# Considering a calf...need a refresher...



## GrowURown (Jul 5, 2011)

Hi all!

Been gone a while...kinda...mostly lurking from my cell and staying busy on the home front!

An update for those familiar with me...our goats I guess are doing well...I have decided to turn their care over all to the wife and follow a "don't worry be happy" with them...for some reason, maybe it's the cute factor, goats drive me NUTS with STRESS!  My wife however...well...she banded all the baby boys sold as pet whethers, handled the sale of each one, and has deemed it necessary for me to find something else to focus on...she says MY stress causes her stress...go figure....how can you not stress when the darn things live right outside your bedroom window and you can hear every bleat, snort and fart they make?  Anyways, I digress....

I have decided the thing I need is to raise a cow for BEEF...yes, beef...I think my stress with the goats is the fact that they are MEANT to live forever as milking pets...when I know something like our pigs has a shorter lifespan via a date with the processor...well...I care, don't get me wrong, but I also have a certain amount of detachment I feel is needed.  You shouldn't fall in love with something scheduled for a dinner date - not when it is going to be ON the table versus AT the table. So I know I can handle a calf MUCH better than those silly goats!  

Here's my question...or multiple questions...mostly this...can someone bring me up to date on current practices where raising calves are concerned?  Things like vaccine schedules and worming and keep in mind we are located in Texas...the arm pit part of Texas just north of Houston as I know geographically it can matter in a lot of areas where worms and such are concerned.

Also, when we raised beef steers as a kid...well...it's sad, and I have to admit it, but my dad was the "know how" and I was the brawn...he said, I did, the end.  I did not take the notes I should have.  Plus, we generally stuck to buying older weaned calves...fancy ones too...I won a reserve grand championship twice showing.  Right now the wife and I are pouring through the internet and considering something more reasonable...no shows here...just good eats.  A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE THE MID 80'S...that's when I raised my last calf - dad stuck with it for a while into the 90's...but I was gone on deployment in the Navy and back a year after he took his last steer to the processor.  Even worse, part of what has changed is the passing of my father 4 years ago...with him went all my "cattle knowledge" and while he was totally old school cowboy about it and I don't know that we will be using the horses to rope anything...well...I kind of miss out on his know how from time to time in sticky situations.

We are talking about one, POSSIBLY 2, calves...probably little bull calves needing castration and dehorning...and maybe even bottle babies...never did bottle baby cows....so let me see if I can sum it up...

1) What's a good current vaccine schedule and worming program used in the south?
2) Dehorning and castration...I'm assuming this can be done just like the goats with an iron for the head and bands for the balls as long as the timing is right and all the junk fits where it needs to?
3) Feed...SO MANY NEW THINGS HAVE COME ON THE MARKET!  Oh my lordy my goodness!   What is a good, easy method to follow when feeding out a calf to slaughter?  
4) If we end up going bottle baby...what the heck?  A schedule? when to wean? and I'm guessing here that store bought cows milk is A-OK....but could we supplement with goat milk too?  My GRIEF I say!  We have that a plenty to at least supplement....
5)  Anyone know any good places to find cheaper (but not so cheap they are gonna die) calves in South East texas? Or a recommendation for a good hardy breed for the region besides the longhorn...because it seems sacrilegious to me to have a longhorn...with no horns...and things here have no horns..them's the rules!

Thanks so much guys and gals!  Any and all input is welcomed...call me nuts even...it's becoming a positive affirmation around here


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## herfrds (Jul 5, 2011)

1 Stay away from the bottle baby alot of problems there.
2 Vaccine's I have been told is to use an injectable in the spring and a pout on in the fall.
3 Yep band the nuts, but the horns depending upon the size will have to taken care of a different way.
4 Feeding is different in all areas. I am finishing out a steer right now for slaughter next month. He is getting 8#'s of bull developer and 10#'s of ground barley plus out on pasture. But what feed situation do you have set up? Corral? Pasture?

Look for brangus/hereford cross been hearing some good things with them.
They are doing a lot of cross breeding with the braham down there sine they are so heat tolerant.

I would get a 6-8 month old weaned calf directly from the breeder. Find out if they kept records on everything they did from vaccines to implants.


