Bruce
Herd Master
DealMaybe when you get more Alpacas then I'll get goats.
Rolling Acres - This and That
- Thread starter RollingAcres
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RollingAcres
Herd Master
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RollingAcres
Herd Master
Well if you ever venture to Albany, I'd recommend Texas de Brazil (a Brazilian grill/steakhouse). It's an all-you-can-eat meat kinda restaurant. That's where my son tried his first lamb chops and leg of lamb. It's a pricey place so we only go there on special occasions(last time we went was over a year ago).
I've been blessed with a very non-picky eater! He loves meat and he's usually good with giving something a try first then decides if he likes it or not. I also don't force him to eat something he doesn't like. If he tried it once and not like it, I let it go. He loves asparagus, mushrooms, broccoli, peas(only from my garden), carrots, corn and will eat salad, so I'm good with that.Smart boy!!
Baymule
Herd Master
We raise sheep/lamb and it is delicious. You are blessed to have a boy that eats almost anything and is not picky.
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RollingAcres
Herd Master
@greybeard @Wehner Homestead @farmerjan ,saw this ad on Craigslist in MA somewhere.
https://westernmass.craigslist.org/grd/d/heifer-and-bull-calves-for/6607957521.html
I'm not going to buy it at this time without checking and asking questions first. This is just for knowledge and learning.
https://westernmass.craigslist.org/grd/d/heifer-and-bull-calves-for/6607957521.html
I'm not going to buy it at this time without checking and asking questions first. This is just for knowledge and learning.
- Are the bull calves worth buying based on their age and the selling price on this ad?
- Since I don't know anything about bottle calf, how many gallons of milk or replacement milk does a calf take? They wrote in the ad the quantity but I want to ask on my end.
- I know there are lots to be learned about bottle calf, can you please teach me what I need to know?
- At what age do you castrate the calf if I don't want a bull?
Bruce
Herd Master
Oh good thought! Get an idea of what people are selling and find out if it is reasonable so you have some understanding when the time comes 
farmerjan
Herd Master
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Okay, here goes. My experience....Bottle calves are fed from 1/2 gal to 1 gal milk or milk replacer twice a day. Calves that get 1 gal twice a day will fill out and grow a bit better, but they may not start to consume grain as quick. I prefer to feed 3/4 to 1 gal twice a day if I have the milk. Milk replacer costs about $60-75 per 50 lb bag and you will have about 1 1/2 to 2 bags in a calf by the time it is 6-10 weeks old. So the asking price is about fair according to what milk replacer would cost. If you ever do decide to go the milk replacer route...ONLY GET 20/20 ALL MILK milk replacer. DO NOT FEED ANY "SOY BASED".
These calves are a jersey cross. Here a jersey bull calf will sell for $25 to $50 at 3 days old. They are a dairy breed. Devon is a beef breed that was used as a dual purpose animal in the "olden days". They were bred for the homestead, being milked for the house when milk was not the only function of an animal. They were used for oxen, the bulls castrated and made steers that grew and were taught to work - pull - in an ox yoke. They were the draught/draft animal of the old homestead farms. They were also used for beef. Devons are a very good beef animal. In the "modern world", we have gone to more specialized and have dairy animals that produce alot of milk and beef animals that primarily produce beef and the females produce enough milk to raise their calf but are usually not milked for human consumption since they do not produce much more than is needed to raise their own calf.
A jersey devon bull/steer calf will make decent beef. They will gain more than a straight jersey calf. You will keep them for about 2 years from birth to slaughter weight. That will run in the 1000 lb size average. You will have about $1000 in it in feed/grass/hay etc.. We figure it costs us about $500 per year to keep a beef cow between pasture/hay, some grain, mineral/salt, and vet-preg checks and other misc. About $1.40 to 1.50 per day. It will cost you somewhere in that general neighborhood. Of that 1000 lb live weight, about 5-600 lbs will be the hanging weight, the rest is guts, head, hide, etc. Then from hanging weight you will lose another 40-50% in bone, trim, cutting etc. Although the USDA says that you get a 60% hanging and another 60% of that in meat I tell ALL buyers of meat that figure that you will get 1/4 of the LIVE weight back in edible useable meat. Usually it is a little more than that but that gives people a realistic picture.It all depends on the "finish" of the beef; the amount of fat and such. So a 1000 lb animal will give you about 250 to 300 lbs useable meat. That will cost you say $1000 in pasture/grass/hay/grain plus butcher fees of about $250 roughly. All are different and it is based on the hanging weight usually. FIGURE $4.00 per lb for meat in your freezer. That is cheaper than most good ground beef; but it is a sizeable output.
Get a calf already castrated. Too much for you to deal with a bull and it is not a big deal but if they are willing to do it, then get it done. They can be castrated from babies to 800 lbs but I recommend it younger rather than older. On older ones they are often knife cut or you have to use a different type bander than what gets used on a smaller one. Also, get it dehorned. Most dairy breeds have horns. If they are bred to "polled breeds" like angus or polled herefords, the first generation will all be polled (hornless). Unless you are into real survival things and do your own leather making and such, where the horn is used for powder for the old rifles, horns are of no real use and a person can get hurt and the cow won't mean to. That is where "powder horns" came from. Buffalo horns were used originally but also horns from cattle. Most beef breeds had horns also. Cattle will use their horns on other cattle at the feed trough and such, they can be real bullies with them. My longhorns did not seem to use their horns, but the jerseys and the holstein crosses did.
