and things I think are relevant but likely aren't


----------



## SheepGirl (Feb 18, 2015)

Make sure shes not a freemartin.


----------



## Moody (Feb 18, 2015)

I was going to ask the seller about that. That is really only an issue if she was a twin, right? 

I know there is testing that can be done but I was hoping they have done it and that I can take their word for it.


----------



## SheepGirl (Feb 18, 2015)

Yes only if shes a twin. Im not sure of how common twins are, though I believe they are more common in holsteins than jerseys. My friend from high school has a 600 cow dairy, most of them jerseys or jersey x.  I can ask her.


----------



## BrownSheep (Feb 18, 2015)

Only from male/female twins. Twins aren't very common.


----------



## Moody (Feb 18, 2015)

Is $400 kind of pricey?


----------



## greybeard (Feb 18, 2015)

SheepGirl said:


> Yes only if shes a twin. Im not sure of how common twins are, though I believe they are more common in holsteins than jerseys. My friend from high school has a 600 cow dairy, most of them jerseys or jersey x.  I can ask her.



FACTORS AFFECTING TWINNING TABLE 1. INCIDENCE OF MULTIPLE BIRTHS
Breed....Total Births... %Multiple births... # of Twins....# ofTriplets.....# ofQuadruplets
Holstein.... 21,174..........4.75%.................997............7.................1
Guernsey......300............2.33%.................7..............0.................0
Jersey..........545...........1.83%.................10.............0.................0
Ayrshire........229...........2.62%.................6..............0.................0
Brown Swiss ..49.............4.08%.................2..............0.................0


----------



## greybeard (Feb 18, 2015)

Moody said:


> Is $400 kind of pricey?


A little pricy, for a 2 week old around here, but further North, there is no shortage of people looking to buy young bottle calves.

Here's an ad from someone in Wisconsin selling different weight calves:


> Located Here in Wisconsin we have groups of all size calves available. All calves are healthy and taking Bottle well:
> 60 to 69 pound calves $210 a head
> 70 to 75 pound calves $240 a head
> 76 to 80 pound calves $270 a head
> ...


With light weight calves (under 300#) going at sale barns for nearly $4/lb, I can see why so many are being snapped up. Another big draw for liteweights is for roping calves--doesn't matter to a roper what breed they are tho most prefer a little brahma or LH in the mix.

Just to illustrate the demand for dairy calves wanted:
http://www.bestfarmbuys.com/classifieds/category.php?category=Cattle - Dairy


----------



## Moody (Feb 18, 2015)

Thanks! I hopefully will go see it and use some info I found online to see if it is healthy. Then maybe see if they will take 50 less?...I have to purchase all the supplies if we decide to try this. I've sen many online folks lose their bottle fed calves only a few days after purchase.


----------



## babsbag (Feb 18, 2015)

I haven't raised a calf but my best friend has more than once and having them on the cow for that colostrum is key to their survival. Make sure that they had colostrum at birth. Also, my friend has lots of goats and she raises her calves on goat's milk; no replacer.

$400 for a heifer would be a steal in California


----------



## jhm47 (Feb 18, 2015)

A heifer calf can be born a single and still be a freemarten.  I have found several of them in my AI work that the owners were positive that they were born singles.  What happens is that they were conceived as twins, and the male calf died in utero and was resorbed by the cow.  The male hormones that the male calf produced in the few weeks of sharing the uterus caused the heifer to become a freemarten.

It is very easy to tell if a calf is a freemarten.  Take a lubricated pencil and insert it on a 45 degree angle into the vulva.  If it goes in about 4 - 6 inches, she's not a freemarten.  If it stops at about 2 - 3 inches she is one.  Don't force the pencil, and be sure to use the blunt end with the eraser to probe the heifer.  This works for very young calves.  As they grow, you need to increase the # of inches that you insert the pencil.

Forgot to mention---After inserting the pencil at a 45 degree angle, you will need to raise the back end of the pencil up to parallel with the ground.  If you continue at the 45 degree angle you will hit the top of the vulva and it will stop, giving the impression that she is a freemarten.