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## GrowURown (Jul 5, 2011)

Is a bottle baby cow worse than a bottle baby goat? Seriously, not playing here...how can ANYTHING be harder than a baby goat to bottle feed except maybe puppies and kittens?  And I am being very serious...the goats have given us a hard time in the bottle department...we gave up and moved on to dam raised because we had the option with most of our babies born here (HAD to feed a few we initially ended up with not born here), but I would think a 3-4 week old bottle baby cow would be easier as the older goats WERE easier...just the brand new ones really drove me nuts with worry...just wondering why maybe is a younger cow harder?

Horns can't be disbudded using the Rhinehart...the cow one?  We have access to the big cow one through friends...could probably just get him to come out and do it...so in all sincerity again...not good to do a cows horns with the electric disbudding iron?

We have a pasture...used to grow some lovely weeds, never had any luck with grass even in the front where nothing lives but people (though we had QUITE the stunning dandelion patch last summer, best one in four counties I think!)...then it quite raining in Texas...so now we have a beach with no ocean...lots of sand and dirt...I'm actually awaiting a hay delivery today, yeah, the stuff is pricey, but the horses and goats need it and to me their health and the happiness and joy they bring the family is irreplaceable...not to mention the responsibility they have taught the kids...PRICELESS!  

So anything that comes here is going to have a hay based diet and horse quality at that...this is a given as I don't want to be dealing with multiple kinds of hay. LORD FORBID I feed a horse something intended for a goat or vice versa, you should see the wife go off! And for feed, well...back when I was showing mine, they all got Purina brand everything....dad used generic feed store brand all stock for everything else..but MAN!  How the feed options seem to have grown!   There's SO MANY brands and types and supplements....it overwhelms me trying to figure out what is meant for what...we eventually settled on something for the horses that seems to fit them...but REALLY...have you ever looked at all the options available?  IT'S LUNACY!  Would it be safe to stick with all stock for a cow?  Just simple and easy and supplement with a mineral block/salt lick?  Or should I go fancy cow specific?


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## Bossroo (Jul 5, 2011)

As the old Scottish saying goes... " The eye of the master fattens the cattle." It applies to all classes of livestock.   All of the fancy new stuff is fine and dandy and expensive. If it works better than the old reliable stuff, use it. If not, use your eye. As for advise, what works for livestock in one area, may not work as well in another environment. So, ask your neighbors that professionally  raise their animals with an open mind and consistantly make a profit.


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## elevan (Jul 5, 2011)

GrowURown - Oh, how I've missed your posts!!! They are so fun to read    Welcome back!

I second the call to get a weaned calf.  Golly I brought home 2 bottle baby calves myself in May...my first ones.  Lost one within a week and was nursing the other with I.V. fluids.  IMO they are definitely harder than goats.


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## GrowURown (Jul 5, 2011)

Elevan...I've been trying to avoid all things BYH if only so I am NOT constantly paranoid about those goats!   (I just sneak occassional PM's in to my goat gurus for advice and leave it be...no lurking on the goat diseases, nothing....trying to stay away from the temptation of worry really....)NONE of them have food names....see my issue?   E M O T I O N A L     A T T A C H M E N T .....it's an ugly thing for me!

A nice steer calf named BartleBEEF....that would work just fine 

And really....I'm still trying to picture something like a calf being harder than a goat to deal with as a bottle baby...I guess maybe because I am SO paranoid over how fast goats can go downhill....and because wwe lost our first goat EVER that was a bottle baby so fast...he was never quite right though...

I think I found a nice HEALTHY WEANED ZEBU calf not too far from the house...small yes, but good for the wife and kids since they have never really raised one...I think what do ya'll think...

really now...What do ya'll think of that idea?  I mean, it's not ever going to be a HUGE beef steer to fill multiple walk in freezers or anything....like that I Love Lucy episode where she's selling beef out of a baby buggy in front of the store she bought it at     (That was my wife's first thought too.....she voiced it and I had a hard time not laughing too hard).

But it would be a decent size to work with and tame, if our 12 year old can handle a 3 year old quarter horse mare in heat, I would bet that fiery kid could handle a Zebu steer...also....from what I hear they are pretty hardy...that's a plus...

i don't know...still unsure on vaccines, etc...bought some feed the lady that runs our feed store recommended and she's usually right...says everyone does it that way...so I went with it, and stayed away from TSC and all things "mega farm store" for now...it's too tempting to come home with visions of every disease the stuff on the shelves cures.

