Ridgetop
Herd Master
After reading this entire thread and all the good advice you have been given, you seem a little defensive. A lot of what you are doing seems to be just randomly buying bull calves which usually go cheap young because the dairy people regard them as garbage. In dairy animals it's all about the females. Read up on the different structure types between dairy and beef animals. Beef animals should have round rib bones, dairy has flat bones. Dairy animals are built differently because they are designed to milk large amounts and put everything they have into the pail. Beef animals are built to carry lots of meat on their bones - even the females should be muscled up and meaty. Learn where the cuts of meat are on the animals - that will help you understand what people are telling you about "guts, butts, and nuts". Length is necessary because the best cuts are in the loin. the loin is the area of muscle on either side of the backbone from behind the shoulder to just in front of the hip. The next most valuable cuts of meat are in the rump - that is why a hatchet butt is not acceptable. Learn what the meat man sees when he buys your cattle for his butcher shop. You won't get as much money for cattle that are short bodied, no rump, etc. Don't get angry or defensive at their advice. Most people learn what they are telling you the hard way, after losing money feeding poor livestock. If you just want a couple cute calves in a pasture, that is one thing, but even back yard herds need to pay their way. What you have assembled here won't without some severe cutting and reconsideration. Do some homework at the library and study some ag books on beef and dairy cattle, feed ratios, pasteurage, etc. to understand what these good people on this thread are trying to say to you nicely.
Listen to what everyone has told you - get rid of the bulls either by selling or cutting asap. It is coming into spring so sell now since prices will be higher for beef. If you want beef production buy some GOOD Angus heifers and forget about the Jerseys. Unless you want to do the dairy work and produce milk or have a specialty market in veal, why waste time and money on dairy animals? Dairy work is more labor intensive - take all the work you have to do with beef cattle, breeding, calving, doctoring, and double it with milking, etc. If you decide to buy Angus heifers check due dates on the calves and get a preg check by a vet. Don't rely on work of mouth from the seller - his records might not be correct. There is a reason why large farms have their cattle preg checked by the vet. You don't want cows to calve mid winter and have to feed in the barn all winter long. Ideal calving time is spring when the grass is out and momma is producing milk on grass. It is one reason why some people will sell a cow in calf with a mid winter calving date as a "good deal". Take the good advice from WRB, GB,Bossroo & Sweetened. Do your homework first so you know what you are looking at when someone offers you a "deal". No offense to your neighbor but why is he selling this good cow? Maybe the good deal is for him, not you.
Second, on the 30 acres of kudzu, I don't know if it is good for cattle, but why not diversify? Get some meat goats in there. You can castrate the buck kids with an elastrator yourself and in some areas meat goats will bring as much a lb as beef. They are not that great on grass pasture since they are browsers, but the kudzu might be just the ticket. Run your cattle on the grass and goats in the kudzu. Increase your profits. Bucks can be aggressive but only during rutting season so are easier to handle than rams and bulls. With sheep and goats you might have predator problems, but that is another issue for another thread.
PLEASE do yourself a favor and get rid of the bulls asap. Don't forget, if one gets out and hurts someone else you are liable. think about what you have heard on this thread - no one wants to hear on your next one that you are recovering from a bull attack.
Listen to what everyone has told you - get rid of the bulls either by selling or cutting asap. It is coming into spring so sell now since prices will be higher for beef. If you want beef production buy some GOOD Angus heifers and forget about the Jerseys. Unless you want to do the dairy work and produce milk or have a specialty market in veal, why waste time and money on dairy animals? Dairy work is more labor intensive - take all the work you have to do with beef cattle, breeding, calving, doctoring, and double it with milking, etc. If you decide to buy Angus heifers check due dates on the calves and get a preg check by a vet. Don't rely on work of mouth from the seller - his records might not be correct. There is a reason why large farms have their cattle preg checked by the vet. You don't want cows to calve mid winter and have to feed in the barn all winter long. Ideal calving time is spring when the grass is out and momma is producing milk on grass. It is one reason why some people will sell a cow in calf with a mid winter calving date as a "good deal". Take the good advice from WRB, GB,Bossroo & Sweetened. Do your homework first so you know what you are looking at when someone offers you a "deal". No offense to your neighbor but why is he selling this good cow? Maybe the good deal is for him, not you.
Second, on the 30 acres of kudzu, I don't know if it is good for cattle, but why not diversify? Get some meat goats in there. You can castrate the buck kids with an elastrator yourself and in some areas meat goats will bring as much a lb as beef. They are not that great on grass pasture since they are browsers, but the kudzu might be just the ticket. Run your cattle on the grass and goats in the kudzu. Increase your profits. Bucks can be aggressive but only during rutting season so are easier to handle than rams and bulls. With sheep and goats you might have predator problems, but that is another issue for another thread.
PLEASE do yourself a favor and get rid of the bulls asap. Don't forget, if one gets out and hurts someone else you are liable. think about what you have heard on this thread - no one wants to hear on your next one that you are recovering from a bull attack.