----------



## Moody (Feb 20, 2015)

Ok so not a free Martin.  I pick her up tomorrow. I thought about two but he didn't cut price enough for two. 

He has one that is 3 weeks and 3 that are around 1-2 weeks. The 3 week old is started on grain. He gives some 12% grain from a local feed store but told me to get creep feed so I got 14% protein. He also only feeds 2 pints per feeding 2 times a day and this is raw milk from his jerseys, not milk replacer. So I am worried that she isn't already on milk replacer and different grain so am I setting myself up for a sick calf?
I also didn't know what milk replacer to get. I have read that it should be based on milk protein not soy but that is all I could find. I found a 50lb bag for $92 but really can't afford that right this minute so I got Unimilk by MannaPro. Is that going to be ok? I also have read in many places to feed 2 quarts twice daily and he is feeding considerably less. He also said to get some cored and mix it in bottle for 21 days?

I got some electrolytes, one called bounce back and the other calledEntrolyte H.E. And Arrest with gelatin to slow fluid loss. In case of scours. 


Any thing else?


----------



## jhm47 (Feb 21, 2015)

See if he will sell you a couple gallons of raw milk.  You can begin to mix it with the replacer and gradually switch her over to 100% replacer.  This would be the safest in the long run.  Bear in mind that you are changing her from natural raw milk to replacer, and at the same time changing her to creep feed, along with moving her to a totally different environment. 

You would be smart to search until you can find 100% milk protein replacer.  There must be different feed stores in your area which carry it.  The soy protein stuff is a recipe for disaster.  Good luck!


----------



## Moody (Feb 21, 2015)

Ok will it say " milk protein as the first ingredient or something less obvious like:dried whey, dried whey product then soy protein isolate?


----------



## Moody (Feb 23, 2015)

I got her. She is pretty for a cow. It got down to 27 last night. HOpefully she stays warm enough. Seller said she must be getting close to a month old now. I got her because she was the oldest and started on grain. He also said he only feeds her 2 pints a feeding. Twice a day. I have been slowly pushing that toward 2.5 pints. And he did give me two gallons of raw jersey milk for her. I havent noticed her eating much grain, yet. I gave her 2 pints of warm electrolytes when I got her home. Then since it has been cold I gave her a 1.5 pints of warm electrolytes again today at noon as well as her normal milk feedings.


----------



## jhm47 (Feb 24, 2015)

Whatever you do, DON'T overfeed her.  More calves are killed by overfeeding than you would ever believe.  Jerseys are a very small breed, and what works fine for a Holstein will overwhelm a Jersey.  Good luck!


----------



## Moody (Feb 24, 2015)

This is my first calf period. So all knowledge has come from Internet reading. The seller did tell me that jerseys die from over feeding. 

He was feeding half of what everything I read says to feed. The things I read don't differentiate between Holstein, jersey or angus. Just 2 quarts twice daily or it could be spread out over 3 feeding but not more than that amount. but I'm trying to stay at the amount he did or just a bit more. 

Im hoping the electrolytes I have been offering help with the transition and cold.


----------



## Robert Shon (Oct 18, 2015)

If this is a jersey you will need milk replacer with at a min. 20% but 25% protein is better. Scours are just a fact when you use replacer.  Clean bedding, fresh water & a draft free shelter with as much sunlight (uv) as is possible during a day.  Calves are fairly tough & after a couple days  of bottle feedings try switching to a pail or tray, it will make your life Much easier !  Good Luck,


----------



## Baymule (Oct 18, 2015)

She is beautiful! I wish you the best with her.


----------



## Moody (Nov 17, 2015)

Just an update. She survived and is doing well. I could see her growing. 

She is a bit taller than my dexter heifer but not quite as wide. Still growing a bit. I hope to have her AI'ed next July or so for a spring 2017 calving.


----------



## frustratedearthmother (Nov 17, 2015)

That's awesome - thanks for the update!


----------