OH! I KNOW....I was told when I got him home, no matter what and IF we get him to give him 5cc of CDT vaccine...is that right? Because we have 2 bottles of the stuff...each half used I believe....what's the deal with that (the cdt I mean, not the half usage of 2 bottles, that I attribute to my own blind eye)?  He's already had an 8 in 1 (or maybe the guy said 7 or 5 in one...idk at this point)....who knows...NOT GROWUROWN!

I just know if anyone asks "Where's the beef?"   I want to say "In my yard!"


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## GrowURown (Jul 5, 2011)

Bossroo said:
			
		

> As the old Scottish saying goes... " The eye of the master fattens the cattle." It applies to all classes of livestock.   All of the fancy new stuff is fine and dandy and expensive. If it works better than the old reliable stuff, use it. If not, use your eye. As for advise, what works for livestock in one area, may not work as well in another environment. So, ask your neighbors that professionally  raise their animals with an open mind and consistantly make a profit.


OH!  I was gonna say...."BUT I DON'T THINK I WANT A SCOTTISH Cow! Who asked the Scottish anyways?"  (I'm just playing here...get it...because there really ARE scottish cattle...made me laugh  ) But yeah, that's kinda what I did, I asked what moves the most and best with least complaints at the feed store and she pointed me the right way...now I gotta remember all the other stuff we used to do...I remember CLEARLY getting my first "very own" calf and a few VERY bad moments where I was too young and dumb to know better....so I'm trying to drum those up and not have any repeats....

I'm also praying the wife enjoys banding him as much as she did the goats....only one goat acted a fool, the rest were so tame they just laid in her lap like they were waiting for her to take the band off and apologize....I've WARNED her this is NOT the norm....but I figure since this time she will at least wait for me to help hold the thing (she was brave enough just to "do the deed" with the goat boys) we should be okay.   I mean...I held the hog while she castrated him...she was a little too cautious on the first one and dead on with the second...so she should be okay...but we cannot entrust the 7 year old no matter what she says to this job (and she's my daughter thru and thru...already asking to do the "rubberband gizmo")

And really....for real....I LIKE the electric iron for disbudding...that is NOT that bad at all compared to other things....it won't work on a small cow with tiny horns?


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## aggieterpkatie (Jul 5, 2011)

Bottle babies *can* be ok if you get them from a reputable farm that you know feeds colostrum.  Buying one straight off the farm is way different than buying from auction where they're just "throw away" animals.


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## GrowURown (Jul 5, 2011)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> Bottle babies *can* be ok if you get them from a reputable farm that you know feeds colostrum.  Buying one straight off the farm is way different than buying from auction where they're just "throw away" animals.


Ahhhh....so as with a goat kid, colostrum is key, correct?  and initially healthy of course....but the colostrum makes a difference, so say, should I find jersey bull calves 3-4 weeks old at the dairy still and not the auction (I WILL NOT do an auction...too much...no way) then they should...in THEORY...be easier?


ETA...to be specific what I mean it that it is CRUCIAL they get colostrum within an appropriate time frame right?  That makes a huge difference...and not being exposed to a million other questionably healthy animals...


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## elevan (Jul 5, 2011)

As to the vaccines and deworming...I'm learning right along with you here.

But as I was on the way home with the calves I called my vet and went to pick up the next day from them:
Vaccines: Vision 7 & Triangle 9  (repeat booster of both in 3-4 wks)
Dewormers: They just recommended a dose of Ivomec (which I already had)

If someone else has a different recommendation - please share    I've decided that I'm going to continue the homegrown beef thing myself.

Oh, and I named ours Brisket and T-Bone    (We lost Brisket though)  And when I talk to him, I'm constantly talking about what kind of marinade I'll be using on what piece of meat or something like that.  I have too or I'd drive myself crazy...he's just too cute.  I'll probably cry like a baby when it's time to send him in...but it's gonna be a great meal.


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## goodhors (Jul 5, 2011)

I don't recommend a bottle calf because of the stuff you have already said.  You will bond with it during those daily feedings, which go on to 60-90 days when you wean it.  Just too much "together time" and calf KNOWS you are bringing milk, thinks you are mom!  I would not recommend feeding goat milk if you ignore me, you need calf milk replacer.  Calves have different nutrition needs than baby goats, so milk replacers are made differently.  If you plan to eat it, you want a different relationship with your calves than being mom provides, more distance.  Buying weaners at 3-5 months old gives you calves with a good start from their mom, less time needed from you with no milk replacer feedings.

