# How to transport 2 calves.



## HeritageFarm (Mar 23, 2014)

How big is a 1-2 month old heifer calf, Holstein jersey mix. Weight would be good but I need to know height and length or a size comparison like the size of a Labrador retriever? I'm trying to figure out if my crate is big enough to hold two 1 month old calves or if I need two crates, or if I'm going to need to rent a little trailer or something. Its a big dairy and its a good drive to get there, but its the only place somewhat local currently in my budget. They aren't real friendly people and don't really answer questions like that, they expect you to show up, pay, and leave.

If someone has a photo that would show the size of a Holstein or a Jersey mix calf around this age please post it! 

A Big Thank You!


----------



## greybeard (Mar 23, 2014)

A 2 month old Holstein is going to be bigger, taller, and heavier than any Lab I ever had. Those kind of calves are pretty leggy at 2 months old, making them about 36" tall.


----------



## M.L. McKnight (Mar 24, 2014)

I've raised a number of Holstein bottle calves and I doubt that a dog crate will work for them. I'm 6'2 and at two months their heads were a bit higher than my belly button. 
If you don't have a trailer, I'd suggest that you use a truck. Just build some sides in the bed or find one with a shell cover. If that's not an option then line the back of a cargo van with a few tarps and some hay.

I've met the 'grumpy-standoff' type of farmer myself. Do yourself a favor and look up various feeding techniques and forage for dairy cattle, anaerobic digestion and growth rates of various Holstein crossbred cattle. You'll find something interesting that you can mention and NOTHING melts the icy barrier around a farmer faster than talking about that farmer's farming interest! 
Compliment him on his cattle's disposition and udder size too.

You don't have to blow smoke for him or suck up to him, but a drop of praise goes a long way.


----------



## greybeard (Mar 24, 2014)

I didn't realize you were thinking of using a dog crate-no, that won't work IMO.
PM sent.


----------



## HeritageFarm (Mar 27, 2014)

I decided not buy that guys calves since he was being so rude. And the way he talked about his cows wasn't filling me with hope about what kind of care the calves got after birth there. So I told him I wasn't going to buy any calves after all, he wasn't holding them or anything so he really didn't seem to care. I wanted a Jersey not a mix anyway, so it worked out okay for me too!


----------



## M.L. McKnight (Mar 27, 2014)

I have a Jersey milk cow and she is pretty awesome. She whoops up on the hay bale, terrorizes an old stump out front and has been known to jump and twist- but that is only when she is in heat. Aside from that she is super gentle and I have spent lots of time leaned up against her giving her a scratch. Two warnings: 1.) When you get a Jersey, you will fall in love with those big old eyes so don't expect to be able to scold one when they get out and tromp your flower patch or eat a path through your corn. You might THINK you're mad and you're going to tell them about it- but those eyes will stop you in your tracks. 2.) Jersey bulls can be ornery. Not all but just remember that they ARE bulls and know where they are at all times.


----------



## HeritageFarm (Mar 27, 2014)

I know all about those big ol' calves eyes, lol! I almost brought some home from the local fair one year on a whim, they were veal calves and I hate the idea of veal anyway but those big said eyes had me about ready to shell out the big bucks at the auction on some male calves I didn't need, or have the money or room for. I have no plans to get a bull EVER! AI or boarding a cow for a few months with someone else's bull and cows is way cheaper then keeping an extra cow around here and a heck of a lot safer too!


----------



## HeritageFarm (Mar 27, 2014)

Jersey really do look like little fawns, and no one wants to yell at Bambi right?


----------



## M.L. McKnight (Mar 27, 2014)

I have my Jersey milk cow, Louise, and I kept a bull calf of hers. He is Jersey x Black Angus. I've had more folks stopping by trying to buy him as a steer than I can count but I am keeping the little rascal. I have heard all about the inherent traits of a full blooded Jersey bull and have been told that the same rule applies to anything over 1/4, but I've never been accused of NOT being stubborn. That's the little bull I am going to buck, I have had three bulls prior to this one and sold them but my bull (named 'Bull') is showing signs of athleticism far beyond what the others ever did. He won't have the rump that the beef x beef crosses do but he'll surprise some folks in a few more months in my opinion. 
I said all of that to say this, I agree that keeping a bull isn't really feasible unless you have 20+ cows for him to service. A friend of mine has a pretty good sized spread in Saskatchewan and I was helping them with a roundup, his family raises Simmental, Hereford cross and Angus cross cattle and they have two PB Red Angus bulls and four PB Simmental bulls. Moving those cows was some work, they'd snort and spit, kick dust, divide the herd, double back and try to wander! On the other hand, I moved those bulls by walking behind them and shaking a bent piece of straw! They may have looked massive (especially when they were fleshed out) but were nothing more than one ton puppies.


----------



## Azriel (Mar 29, 2014)

Just an FYI for the future if you do find some calves. Last year I hauled a month old Angus mix heifer in a xlarge dog crate, the one for giant breeds, and a week old twin (small) Angus heifer in a large crate, big lab size. It was about a 3 hour ride and they did fine and were able to stand, turn around and lie down.


----------

