Age

[Imissmygirls]

We had a 9 month old Jersey heifer jump the fence into the holstein bull running with the cows. Found out why she jumped the fence when we had her checked to see why she wasn't cycling! When the time came, we were all prepared for a c-section but out came a natural birth petite heifer! Unfortunately, mama didn't produce up to snuff for a commercial herd(gee, wonder why), so she found a good home as an Amish family cow. Hope she had a good life

 

[Farmer Kitty]

OUCH!!!!

 

[wynedot55]

things like that happen.you was lucky that she had the calf on her own.

 

[Imissmygirls]

Feeling at the time (after the birth)was that the dam's breed genetics must have overcome the holstein genetics size in the calf. Jerseys generally don't need assistance calving--although I've been known to help- just because!

 

[wynedot55]

well jerseys are known as heifer bulls.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Feeling at the time (after the birth)was that the dam's breed genetics must have overcome the holstein genetics size in the calf. Jerseys generally don't need assistance calving--although I've been known to help- just because!

I'm glad you said generally. We had one we had to work really hard to get the calf everytime. But, she was the only one the rest calved easily.

 

[kstaven]

Jerseys tend to be relatively problem free with calving. One thing I have noted is that the calves do not have the fight to survive in the cold that other breeds do.

 

[Imissmygirls]

Not much reserve in a Jersey calf. They are skin and bones and 60 lbs if they are big. You can overfeed them easily at first.
Especially in winter we would feed smaller amounts 3-4 times a day to keep them growing in cold weather.
Around here, you can't GIVE the jersey bulls away. DD #3 is in the market for a nice show calf for her niece. All our show herd died off-- last beautiful heifer got into a tiny space in the local freestall barn and hung herself; even the young bull we tried to keep to keep the bloodline got into the bathtub waterer in the pasture and killed himself. How? How does a critter get INTO these things?

 

[Farmer Kitty]

How? How does a critter get INTO these things?

Good question!

I was pregnant with Kute Kitten and having some bleeding so I was suppose to take it easy. I went out just to look at the animals and found a 750-800 pound holstein heifer in a water tub! I had to go get the skid steer to dump her out.

 

[wynedot55]

cows calves an heifers can die in strange ways.an sometimes you can get to them in time.