When we did the "new" species thing, we read up on it first.  Perhaps you should purchase a couple books on cattle and read them.  Keep in mind they ALWAYS seem to start with the bad things, lists of diseases, problems, until you wonder how the species can survive at all!  Then they move on to more normal stuff, daily handling issues, getting a routine going with "name your animal" the book is covering.

Have to say we were quite worried with lamb purchases, thought they would fall over if you looked at them wrong.  Surprise!  They lived and THRIVED with almost no extra work for me!!  I was a bit more knowledgable with the calves, but it was the same thing.  Book scares you, but in real life, the calves and heifer did just fine with no issues needing to be dealt with.  I make sure that animal is not stressed, has good food and water.  Try to not do many NEW, SCARY things at one time, so animal can relax before learning another new thing.  I try to let animals run about in pasture, see things going on, to dull the startle reflexes!  Grooming, leading, tying calves helps them calm down with people.  Practice leading and load in the trailer, give some feed reward.  Keep everything calm, low-key, stress is reduced.  Stressed animals get sick easier, have "issues".  Unhandled cattle do need roping and fighting to get where you want them to go.  Trained, handled animals are easy to work with.  All the family should take turns doing stuff with calves, so they are not "one-person" cattle.  Cattle can be weird about that, LOVE their routine and hate changes, so routine should be multiple handlers, no one is a stranger to cattle.

In my area, I vaccinate for tetnus, pinkeye, and give a multi-way shot from TSC.  The multi-way covers 10 virus/illnesses.  Each of these need to be given twice with correct time spacing, to make animals immune to the diseases.  Second shot given too late is not going to create immunity needed, you just wasted your money.  We give shots one kind-at-a-time, so there is not a reaction from getting many meds at once.  So for a few weeks, the calves get a shot-a-week as we work thru the vaccines.  So far cattle have had no reactions except a lump at shot site that goes away quickly.  I would consider giving a Rabies shot if I would own the animal for a while, had Rabies problem in the area or lots of vermin on the farm that can be carriers.  My horses are Rabies vaccinated, skunks after feed seem to be the carriers around here.  Several cases of horse Rabies each year, so worth vaccinating for.

You probably should get in contact with your local Extension service, find out what information you can get from them on Cattle, feed rations, handling, vaccinations recommended in your area.  Extension is the specialist for your location, does the 4-H, presents any cattle studies done at the Ag College to help local folks.  Blackleg is a problem in other places, but not here.  Local conditions require vaccinations for YOUR local problems.  Same with feed, hay or grasses grown there.  I may never encounter your kind of hay, don't know what the feed values are to cattle there.

Calves sound like a nice animal project.  Hope you can distance yourself a bit from them.  Unfortunately, when you own livestock, sometimes there are also dead stock.  But more are healthy, grow well, than you lose.  If they are not right to begin with, usually you can't save them no matter what you try.  You learn as you go.  I am not a goat person, they would drive me crazy.  Sheep and lambs, Cows and calves, horses are not a big deal for me to deal with.  They need to be warm and dry part of the day, have clean stalls and water.  Decent hay with a bit of grain.  The more you baby them, the more problems pop up, so less digging for minutae in care helps reduce my stress.  Fly bite or small scrape?  Vasaline works on all 3 species, don't need a bandage or stalling.  This type care seems to work pretty well for us.  They survive well, are in good health, appearance, and this IN SPITE of the dire warnings of all that can go wrong in the books about them!


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## GrowURown (Jul 5, 2011)

Well...we committed tonight...found a nice HEALTHY FAST MOVING bright clear eyed and nosed raised on the mama now eating on her own lowline cow calf...what I felt was a good price, out of an apparently healthy small herd (to the eye, they looked healthy, good weight, no limps or lumps or crusty spots anywhere...shiny healthy fat cattle)...like I said, not fancy, but everyone was healthy, got a GOOD run myself in their pasture and had plenty of time to inspect their cow poos too!

Get this...I called on a calf, went to look, caught her up, checked her out, she was perfect...EXCEPT...the man was not a good judge of SIZE at all...he had said she was about 60-80 lbs...this should have EASILY fit in my VERY LARGE "goat crate"....here's the except...ready...EXCEPT she is closer to 150lbs! THAT IS TOO BIG for my nigerian dwarf adult goat transport crate.... So I left, went home for the horse trailer as they don't live far at all and when I got back, well, aforementioned calf KNEW what was up...she could see her destination this evening would NOT be with her mama later for a late night stroll and she took off...

