Looking for Spring Calves for sale in VT
- Thread starter LilyD
- Start date
PattySh
Loving the herd life
Not sure where you are in VT. Check your local dairy farms most sell unregistered extra bull calves cheap. Or keep checking Craigslist that's where I got mine (but proceed with care). I have raised other steers years ago from local farms without any problems. This time I got mine from a farm in "pm me and I'll tell you where" and paid about $30 for my steer, It died in a few days (came with terrible scours!) Farmer gave a replacement one and bought a 2nd one for $20 extra but one died. They had a really rough time in the beginning as they came with terrible scours and one an infected navel. Formula is hard on their systems. I really recommend using whole milk instead. I did ask the farmer for whole milk for the second set of calves and he supplied the most crap encrusted bucket ever so the milk was filthy and I had to dump it when I got home! Choose a clean farm! Have medications on hand for deworming/scours (including electrolytes) before you go get calves! Check the rear end of any calf you look at for the runs, avoid any with a liquid butt or infected navel (you will notice the smell) or belly wet with urine, don't feel bad for the calves and take them as you will not have good luck!)and you will spend a ton trying to save them.
- Thread starter
- #3
PattySh
Loving the herd life
Some farmers use a beef bull to breed first time heifers as the calves are small but sell for more than Jersey X's. You can post a wanted ad on Craigslist looking for dairyxbeefers.
- Thread starter
- #5
Yeah I posted on craigslist a couple of weeks ago but no one has answered. I am thinking it still might be too early in the season to get calves since it's the middle of winter and once there is a surplus I may be able to find them cheaper than now.
I'll keep looking
Lily
I'll keep looking
Lily
