Wehner Homestead 2018 Calving: Done

[Mike CHS]

Congratulations!!

 

[greybeard]

It's not just size of the animal or space required, though that's a part for sure. For me it's start up costs. I'm on a fixed income with no raise coming for at least another 2 years. I can buy a day old dairy calf (Jersey) from a local dairy, having been provided mother's colostrum, for a reasonable price (I think I recall it was about $80?) but the milk cost to raise it to weaning is high (Min $2.50/day/gal. $6/gal if I use whole/raw milk from the dairy). If they carry it till weaning @ 3 months, the cost would be over $300 (~$350 if I recollect). There's no real market to sell the animal once full grown, so it would pretty much be for my own use for meat. I could buy young meat steers (black angus) in the 5-600 pound range and raise to slaughter weight for sale but from my understanding, they're running over a grand plus each. Quality costs...

If I went to an auction to purchase, I'd have no idea if I was getting a good deal or good stock as I have no experience. So I could well be buying someone else's crap/culls as easily as buying someone's overstocked good animals. When just starting out, it's a lot less risk to spend a couple hundred dollars for several animals (to learn on) than spending several grand on a few animals. I suppose the "proper" (best?) way would be to buy a bred back cow with calf and then wean the calf a couple of months before the cow was due. No idea what the cost there would be. If I could afford to buy 2 like that, in a years time I'd have a herd of 6 (Barring the loss of a calf at birthing, or the cow, or both). I understand it's best to leave growing meat calves on mom for 6 months plus.

I just feel so lacking in knowledge and feel real trepidation about jumping in this deep end for fear of not being able to swim.

I wean by weight more than by age but 6 months is the limit for me.
A bred cow with a calf at it's side is a 3in1. A good deal if you know what the cow was bred to and it isn't an older broke mouth cow (worn down teeth) AND, if you are successful weaning the existing calf well before the new calf drops, but 3in1s aren't cheap. You can pick up short bred cows for about $1.30/lb right now at sale barn here, so yes, it isn't inexpensive to start out. (some will go higher...some lower..if you look at a market report, they are giving you the average of the type and weight groups)
The other part is, it's something got to want, to love being involved with. They take care of their selves for the most part, feeding pellets or cubes only needed as a supplement in winter and enough to keep them coming to you instead of you having to go gathering them up the hard way. Lots better and easier to lead them than to drive them..on you and them.
If you have a spare day, go sit in at a sale and watch..and listen.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Congrats WH!!....
I've always had a weakness for calves, but never enough to have some....over the years I have seen many and they just have such innocense, but it sure doesn't last very long before they are a handful to deal with........if I was younger or in better health I might consider it, but as it stands it is more than I could keep up with, especially starting up and the body keeps deteriorating, so I just have to enjoy other's calves....

 

[RoahT]

Aww, so cute!!! Makes me look forward to our calving season even more! Congratulations!

 

[OneFineAcre]

Nice cows.

 

[farmerjan]

It's not just size of the animal or space required, though that's a part for sure. For me it's start up costs. I'm on a fixed income with no raise coming for at least another 2 years. I can buy a day old dairy calf (Jersey) from a local dairy, having been provided mother's colostrum, for a reasonable price (I think I recall it was about $80?) but the milk cost to raise it to weaning is high (Min $2.50/day/gal. $6/gal if I use whole/raw milk from the dairy). If they carry it till weaning @ 3 months, the cost would be over $300 (~$350 if I recollect). There's no real market to sell the animal once full grown, so it would pretty much be for my own use for meat. I could buy young meat steers (black angus) in the 5-600 pound range and raise to slaughter weight for sale but from my understanding, they're running over a grand plus each. Quality costs...