IT TOOK AN HOUR TO CATCH HER...and we finally got her in the middle of the pond...swimming for life away from us in circles 'round the thing...his son finally swum in and made her come out...at which point she loaded right in the trailer...BLESS THE LORD!  I am TOO old and fat to chase down cows...of course now she gets to spend a few days on trailer lock down until she knows us and such...plus I think she will have a vet visit for a round of vaccination/check up and get more info and booster shots to have at home in the next day or two (our vets REALLY good abotu sending us home with what we need and clear instructions, and I trust them WAY more in the cow/horse department - they just do more cow and horse work really)...it's like a mini horse in a 4 horse trailer, Kobe beef barely lives better...and then straight to a stall and small turn out for her until she is over the initial capture...she REALLY wanted to stay there....REALLY...I mean REALLY....not even baby goats fight THAT hard to stay with their mamas! (Of course, I am sure our GIANT Cookie Monster Blue trailer rolling into her pasture did NOTHING to calm her little calf nerves...that thing scares me with it's sheer volume of U G L Y as I see it rolling down the road!)

So tonight we gave her fresh water, and hay...holding off on feed from a bag for now...just water and hay...and I am sleeping soundly because after that workout I don't have any other option.  NOW I remember why I like cows more than goats...THEY MAKE ME WAY TOO TIRED TO WORRY!  Sooooooo.....IF we haven't stressed her out to the point of a heart attack yet, and she makes it through the night, then I will be pleased and if not....well...I hope she does okay...she actually is pretty sweet natured and docile, I think she had seen other "siblings" carted off and knew the drill...and she ain't dumb that's for sure...

Also, I have come to the conclusion that my biggest loss is the vaccines and meds....never really needed all that before at any point, so I am lost with it because I just haven't had to do too much of it...dad vaccinated, I just helped...not to many experiences with sick or ailing cows...so we MUST have done SOMETHING right...right?  Though it is good to know, and I am sure I will learn, I am glad in a sense not to know too much....see what I mean?

And YES...even after an hours jog through a 10 acre field or bigger...CALVES ARE EASIER THAN GOATS!   First night home our goats turned their noses up at water from our tap....this little cow calf had a sip right away...so MUCH less snobbier than a goat for sure!  And hay...she LOVES the hay...I still have to convince the goats they are meant to eat that stuff and not play in it!  Yup...I'm in cow heaven right now...let's see what tomorrow brings shall we?  Perhaps some nice bonding time?

OH!  and good natured...did I mention?  Because I remember almost every steer calf I EVER met tried to kick me within seconds....I haven't been kicked yet...it's coming, I bet it is...but just not yet...and that is a FIRST!  OH OH OH! and POLLED AND A GIRL!  You know what this means? NO BANDER, NO HORNS!!!!!   WOO ME!!!!!   I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that I let fate and kharma and whatever else lead me to this one JUST based on that alone!

Can you tell....a cow is like Christmas in July to me...some men want a harley...I'm just content with a cow and to do the things in life I had before I went into the military...I left all this behind for 8 years and had a hard time getting back into it...especially after my dad passed...it's hard doing farm stuff without his guidance...and I worry like my mother did...crazy huh?  But things are coming back to me now, slowly but surely, little tips and tricks and such dad used, probably nothing modern day normal...

But take for example something as common as raisin bread...yes folks, raisin bread, great for toast...for all I know it may be the silent cattle killer, but RAISEN BREAD was how dad won their hearts and trust...small little nibles here and there as a reward and they LOVED it...hadn't thought of that in years until we got home tonight and I saw a loaf in the freezer...guess what I have thawing?   RAISEN BREAD!   That may be her name...or BooBooCOW...because she booboo-ed on my boot after we loaded her into the trailer...

AND GUESS WHAT ELSE!  (I swear after this no more typing, but ya'll will be proud of me...) She BUMPED HER HEAD AND GOT A TINY LITTLE CUT sometime between parking the trailer and when I gave her water and GUESS WHAT...I DID NOT FLIP OUT OR WORRY!   it's TINY, MINOR, and our 7 year old spotted it first and guess what...I said "She'll be fine" and came inside....no worrying over an 1/8th inch scrape in the dark...just went on about my evening....like a calm grown man...nice huh?   I thought so


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## GrowURown (Jul 6, 2011)

Meet our new calf!  It's daylight! I got a pic!   

