Sorghum syrup, molasses, even brown sugar mixed in with the feed can help.I'm doing that after each feeding. Last night she was fighting me and ran from me . She's a strong calf but I'll keep on trying !
Looks like somebody’s got milk
- Thread starter Ky hills
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Ky hills
Well-known member
Yeah they can be tough to work with sometimes for sure.I'm doing that after each feeding. Last night she was fighting me and ran from me . She's a strong calf but I'll keep on trying !
Logan52
Well-known member
Good luck.
I have done the nurse cow bit a few times. Was not much fun when it is as muddy as it is now.
I struggled to keep flesh on the modern high bred type Jerseys. They were curious cows, almost pets, and tended to get pushed around by the other cows. This led to a lot of extra work. The old family cow type Jerseys held up better.
Quite an investment to put three calves on a cow at today's prices, but it could pay off if it goes well.
I have done the nurse cow bit a few times. Was not much fun when it is as muddy as it is now.
I struggled to keep flesh on the modern high bred type Jerseys. They were curious cows, almost pets, and tended to get pushed around by the other cows. This led to a lot of extra work. The old family cow type Jerseys held up better.
Quite an investment to put three calves on a cow at today's prices, but it could pay off if it goes well.
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Ky hills
Well-known member
Back around 20 years ago I raised dairy calves sometimes 100+ a year. Started out raising on bottles, then got some nurse cows. At one point I had 12 nurse cows with 7-8 in production at times.
I was getting calves mainly a couple different dairies. Had a deal going with one dairy where they had the first option to buy back the heifers at around breeding size. That was when dairy heifers were valuable.
I had a pretty high cull rate with my nurse cows as I bought my first 8 from a local dairy that was gone out of milking, and occasionally I'd get a cow from the dairy I was getting calves from if they had one that was lighter milking or 3 quartered if they thought the cow would work for me then they'd ask if I wanted her.
Most of those cows were Holsteins but 3 of my first ones were Guernseys. I found a couple Jerseys at sales and had some of the cows AI bred to Jersey bulls.
I even kept sone Holstein Angus cross heifers from a dairy for nurse cows.
Some of those cows were not for the faint of heart, and I'm too old and slow now to deal with them like that.
That business model was a lot of work but I did pretty well once I got some experience raising calves and got a health program in place.
The dairies both went out of business about the same time and I quit when they did.
It's been nostalgic fooling with old Maybell, she's actually the best dairy cow I've ever had to work with. I told my wife she would have been worth her weight in gold back when I was in that business.
I was getting calves mainly a couple different dairies. Had a deal going with one dairy where they had the first option to buy back the heifers at around breeding size. That was when dairy heifers were valuable.
I had a pretty high cull rate with my nurse cows as I bought my first 8 from a local dairy that was gone out of milking, and occasionally I'd get a cow from the dairy I was getting calves from if they had one that was lighter milking or 3 quartered if they thought the cow would work for me then they'd ask if I wanted her.
Most of those cows were Holsteins but 3 of my first ones were Guernseys. I found a couple Jerseys at sales and had some of the cows AI bred to Jersey bulls.
I even kept sone Holstein Angus cross heifers from a dairy for nurse cows.
Some of those cows were not for the faint of heart, and I'm too old and slow now to deal with them like that.
That business model was a lot of work but I did pretty well once I got some experience raising calves and got a health program in place.
The dairies both went out of business about the same time and I quit when they did.
It's been nostalgic fooling with old Maybell, she's actually the best dairy cow I've ever had to work with. I told my wife she would have been worth her weight in gold back when I was in that business.
Ouachita
Well-known member
My first wife looked similar to that when she had our first born. She wouldn't nurse the baby, so I took her back to doc, and he gave her something to dry her up.
We started buying goat milk for the kid after that. I got the kid in the divorce, and he recently retired from Air Force. I think it was the goat milk.
So, just saying that your situation can go many different directions, and no matter what you do, everything can still turn out good.
We started buying goat milk for the kid after that. I got the kid in the divorce, and he recently retired from Air Force. I think it was the goat milk.
So, just saying that your situation can go many different directions, and no matter what you do, everything can still turn out good.
