What can you tell me about Bottle Calves?

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If you read up on it, you will find that the sucking action of drinking from a bottle causes the milk to go directly into the stomach for digestion. Drinking from a pail doesn't activate that and it goes to the rumen, losing some nutritional benefit.
 
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THREE YEARS???
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WOW! I figured two... Ugggghhhhh So I am really thinking goats now(again, I use to have goats)....I could get a fresh doe with kids for less than a cow... and I would know what I was doing.

Lots to think about....
 
have you looked into the price fo milk replacer?

Right now in Missouri it is running $70 for a 50lb bag. It usually takes 75-100lbs to wean a calf from start to finish. Plus the Dairy calf starter grain has went up to around $14 a 50lb bag. It is really expensive to be raising calves right now.

If you are just wanting some milk for the fam, look into a cross calves. A holstien will provide you with more milk that you would ever need. We have a half angus/ half Gurnesey heifer that we are hoping to turn into a family milk cow. Dairy farmers sometimes breed their heifers to Angus bulls for easier calving and they will sell their heifer bottle babies for cheaper.

Around here a holstein heifer bottle baby will bring around $200 for less than a week old.
 
These are $150-$300 depending on age...2 weeks vs 6wks
I am still going to go look at them and talk to the man.
I MAY get ONE and get a goat with goat kidds instead of two calves. It would have to learn to be a goat.
Could it drink goat milk?
 
I was wanting all the extra to feed to poultry, Dogs, possibly piglets in the future...
Lots to ponder.... I wont make a fast decision as confused as I am today!
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Sure, baby calves can drink goats milk. I would base my decision more on how much pasture/grass you have for a calf/cow and whether you have a good and reasonably priced source for hay. I didn't notice what area of the country you are in, but around here, people are selling everything that eats grass! Bottle babies here are going through the sale barn for less than $200. Some went the other night for FIFTY bucks! If you want milk sooner rather than leter, I think I'd go with goats for now, and maybe get your bottle baby for the future. BTW, don't count on your goat "letting" a calf nurse!~ When I first brought my calves home, my goats reacted like I had brought baby dragons into the yard!
 
I have not read over what has been posted so far, only quickly scanned over it. I did not see mention of the fact that if you are buying dairy heifers it would be a good idea to find a vet who is experienced in tube testing to check the calves over (before you buy if possible). Many dairys only sell heifer calves that are born twin to a bull calf. These calves are called free martins and are generally not able to reproduce. They can do what is called a tube test which can distinguish if the heifer is in fact a free martain or not a lot of the time.
 
Hard work raising a calf, Have you thought about a dairy goat? I think they are easier, less expensive to feed, and should give you lots of extra milk. Plus you can feed/buy/vet alot of goats for the price of keeping a cow.
If you are set on a cow, I would look for a young one already trained and bred, cheaper in the long run than raiseing a calf and the cost of breeding it later.
 

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