She's eating hay, appears to have had a drink of water already, and has had a nibble of cow feed (Purina receiving chow) FROM MY HAND and let me pet her nose and scratch her head a little...and now she is BELLOWING right outside my window like CRAZY!  I call the vet in an hour to schedule an appointment for a initial visit...she's gonna hate that, but she's already in the trailer.  If it ain't broke don't fix it, and that fits me fine.

Riddle me this...IF I decide she can live with the goats...CAN COWS HAVE ACCESS TO GOAT MINERALS?   If not, we are gonna have to change the game plan slightly, but if they won't hurt her than she shall live with the goats once she has a clean bill of health....gonna see what tests we need run at the vet and just pay for it...no need to risk anyone else's health you know....


So...today's question (and I think a few after this) is going to be based on the goats SORT OF.....

CAN A COW HAVE ACCESS TO GOAT MINERALS?   WHAT DISEASES SHOULD I HAVE THE VET TEST FOR THAT COWS CAN GIVE TO GOATS FOR MY OWN PEACE OF MIND?

(See now...not worrying about the little milkers...just keeping them safe preventatively....)


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## goodhors (Jul 6, 2011)

Ask your questions of the Vet!  They should be able to say if minerals are the same.  I know sheep can't have copper, so they can't have horse or cow minerals.  Goats I am not sure.

I don't know if they can share disease, but the Vet should know.  AND the Vet is the expert with the letters behind their name, so they "KNOW" what they are talking about!!  ha-ha

She looks quite the cute calf.  Using the grain as treat, should get her friendly pretty fast.  Put a halter on when you turn her loose, with a long rope dragging.  Then you just walk her down and pick up the rope, reel her in for some grain, scratches, turn her loose again.  Seems to tame them quickly.

Congrats on finding a calf with all the stuff you wanted.  You might want her to have a friend, easier to keep them home if you have two bovines.


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## GrowURown (Jul 6, 2011)

JUST CALLED THE VET     They said come and pick up the vaccines, don't worry and didn't really know on the minerals...never had anyone ask before...all they give here for home freezer calves is black leg and cdt in case she should get cut she's already had her tetanus vaccine and blackleg, well, I remember the preaching on that...so yup...off I go in a while...

She's LOUD... ALL the neighbors have met her...my kids...STILL IN BED!!!!!   Typical....now we have to find a halter that FITS her...can a cow wear a rope halter like a horse? Because I can just tie those myself, real nice, like the fancy Clinton Anderson ones (sat down one night and figured it out to avoid paying for anymore "fancy" rope halters....)  If not I HAVE to have one nylon one round here in the tack that will work...

So, next question....would a rope halter work?


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## WildRoseBeef (Jul 6, 2011)

Rope halters work better than a halter meant for a horse.  Cattle have a different head structure than horses do, so a home-made rope halter is the best.  See the article How to Make an Adjustable Rope Halter on how to make one. 

Edit: Goats would need a block that also doesn't have copper in it.  But cattle need copper as a part of their diet.

Edit 2: I'm really not surprised to hear that she's bellering like she is.  This is all a part of the weaning process: she's just calling for her momma, but give her a few days to a week and she'll be nice and quiet.  When we got our steers (the very last herd in 2007 before my dad passed away three years ago...), for the first week or so they would not stop bellering.  And there were 80 or 90 of them, and I know that the neighbors a half a mile to a mile away could hear them!  But they became nice and quiet after they got over their "homesickness" and didn't hear a peep out of them except at feeding time.


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## aggieterpkatie (Jul 6, 2011)

WildRoseBeef said:
			
		

> Goats would need a block that also doesn't have copper in it.  But cattle need copper as a part of their diet.


Sheep can't handle copper, but goats need it just like cattle.    I'm not sure what the difference between goat and cattle mineral is though.


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## WildRoseBeef (Jul 6, 2011)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> WildRoseBeef said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ahh, that I didn't know.  Thanks for the correction. 

From what I had been looking around at, there was somewhere where I read that if a body couldn't find any mineral  that was specially formulated for goats, that giving them a mix that is meant for cattle or horses is good for them as well.


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## GrowURown (Jul 6, 2011)

WildRoseBeef said:
			
		

> Rope halters work better than a halter meant for a horse.  Cattle have a different head structure than horses do, so a home-made rope halter is the best.  See the article How to Make an Adjustable Rope Halter on how to make one.


