Bottle Calves

[SheepGirl]

I have sheep, but no cattle...I am thinking about purchasing a bottle calf from a friend who has a 400-cow dairy (though that's nothing compared to the family two and a half miles down the road with a 3,000-cow dairy). Sooo, I have some questions:

1 - How much milk replacer does a bull calf drink? Like, how many bags of milk replacer will I have to buy?
2 - My friend has Jerseys and Holsteins--I don't know what breed the calf will be, but it will definitely be a bull calf. Is $50 a fair price for a day old calf?
3 - Castration: will a lamb elastrator tool work for a calf? I don't want to buy another tool just to castrate the little bugger
4 - I will keep the calf as a "guard animal" for my sheep (I read in a sheep magazine that cattle are effective against dogs); my one neighbor has a pitt bull that I don't trust at all near my sheep (especially since my shearer had his sheep attacked by two and they lost 12 sheep and have many more injured). Has anyone had any experience with using dairy steers as guard animals? That pitt bull is essentially my only potential predator; we have had no problems with foxes, the mountain lions in the next town over, bears, birds of prey, etc (knock on wood).

Thanks for all your input!

 

[WildRoseBeef]

If you want a guard animal, get a llama or a donkey. Or better yet, a Great Pyrenees dog. They make far better guard animals than a bovine would. Reason being is that these animals are much more likely to face and chase off predators like dogs, coyotes and other predators than a steer would. The steers I've known and raised have never acted aggressive or defensive against a dog or predator, and they were beef steers. I have no doubt that we'd be singing the same tune when it comes to a dairy steer. When they see a dog coming, they run the other direction. Donkeys, llamas and livestock guard dogs do not!!

So, unless you intend on raising the steer for your freezer, I would seriously reconsider your decisions on getting a dairy bull calf to use as a sheep guardian.

 

[kstaven]

Steer as a guard animal is a waste of time and your resources.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

But to answer your other questions, yes, a sheep bander would work if you band the calf in the first few months. $50 sounds fair to me, but make sure your friend gives him at least 2 bottles of colostrum (not at the same time) before you get him. DO NOT buy him if she won't give him colostrum. Also make sure she dips his navel. Most dairies do this anyways, but some treat bull calves like trash and just feed them waste milk until they go to the sale. How many bags of replacer you'll need depend on how much you feed him and how long you feed him, and of course how big the bags are. Calves usually drink 2 or 3 2-qt bottles per day of replacer.

Another worry I'd have (besides steers not making great guard animals) is that he might get frisky and "play" a little too rough with your sheep. He may chase them, or try to mount them. Just keep an eye on them all when he gets bigger. Oh, and DEFINITELY disbud him. Your friend should be able to do it for you.

I'm in MD too, on the Eastern Shore, and I heard about that poor man getting his sheep killed by the 2 pits. Is that the same man? The son had to bring the gun to the dad? Anyways, it's sad that they lost their sheep, because you can't just replace your flock overnight, especially since it sounds like he had some nice sheep.

 

[OtterCreekRanch]

I agree...cattle are not guard animals. Many people buy guard animals FOR their cattle. A lot of people around here run donkeys with their cattle to keep dogs and coyotes away from their calves. Llamas are pretty common for sheep and goats guardians.

 

[SheepGirl]

Thanks for your replies. The magazine I'm refering to is "Sheep" from the Popular Farming Series published by Hobby Farms. On page 75, it lists the predators and effective deterrents; it says cattle are good against domestic dogs. So that's why I was asking.

aggieterpkatie, yes, that is the family. They have a show flock of Dorsets and Suffolks, and most of the animals in their flocks win Grand and Reserve Champions at many of the state and county fairs here in Maryland. This is a picture of one of the worse-looking ewes they have: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1840747610914 - I just don't want that to happen to any of my sheep.

 

[kstaven]

The key word is CATTLE not cow or steer. A herd is more likely to stand up to a domestic dog where a single animal will run.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

The key word is CATTLE not cow or steer. A herd is more likely to stand up to a domestic dog where a single animal will run.

Possibly, but that may be a different story when it comes down to a single momma cow that has to protect her little one!!

 

[SheepGirl]

The key word is CATTLE not cow or steer. A herd is more likely to stand up to a domestic dog where a single animal will run.

Well it put llama, dog, donkey, etc in plural form as well...

 

[WildRoseBeef]

The key word is CATTLE not cow or steer. A herd is more likely to stand up to a domestic dog where a single animal will run.

Well it put llama, dog, donkey, etc in plural form as well...

Whatever they way things were wrote, everyone agrees on here that a llama, donkey or a dog is better at guarding your sheep than a dairy steer is.