rachels.haven's Journal

[rachels.haven]

A huge rat dug a rat tunnel into the kid stall last night so out they go! For some reason the baby goats like to terrorize the cats so no cats dare go into their stall when occupied, making it prime rat territory in a rat prone area (read: we're an artificially created rural agricultural "reserve" area surrounded by a bunch of very crowded, dirty city) I re-did the fence and made it hotter an they seem to be staying in. I'll clean the stall and bring them back in at night to eat grain and alfalfa since any self respecting big does won't share or allow any new underlings to enjoy anything and I don't want to stunt their growth.

I also decided I'm sick of bottle feeding them (as they catapult themselves at my face as I bend over to grab their sister-en over the gate, which has resulted in a few split lips and bent and temporarily lost pairs of glasses) so yesterday was their last one. The sudden flood of excess milk is making me wonder if we want to consider a bottle calf or two (Dan wants a heifer, parents want a beef)...but that's a whole other jungle. Looks like I might be making cheese every day from here on out. That or dumping it. Pigs are still banned.

 

[rachels.haven]

Do katahdin usually looks so suffolky? I see naked legs...

 

[Mini Horses]

There it is....too much milk dilemma. I make cheese & freeze. Lots of ricotta for winter Italian. Saves a lot of $$

Have you tried some milk in a pan for them?

 

[farmerjan]

These are not pure Katahdins. The black faced one does look like a Suffolk...cross... The white one with the thick "coat" top right looks like a Cheviot face... I am not an expert on the hair breeds... but over the years had alot of interaction with wool sheep breeds... my favorite being dorsets... Friends had the BIG Hampshires...

 

[farmerjan]

Just a note... bottle calves are going to cost an AVERAGE $750-1100 .... yes that is seven hundred fifty to eleven hundred dollars...... at 2-5 days old... RIDICULOUS amount of money to pay for a baby calf... BUT when a 500 lb weaned feeder calf will bring over $4.00/lb that is 2,000 ... it figures out.
And from a bottle calf to beef in the freezer, you are looking at an average 20 months... 16 mo for "baby beef" and 26 months for full sized, completely marbled finished beef animal with good flavor...
If you have the milk, then that expense is null, but you are going to feed hay and grain for over a year.... You want them to weigh at least 900-1200 lbs to kill.... and a 900 lb one will not have the finish and marbling, so will be much more mild taste... but also the steaks may not be as juicy without the marbling (intra muscular fat)....

Not trying to talk you out of one... but one other thing... they do much better being raised with another of the same kind... just like most any breed of animal... they like company, and prefer one of like kind...

 

[rachels.haven]

@farmerjan No worries, its probably not time for a pair of bottle calves yet. I'd still have to work out housing and fencing away from the other animals and yes, calf prices are high-too high still, and I wouldn't be surprised if they go higher yet.

 

[Mini Horses]

I can remember spending $50 for a 1-7 day old calf

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I can remember spending $50 for a 1-7 day old calf

me too!

 

[SageHill]

Yeah - that one way in the back looks very much Cheviot -- They've got ears like a rabbit (and IMO at least the ones I've seen and worked in trials) act crazy like rabbits.

 

[rachels.haven]

That wasn't that long ago!