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[Deecarter]

My dogs benefit from being off duty at night and not having random animals scattered about. They can patrol the outside of the coop and sheep barn/lot easier than run several pastures. They run the pastures anyway, but the pressure is off. Train your ducks or geese to go in every night and it will be easier on everybody.

@farmerjan summed it up nicely. No bottle babies! If you buy a calf, make sure it is not a bull calf, have him castrated. The man we bought our steer from castrated him and kept him on his momma until healed and weaned.

Better to not buy bottle babies unless you are ready for the losses. We pick up ours from the auction and know full well everytime it is a roll of the dice. Once we have a couple we have raised and sold off we will be switching to beef animals most likely. Bottle calves are a good leg into cattle if you plan on getting some meat to start off and to have extras to sell then re-invest the profits.

Definitely easier and probly ends up cheaper to just buy farm calves who are a bit older and well started if you just after say 1 butcher beef.

That’s what I’ve heard. My sister’s son bought 3 bottle babies. They were cheap enough but 2 died from scours despite treatment.

 

[Deecarter]

My dogs benefit from being off duty at night and not having random animals scattered about. They can patrol the outside of the coop and sheep barn/lot easier than run several pastures. They run the pastures anyway, but the pressure is off. Train your ducks or geese to go in every night and it will be easier on everybody.

@farmerjan summed it up nicely. No bottle babies! If you buy a calf, make sure it is not a bull calf, have him castrated. The man we bought our steer from castrated him and kept him on his momma until healed and weaned.

Our fenced area isn’t so big. They can see from one end to another. I know it is possible to train them to go in at night. I used to do my chickens that way and will again if I get to the place I can trust the hawks won’t be a threat.

 

[misfitmorgan]

That’s what I’ve heard. My sister’s son bought 3 bottle babies. They were cheap enough but 2 died from scours despite treatment.

Seems pretty common.

 

[Deecarter]

Update on Jasmine, my 9 month old doe. She is doing great. She is running and jumping and acting normal again. I must say, I feel very good about that. Thank you all for your feed back and help. I really thought she was going to die at one point. I have learned A LOT. Now, I'm trying to get comfortable with this media site. I have a picture now, but I don't know how to start a new post. Can someone advise, please? Also, I wanted to comment how extremely hot it is here in Georgia, USA. I picked green beans again today and it was so humid, I could hardly stay out there and finish it. UNBEARABLE!!!!