rachels.haven's Journal

[rachels.haven]

Alright, I think it's time to start tentatively looking for Dan's cow-maybe sometime this year. We have a fence, hay, space, time...Probably a good time to shop around with no pressure.

We have a breeder of disease tested minis and standard jersey's about 2 hours away from us. Johnes and Brucellosis free herd. Registered Probably very expensive and calves go on a first come, first served basis on FB. Not my forte.
There are also dairy calves available for between 145-300, but they are untested. Some are started and out of that delicate phase.

Dan really wants a "family cow" meaning in milk, but I'm not sure why someone would sell one of those that didn't have problems and from the people I've spoken with so far disease testing is not something they are interested in doing (if it didn't offend them). Problem is, cow diseases can hurt goats and I've got quite a little herd going that I'd kind of like to not lose to Tb, brucellosis, Johnes, or whtever I'm missing in this new species. Plus, I like our milk raw.

What would you do? Chance a dairy bottle calf? Keep looking for a disease tested adult? Wait on a pricey but safer registered calf? Look for someone willing to test their cow before sale at my expense?

 

[rachels.haven]

And if you like looking at ads, here's one I haven't contacted but that does not look very dairy. We should have milk for a bottle calf sometime next week, probably around Friday or Saturday.

breed heifer jersey airshire - farm & garden - by owner - sale

Will calf March 2022

clarksville.craigslist.org

and here's one for bottle calves

Calves - farm & garden - by owner - sale

I have calves available at different stages. I do not sell anything less than 2 weeks old to help get them through any potential illnesses and such as I will not sell junk. These calves come from a...

clarksville.craigslist.org

and here's a nurse cow with heifer calf that I can't see the teats on that they are marketing as potential for family cow.

Nurse cow - farm & garden - by owner - sale

Coming 4 year old nurse cow with her 2nd calf on her side. Heifer calf was born 11/27/21. I raised 3 calves on her last year plus her own and have had a couple on her this year that’s already been...

nashville.craigslist.org

This may not go anywhere for a while.

 

[farmerjan]

Okay... I looked at the 3 ads you posted. DO NOT buy any of the bottle calves. You are looking at calves that come from various farms, various germs.... they may do a knock down perfect job of starting them....... but nope... not what you need to start with. You can bring in corona or rota viruses.....
The jersey/ayshire does not look very dairy as you said.... BUT.... she does look well fed. Still... In my Opinion.... too much for an untried animal... and a big animal like that you want to be already good with being hand milked....
The jersey nurse cow is something I would be interested in. I think you are very very RIGHT about worrying about things like Johne's...... brucellosis and TB are really not much of a concern in dairy cattle..... not 1000% eradicated... but not something that most dairy farmers even consider anymore. There has been a few cases of tb over the years, but most animals sold in this area are tested
A simple blood test will tell about Johne's; brucellosis and TB test can be done.... A couple of things... most cases of Johne's will show up by that age. The cow looks to be very well fed and in good shape. Being a willing nurse cow is a BIG plus for me. Again, we do brucellosis vaccinating and 95% of the dairies no longer even vaccinate for it. I just feel like it is a cheap form of "insurance" against a nearly totally eradicated disease... and I like that they are tatooed....
The other good thing about the nurse cow... if milking a cow becomes not such a "great thing"... she will take calves so that you don't get stuck milking when you don't want to, don't have the time, or whatever. And a couple of calves on her will pay for her feed and all... give your son some money to put in his bank account and learn about taking care of them up to a size to sell....
Registered is not a guarantee but if a herd is registered and they test for Johne's and TB, then getting an animal under 12 months, it can also be bangs vaccinated to be on the safe side. Any liscensed vet can do it.

Can't help you too much from this distance.....

