ISO jersey calf in Missouri

[microchick]

My thought is there probably just aren't any available. I don't see why someone would pull a heifer calf off momma and sell it as a bottle baby. That's probably the most desired calf out there. I think you'd do much better looking for a weaned or older calf. Plus, bottle babies don't always turn out so well.

I know around here you see the calves being pulled in the small and not so small operations to optimize milk production. Young kids are bottle raised by Amish with milk goat dairies. I have been to one at feeding time where there are pens set up in pole barns, each pen housing 5 or 6 kids in it. They were so cute. If you stuck your hand in the pen you instantly had a kid latch on to a finger and suck like crazy. I had one on each finger with another trying to butt a did away so it could claim a digit. A heifer calf left to nurse on momma is going to take milk away from the dairy profit. Cheaper to bottle feed it on formula.

There is a farm near us that just put up a feed lot filled with young dairy steers. Not a very good life nor a very good end for them.

 

[donrae]

I understand the pulling the calf off momma in a dairy situation. I guess I just figured the dairy would raise up the heifers as replacements, or sell them to someone en masse who would do so.

 

[cassie]

I know around here you see the calves being pulled in the small and not so small operations to optimize milk production. Young kids are bottle raised by Amish with milk goat dairies. I have been to one at feeding time where there are pens set up in pole barns, each pen housing 5 or 6 kids in it. They were so cute. If you stuck your hand in the pen you instantly had a kid latch on to a finger and suck like crazy. I had one on each finger with another trying to butt a did away so it could claim a digit. A heifer calf left to nurse on momma is going to take milk away from the dairy profit. Cheaper to bottle feed it on formula.

There is a farm near us that just put up a feed lot filled with young dairy steers. Not a very good life nor a very good end for them.

Dairy calves are pulled from their mothers because the cows produce waay too much milk for one calf. Plus managing the cow in the milk string with a calf in tow is problematical to say the least. Not to mention the fact that by running with the herd the newborn calf is exposed to diseases from the adult stock for which it has not yet developed an immunity. By the way, a lot of dairies raise their heifer calves on milk and not milk replacer.

Why do you object to putting steer calves in a feedlot and raising them for beef? What would you suggest ought to be done with them? Knock them in the head when they are born?

 

[microchick]

Cassie, I'm not about to argue potato PO-Ta-TOE with anyone. I am an animal lover and when I see Holstein steer calves barely old enough to be weened in small pens where all they have is a feeder and water tank in front of them, no room to run, to play or even butt heads together as young calves do, I do not call that quality of life. That is as horrible an existence for calves as keeping hens in cramped laying cages for their entire laying life, only to be shuttled off to dog food companies when their production drops off. It's one of the reasons we have our own pampered birds on our farm.

It breaks my heart to drive by some farms and see young calves with their umbilical cords still attached chained to little huts with dog collars around their necks. And oh yes, some of them were little heifers.

No need to get snarky with me, dear, we are just going to have to agree to disagree with one another on that one.

I sincerely hope the OP finds her little dream heifer. I have the feeling that will be one contented and spoiled milk cow.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

All dairy calves are pulled from their mom's and raised on milk replacer or discarded milk from cows treated with antibiotics. Ex dairy farmer here. Jersey are a hard breed to locate sometimes, as they aren't the breed of choice for most dairy farms. I would contact your local 4H people, they often know where to get calves for kids to raise for the fair. I'm of course assuming you are in an area where people are still farming.

 

[cassie]

I wasn't being snarky. I can tell you why the heifer calves are in little individual huts though. It is for health reasons. For one thing, when they are in their own little house their health can be monitored and their exposure to disease is minimized. If they are running in group pens it isn't always easy to see who has the scours. Calves penned in groups will suck each other's teats which very often causes infections which permanently ruin the baby calf's udder. You can keep baby goats in group pens because they don't usually suck on each other. Baby calves do.

Cassie, I'm not about to argue potato PO-Ta-TOE with anyone. I am an animal lover and when I see Holstein steer calves barely old enough to be weened in small pens where all they have is a feeder and water tank in front of them, no room to run, to play or even butt heads together as young calves do, I do not call that quality of life. That is as horrible an existence for calves as keeping hens in cramped laying cages for their entire laying life, only to be shuttled off to dog food companies when their production drops off. It's one of the reasons we have our own pampered birds on our farm.

It breaks my heart to drive by some farms and see young calves with their umbilical cords still attached chained to little huts with dog collars around their necks. And oh yes, some of them were little heifers.

No need to get snarky with me, dear, we are just going to have to agree to disagree with one another on that one.

I sincerely hope the OP finds her little dream heifer. I have the feeling that will be one contented and spoiled milk cow.

I wasn't being snarky. At least I wasn't trying to be. I can tell you why the heifer calves are kept in little individual huts though. It is for health reasons. For one thing, when they are in their own little houses their health can be monitored and their exposure to disease is minimized. If they are running in group pens it isn't always easy to see who has the scours. Plus, if one calf in the group pen gets sick all of its pen mates are exposed to whatever. Calves penned in groups will suck each other's teats and that very often causes infections that permanently ruin the baby calf's udder. You can keep baby goats in group pens because they don't usually suck on each other but baby calves do.

 

[abbygibson1212]

Oh yeah, heifers are pretty much just kept back here. When they do sell them though they tend to pull em off the momma after a couple days. But most everyone keeps them back. That's why it's so hard to find one. If I was looking for a bull calf I could have 50 by now. But believe me, I've scouted out places and talked to a ton of people including my Amish friends. I finally found ONE farm that might be able to sell me one in March. I guess if that doesn't work out I'll try to get in touch with the 4 h group.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sounds like you got it figured out. They are hard to find, then convincing the farmer to sell you a future milk cow isn't easy. Wishing you luck in finding what I consider one of the cutest breed.