How long does it take to raise a bottle calf to butcher?
You can sell your calves anywhere from weaning up to butcher age at about 14-18 months and you can choose to sell at auction, to an individual, through a butcher “on the hoof,” or as finished retail cuts. This flexibility makes raising bottle calves for profit something almost any small farmer can approach.
Why do calves headbutt?
The head butting is a natural instict – if she were on a cow she would do the same thing. Technically it’s called “bunting.” Calves do it to encourage milk let-down in the cow.
Where can I buy a Holstein bottle calf?
Bottle calves Angus crosses,Holstein,brown Swiss and jersey all have had colostrum and started on milk replacer and vaccinated please text with any questions We are located near Harrisonburg Virginia. Holstein bottle bulls 150 each. Call or text only. No scammers texting me. 74zero6four9zero249
Is it worth it to buy a bottle calf?
Feeding bottle calves can be a great alternative to purchasing older cattle if you are willing to put in the work and pay attention to the details. Feeding bottle calves can be a rewarding experience, but there are some important things to know about keeping them healthy, how and when to introduce dry feeds, and what to do if they do get sick.
When did luilla Thompson start raising bottle calves?
| March/April 1978. In the method described by Luilla Thompson, raising bottle calves is an easy way to make a profit while having your own small herd of calves. PHOTO: LUILLA THOMPSON. This diagram shows the location of where to insert a knife into a calf who has been suffering from bloat to relieve the gases there.
Can you bottle feed multiple calves at once?
On occasion when raising bottle calves, you may be bottle-feeding several calves at once, if you are bottle-raising the calves from your dairy cows, or if you purchase day-old dairy calves.
How big should a holstein bull calf be?
They should weigh 300-400 lbs at this time. At the feedlot stage, feeding Holsteins is similar to feeding any beef breed. It is the calf stage feeding program that primes the Holstein rumen for a high-grain diet. For calves not weaned to a high-grain diet, adjustment to the feedlot diet will be needed.
What happens when you give a calf a bottle?
As soon as our calves finish their bottles, they immediately start looking for an udder. If a lactating dairy animal isn’t in plain sight, the calves may turn to the person holding the bottle—nudging, bumping, and smearing their soaking wet, milky, slobbery heads all over the front and back of my jeans trying to find an udder.
What should I Feed my Holstein bull calf?
At the feedlot stage, feeding Holsteins is similar to feeding any beef breed. It is the calf stage feeding program that primes the Holstein rumen for a high-grain diet. For calves not weaned to a high-grain diet, adjustment to the feedlot diet will be needed.
When to introduce grain and hay to a bottle calf?
Most bottle calves are introduced to grain and hay any time after 2 weeks. In nature a calf will start to mimic momma at about 2 weeks and you will see it “grazing” which of course it isn’t really eating much but it is learning what “cows do”. I raise alot of calves; some on nurse cows and some bottle.