$400 for jersey heifer

[Moody]

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]

Make sure shes not a freemartin.

 

[Moody]

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]

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]

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

 

[Moody]

Is $400 kind of pricey?

 

[greybeard]

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]

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
81 to 89 pound calves $295 a head
90 to 100 pound calves $400 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]

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]

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