 

[rachels.haven]

Okay... I looked at the 3 ads you posted. DO NOT buy any of the bottle calves. You are looking at calves that come from various farms, various germs.... they may do a knock down perfect job of starting them....... but nope... not what you need to start with. You can bring in corona or rota viruses.....
The jersey/ayshire does not look very dairy as you said.... BUT.... she does look well fed. Still... In my Opinion.... too much for an untried animal... and a big animal like that you want to be already good with being hand milked....
The jersey nurse cow is something I would be interested in. I think you are very very RIGHT about worrying about things like Johne's...... brucellosis and TB are really not much of a concern in dairy cattle..... not 1000% eradicated... but not something that most dairy farmers even consider anymore. There has been a few cases of tb over the years, but most animals sold in this area are tested
A simple blood test will tell about Johne's; brucellosis and TB test can be done.... A couple of things... most cases of Johne's will show up by that age. The cow looks to be very well fed and in good shape. Being a willing nurse cow is a BIG plus for me. Again, we do brucellosis vaccinating and 95% of the dairies no longer even vaccinate for it. I just feel like it is a cheap form of "insurance" against a nearly totally eradicated disease... and I like that they are tatooed....
The other good thing about the nurse cow... if milking a cow becomes not such a "great thing"... she will take calves so that you don't get stuck milking when you don't want to, don't have the time, or whatever. And a couple of calves on her will pay for her feed and all... give your son some money to put in his bank account and learn about taking care of them up to a size to sell....
Registered is not a guarantee but if a herd is registered and they test for Johne's and TB, then getting an animal under 12 months, it can also be bangs vaccinated to be on the safe side. Any liscensed vet can do it.

Can't help you too much from this distance.....

That's wonderful, @farmerjan . Thank you for the advice of a cattlewoman. If we did go with the registered herd, the breeder is a vet, so I could probably request blackleg it if it wasn't already done. I guess I will go on stewing and keep these things in mind. Maybe the perfect animal will come up and someday Dan will wake up to his cow (which I will be taking care of because he's young).

 

[farmerjan]

Blackleg is something anyone can do.... it is over the counter. Bangs=brucellosis... for females 4-12 months of age.

 

[rachels.haven]

I thought about this cow, but she's even more expensive and not bred at the age of 3, which makes me leery. I can spend $300 on a goat that is three and wasn't able to be bred and risk it (she'd due next Friday), but that's a lot of hay right there.

Jersey Heifer - farm & garden - by owner - sale

3yr old jersey heifer. 4H fair cow. super tame and halter broke $1400 would like her to go to milking farm

nashville.craigslist.org

 

[farmerjan]

There is a good chance she would breed... but.... too much money for an open heifer.

Plus, then you would need a stanchion/head catch to be able to get her in to get her bred A I ..... and catching her in heat could be a problem....
Honestly, if you are so set on a cow right now, I would go look at the one with her heifer calf by her side... and if the the cow was running with the beef cattle, there is a good chance she could have gotten bred back even if it would be a little less than a 12 month calving interval. It sorta looked to me like they were just not wanting to keep raising calves on her... really, she is worth 7-800 here and her calf is worth another 150-200 so close to the value of what they are asking. And you could see what her teats looked like, and sample hand milking her.....get an idea of her disposition...

 

[Mini Horses]

I like the nurse cow!!! Tame, good weight and a pretty gal. Looks to be in a good place and loved.

 

[rachels.haven]

I'm not dead set yet. I do want to figure out which ones are and aren't a good idea though, so we're getting closer. It's a large animal and a large step, so we'll need to be "getting there" for a while before I'm comfortable with it.
(I'm not afraid of cows. I've "befriended" and talked into being sort of friendly several Angus type cows/steers as a little kid at friends houses. (They are kind of goobery pushy slobbery hard heads.) They're just not a low impact animal, so you don't just run out and buy one or two on a whim like a hamster.)

Dan may have to wait another birthday or two before I'm fully comfy. The kid still only weighs as much as a sack of grain.

 

[rachels.haven]

I also kind of like that nurse cow though. Cow and a heifer calf