A calf gets weaned at 6-12 weeks usually if it is a bottle calf. It needs to be eating at least 1-2 % of it's body weight and you will need to grain feed it for at least 6 months as it is growing. A beef calf is getting both milk from it's momma and grass and is getting adequate protein for growth, but a bottle calf once weaned will need you to provide protein. Hay is not enough and will stunt a calf. There are books you can get.
These calves are a jersey cross. Here a jersey bull calf will sell for $25 to $50 at 3 days old. They are a dairy breed. Devon is a beef breed that was used as a dual purpose animal in the "olden days". They were bred for the homestead, being milked for the house when milk was not the only function of an animal. They were used for oxen, the bulls castrated and made steers that grew and were taught to work - pull - in an ox yoke. They were the draught/draft animal of the old homestead farms. They were also used for beef. Devons are a very good beef animal. In the "modern world", we have gone to more specialized and have dairy animals that produce alot of milk and beef animals that primarily produce beef and the females produce enough milk to raise their calf but are usually not milked for human consumption since they do not produce much more than is needed to raise their own calf.
A jersey devon bull/steer calf will make decent beef. They will gain more than a straight jersey calf. You will keep them for about 2 years from birth to slaughter weight. That will run in the 1000 lb size average. You will have about $1000 in it in feed/grass/hay etc.. We figure it costs us about $500 per year to keep a beef cow between pasture/hay, some grain, mineral/salt, and vet-preg checks and other misc. About $1.40 to 1.50 per day. It will cost you somewhere in that general neighborhood. Of that 1000 lb live weight, about 5-600 lbs will be the hanging weight, the rest is guts, head, hide, etc. Then from hanging weight you will lose another 40-50% in bone, trim, cutting etc. Although the USDA says that you get a 60% hanging and another 60% of that in meat I tell ALL buyers of meat that figure that you will get 1/4 of the LIVE weight back in edible useable meat. Usually it is a little more than that but that gives people a realistic picture.It all depends on the "finish" of the beef; the amount of fat and such. So a 1000 lb animal will give you about 250 to 300 lbs useable meat. That will cost you say $1000 in pasture/grass/hay/grain plus butcher fees of about $250 roughly. All are different and it is based on the hanging weight usually. FIGURE $4.00 per lb for meat in your freezer. That is cheaper than most good ground beef; but it is a sizeable output.
Get a calf already castrated. Too much for you to deal with a bull and it is not a big deal but if they are willing to do it, then get it done. They can be castrated from babies to 800 lbs but I recommend it younger rather than older. On older ones they are often knife cut or you have to use a different type bander than what gets used on a smaller one. Also, get it dehorned. Most dairy breeds have horns. If they are bred to "polled breeds" like angus or polled herefords, the first generation will all be polled (hornless). Unless you are into real survival things and do your own leather making and such, where the horn is used for powder for the old rifles, horns are of no real use and a person can get hurt and the cow won't mean to. That is where "powder horns" came from. Buffalo horns were used originally but also horns from cattle. Most beef breeds had horns also. Cattle will use their horns on other cattle at the feed trough and such, they can be real bullies with them. My longhorns did not seem to use their horns, but the jerseys and the holstein crosses did.
A calf gets weaned at 6-12 weeks usually if it is a bottle calf. It needs to be eating at least 1-2 % of it's body weight and you will need to grain feed it for at least 6 months as it is growing. A beef calf is getting both milk from it's momma and grass and is getting adequate protein for growth, but a bottle calf once weaned will need you to provide protein. Hay is not enough and will stunt a calf. There are books you can get.
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Mini Horses
Herd Master
Fantastic recap! Nothing like getting it from one who does it for a living.
This is why I haven't raised on in years. It's a lot of work and care and WAIT. I now prefer mine "ready for the plate".
The farmer has put a LOT MORE than $$ into the animal.
This is why I haven't raised on in years. It's a lot of work and care and WAIT. I now prefer mine "ready for the plate".
The farmer has put a LOT MORE than $$ into the animal.
Baymule
Herd Master
@farmerjan has weighed in with her wisdom and vast experience. She is a deep well of information and we are blessed to have her here.
I agree with @Mini Horses on raising cattle. I like cattle but we only have 8 acres, so I raise sheep.
There is nothing better than the taste of your own beef. Not to mention the satisfaction that comes from raising your own meat. I am no cattle expert, but I have raised my own steers for the freezer and it was a good experience. If you decide to do this, you have wonderful people here that will help you every step of the way.
I agree with @Mini Horses on raising cattle. I like cattle but we only have 8 acres, so I raise sheep.
There is nothing better than the taste of your own beef. Not to mention the satisfaction that comes from raising your own meat. I am no cattle expert, but I have raised my own steers for the freezer and it was a good experience. If you decide to do this, you have wonderful people here that will help you every step of the way.
greybeard
Herd Master
Depends what your intended purpose for them is.