That's what I meant, sorry, a cattle type halter...I still have all my stuff from when I was younger in a giant blue box...pig stuff, steer stuff and horse stuff...of course NONE of my old steer halters work because she is a LOWLINE and they were both MUCH bigger breeds...

But I can do some EXTRA handy stuff with rope and Horse halters are pretty hard to get the fiador knot just right on and I conquered THAT, so a halter for her...should be easy peasy!


Okay...just got back from the vet and in regards to the minerals she said:   Cows and goats CAN share GOAT minerals....but they CANNOT share COW minerals....good to know...may still change the game plan...but if she is content with the goats for a while I would be okay with that!

And she gave me one shot of the blackleg vaccine and said since we are not showing or traveling farther than the processor and that won't be for a while that we are covered and need only to keep a cautious eye to worming IF need be...cool deal...so the cow can cohabitate with the goats WHEN we are ready. Her exact advice was this:   "TOTALLY organic is major gamble in our climate, but relatively organic is not bad and the less we do the better the result with just a few homegrown calves, if you need anything just call" I figured so, I'm not going for organic, but we will be feeding it to the kids, so I do want to keep it semi-natural ya know?  "Do what needs to be done and not excess"  she told me....I like that

And the mooing...I KNEW it was coming, and now she's being pretty quiet...actually...when I walk up she's quiet and when I walk away a minute THEN she moos...so hopefully she is becoming at least a LITTLE attached to me...probably not, bet she hollers all night, but it's okay...


OH! AND GOODHORS!   YOU are a CATTLE ENABLER I think....I mean, all things are content with another of their species and of course I MYSELF would be content with 2 cows...but I showed my wife what you said and she may go for a second small breed calf...maybe....or I may let her try a bottle calf at some point.  There's a REALLY nice dairy not too far that actually takes pretty good care even of their bull calves, doesn't just dismiss them, etc...I have been told at the vet that THEY are good to go to for healthy young bottle calves with pretty good luck...they charge a little more than some of the auction babies you see being passed around, but on the flip side they tend to survive and thrive easily the doctor said...so MAYBE just MAYBE we can find her a companion shortly...I have a blessing on a second from the wife  


Ahhhh...cattle, back in my element I think....no worries, it's just meat afterall...gotta keep that in mind...not forever long life, but short content healthy one!


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## goodhors (Jul 6, 2011)

"OH! AND GOODHORS!   YOU are a CATTLE ENABLER I think"

Hang my head, stand up, and admit it, "I am a cattle enabler!"  Can't help it, they are SO CUTE!!


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## herfrds (Jul 7, 2011)

Post didn't go through yesterday.

We use Bovi Shield Gold 5 and One Shot Ultra 7.
Went to a cattle seminar concering de-worming and these guys mainly did do research down south.
So what they said is to use an injectable wormer in the spring and a pour on in the fall.
We pour ours at branding and again at weaning.

Was the blackleg a multi vaccine or just a single? like Vision 7?


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## GrowURown (Jul 7, 2011)

I didn't question the exact shot...trying to avoid stressing too too much as I do over the goats, so I just told her where we stood with the calf and that I needed complete vaccines, other than that I am not going to stress, just keep it healthy and don't over think things....friendly, healthy, tasty beef...that's my goal.


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## herfrds (Jul 8, 2011)

Don't want them TOO friendly.
the steer I have with my milk cow got TOO excited over the bucket of ground barley I was carrying and butted it and it hit me just about right and my hip was almost popped out of place.

There is a difference between stressing them out and preventative care.
Did the vet give an 8way or 7 way shot?
That is a vaccine that is to prevent mulitiple problems.

If the vet did just a blackleg shot you need a different vet.

We never keep the crazies around here. Our cows and calves are so calm they come up and will lick the 4 wheeler and I had a heifer last year that loved to lick my pants.


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## redtailgal (Jul 9, 2011)

.


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## GrowURown (Jul 10, 2011)

It's good to see you! I didn't realize you spoke cow as well as goat!  I myself am SWORN off of goat for a while...the 12 year old now does all our research as the darn things kept me sick with worry...the cow is EASY compared to goats!


Speaking of...

We put her in gen pop yesterday...she's a happy heifer...kinda leary of the "funny looking calves", but now she's following them around and making friends and OH SO HAPPY!  As long as she doesn't try to come in and climb on the milk stand at feeding time, she can think she is a goat in all other ways!


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