If I went to an auction to purchase, I'd have no idea if I was getting a good deal or good stock as I have no experience. So I could well be buying someone else's crap/culls as easily as buying someone's overstocked good animals. When just starting out, it's a lot less risk to spend a couple hundred dollars for several animals (to learn on) than spending several grand on a few animals. I suppose the "proper" (best?) way would be to buy a bred back cow with calf and then wean the calf a couple of months before the cow was due. No idea what the cost there would be. If I could afford to buy 2 like that, in a years time I'd have a herd of 6 (Barring the loss of a calf at birthing, or the cow, or both). I understand it's best to leave growing meat calves on mom for 6 months plus.

I just feel so lacking in knowledge and feel real trepidation about jumping in this deep end for fear of not being able to swim.

Joe, A bag of good milk replacer is $75.00. That will take a jersey bull calf to weaning at 6-8 weeks. Even if you put $100. into milk replacer to get him to 8-10 weeks. Then some calf starter grain and some of the same hay you are feeding the goats. $200 to $250 to 12-16 weeks. Jersey bull calves don't eat as much as a holstein. Often times you can buy a weaned jersey bull calf or a steer, for $.75 lb at a sale/stockyard. So a 400 lb well started weaned calf will cost $300; at about 6 months. The 3 month calf he is talking about will weigh in the 200-300 lb range max. That's definitely less than what the guy at the dairy quoted.

BUT why not feed it the milk from the goats when they come fresh? I know lots of people that feed goats milk to a calf. Then you have a lot less $$$ in them and you won't have too much surplus milk to try to figure out what to do with. And honestly, raising 2 is better than a single. They like company of their own kind.

You do need to spend some time at the stockyard - sale barn and just sit and watch. Also, if you do, you may see one go through that has had pinkeye, might be blind in one eye or something. They will go alot cheaper and are perfect for you to raise for beef. We raise and kill for beef and for sales of halves etc., any and all that are blind in one eye or odd colored ones. They will be discounted heavily at the yard and for pete's sake, if they can see to get around a lot to eat, they will grow. Hell, we raised 2 that were born with next to no sight and once they learned the lot, they did fine and were very good beef. Even after we took the cow away and weaned them. Kept them together for company and killed them when they weighed in the 800 lb live weight range.
@greybeard is right, spend some time at the sale barn and get a feel for things. Worst time to buy is early spring when everyone is looking for stuff to turn out. Wait until it gets a bit hotter, your grass will grow and be waiting, the prices will drop off once the majority have filled their spring orders.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

***Disclaimer: No pics to this update...too muddy for me to enter the pastures and too wet for the calves to look decent from a distance. I will try to get some soon though.

Maizy’s bull has been caught nursing Scarlett! With Maizy being a heifer, this is a blessing to take some of the stress off her. It also complicated things as he may be getting a bit too much milk so he was treated for scours as a precaution. His navel was also enlarged from previous checks so he was given an antibiotic for that. (Iodine was applied shortly after birth.)

Maddie’s heifer is still awaiting a name...she is doing well out in the main pasture. Maddie has kept her at the bale nearest the barn, which is typical for her.

Dolly was due yesterday and still hasn’t evicted her offspring. Anytime now! We are checking her around the clock. Hoping for neat colors but more focused on a healthy calf and safe delivery for both!

 

[Wehner Homestead]

I got y’all some pics this morning! These were outside so much better than the barn pics. Dolly still hasn’t released her hostage...

Maddie and her heifer.

Maizy and her bull calf, Scarlett (second Mom) to right.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Maddie’s heifer has a name!! It’s only taken numerous discussions. Not 100% that she will be retained depending on other heifers born but she is on the contender list. Anyway, her name is........................








INDY!!!!

We used to stick with “M” names but DH and our families struggle to keep them straight so we thought we’d change it up. (Maddie’s female offspring have been Mollie, Melody, Maizy, Miah, and now Indy. Mollie has had Moxie and Ember.) See how they get confused...it didn’t help that Maddie and Mollie looked like twins!

Anyway, with her name announcement, I have to post another pic! Just this morning... Miss Indy

Side note: Dolly still hasn’t calved!

 

[Wehner Homestead]

0930: Dolly is up on the hill, is some trees, away from the others! Starting every one hr checks!