Couple of questions from a first timer

[snowk]

I am a first time cow owner and have a couple of questions to add. First, my girl is about 6 months old now and has begun to grow horns. I think that it would be safer if I had her de-horned, how expensive is that? Is it hard on the calf? Next, I know nearly nothing about her genetics. I got her for to milk but she may well be "free martin." Is there anyway that I can tell this, or at what age could a vet check her and get a good idea? She has all of her exterior parts Finally, she lives with my sheep and runs and plays with two of them in particular. We have to be careful about the feed, but we mostly feed grass and hay anyway. When we give her feed I lead her out of the pasture and stake her with her own feed so that the sheep don't get any copper. I think that they are getting along famously but we were talking about getting another bottle baby (bull/steer) for the freezer this spring. Do you think that putting her with another calf would mess up our happy herd?

 

[WildRoseBeef]

Dehorning is indeed a painful process for the calf, there's no doubt about that, but it's about as expensive as calling out a vet to have it done for you if you're too squeamish to do it yourself, and even cheaper if you get a neighbor veteran cattleman/-woman to come out to do it for you. At that age the horns would start to become attached to the skull (which is why you're likely seeing the horns starting to sprout from the skull), so cauterizing cream wouldn't be the best choice as a smaller scooping dehorner is which won't cost you more than $20 (a wild guesstimate) at a local livestock supplies & feed store. You'll also need a spray to stop the bleeding or even a rubber jam-jar sealer to stop the bleeding (a trick my Dad and I used when we were dehorning our steers.)

Test-tube test is one that a vet can do for you. Not sure about the whole details of the process (someone may be able to explain more for you here), but I believe if the test tube goes in all the way (into the heifer's vagina that is) or something like that she's not a freemartin. Do you have a picture of her you can share with us?

She may appreciate the company of another bovine companion. But I'd rather you stick with having a steer for the freezer instead of a bull. Bulls are worth half a herd of at least 10 to 20 cows or heifers, not just with one. (Not to mention they can be hard on your fences and your wallet when they're bored...) With a steer, you can feed him up and butcher him for the freezer in a year or two.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

--double post

 

[snowk]

 

[snowk]

Not sure why she is sideways, but this is our Farrahday mu. Now she has grown more hair than my sheep and looks kinda like a muppet. As for the bull, all I meant was that I figured he would come that way and that we would have to band him. I do not want a bull. I have two very sweet gentle rams, but I dont trust them for a second and I dont need another testerone beast to beware of. (The rooster and I had that fight and I won but I dont need to push my luck)

 

[WildRoseBeef]

Not surprising about the hair especially this time of year. (No cattle here but when we had our steers, they had quite the thick long hair too, making them look almost like walking fluff balls than actual cattle lol.) She'll slick out nice come summer time.

And good to hear your thoughts about the bull. Like I said, I really don't think she'll mind the extra company in the form of another bovine. At least the sheep give her enough company that she's not lonely which is good to see.

Have you felt the horn growths? If you haven't, just feel to see if they're still loose on top of the skull or hard like little horns. If they're hard, then the dehorn scoop will work. If loose, you can use the cauterizing paste (not cream, sorry) on her.

You're doing good, and she looks good. Welcome to the world of raising cattle!

 

[Azriel]

Cute calf, she must be at least part Jersey. They make great family milk cows. If she was a single birth or at least not a twin with a bull calf, then chances of her being a Freemartin are slim, but there is a blood test that can be done to make sure.
I don't know anything about dehorning, so far all my cows have been polled, but next year with a half Jersey calf due it is something I'll most likley have to learn more about.

 

[snowk]

Nope, the horns are solid! There are several teachers that I work with who raise cattle. I may try to call in a favor? They may not have time to do it, but I can probably borrow the tools and get pointers.

 

[snowk]

She is supposed to be Jersey, and I have no idea if she is a twin or not. I got her from a farmer who buys bottle calves from some of the larger dairies around and then re-sells them. They are mostly male, but occasionally he would get a girl. I was told that she was "vet checked" and that she was not free martin. All I know is that she was visibly healthy and I am sure that she got her mother's colostrum. My vet said she looked very good, but that he didn't know why a dairy would be getting rid of a viable girl? I got a great deal and she is beautiful, so I took my chances. (I do not think that she will ever go in my freezer, but I think that I could sell her if she turns out to be sterile...maybe.)

 

[WildRoseBeef]

Rarely do dairies give out--or "give out"--fertile females from their operation, most likely because these females were born with a bull calf as a twin and don't want to risk the chance that she may be fertile. With freemartins, there's a 90% chance that they will be infertile, but there are those 10%, like maybe that Jersey calf of yours, that do get to be fertile.