# New Cattle Owner! Help



## carmansjersey (Aug 26, 2015)

I attended a sale almost three weeks ago and fell in love with a handsome little Jersey Bull. I purchased him for a mere $25 CDN and hauled him home in the back of my SUV. It's been almost three weeks and after bringing him back from severe Scours with the pills, getting him on Milk Replacer and a warm place to sleep I am losing my mind. He is fantastic. We have just bought-a bag of calf starter and as of yesterday he is fully vaccinated with the exception of two boosters he will receive in mid-September. Yes he is a bull. I have every intention of de-horning and castrating him but the emotions are so mixed right now! I have been told the bull is not worth anything and had a guy offer me $40CDN for him. Along with filling my ear knowing I am new to this.. So here is what I was told. He is not worth more than $40CDN. He is absolutely dangerous and the fact we handle him everyday makes it so much worse. When he approaches for an ear or chin scratch we should kick him or shove him away... It will take two years before he is worth anything at a sale as a bull or steer. It would cost $1000 a month to keep him fed even though he is on 2 acres of grass that we would put out that much in hay and grain. He will never respect a fence (even once castrated) that if we castrate to early we would stunt his growth and he would always be sickly looking... I am at a loss... I don't know what to think but I want honesty! I love this little guy and have nursed him back to health and put money into him to avoid anything respiratory later and to avoid blackleg etc... And I plan to de-horn and castrate but now I am being told it's pointless because he will always be deadly... We want him as a 4h steer for our kids who love him to death. He is halter broke, free roams right now, respects our fencing (2 strand barbwire and 1 strand hot wire) he does great with our other animals and our children... I saved this guys life now I am being told whether a bull or a steer or horns or no horns that he will end up killing us.... I honestly though removing the dangerous horns and removing his testosterone from him would change that!


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Absolutely disbud (or dehorn if too late to disbud) and castrate him. After that, he will not be deadly. He'll still have the potential to be dangerous, like any large animal, but you are right, removing the testosterone will remove the nasty attitude.


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## carmansjersey (Aug 26, 2015)

He's booked for two weeks time which will make him over a month old. He's only budding right now. And doesn't any animal have the potential to be dangerous? They made it sound so terrible that now my husband is terrified of a 3 week old calf


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## wannabfishin (Jan 31, 2014)

shouldnt have a problem if he is castrated, but as mentioned there are always a few that can be dangerous no matter the breed or sex. there are plenty of people that raise jersey steers without a problem and they produce good meat, just take a little longer to get there


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## nosqrls (Jun 9, 2012)

they can still remove them. You will be ok if you respect his size, Do not let him push or rub on you. Or you will be in trouble 1800lbs tries to push or rub on you it will break something. Don't treat him like a puppy. Teach him how you want him to act now and not when he has allot of size to his advantage. I have a bull that I can go out in the pasture and brush from one end to the other. But he knows not to invade my space or he will get a good rap on the nose. tell him chin up and he stretches out his neck. Tell him turn his head and push on the backside of his horn and that big old head turns. I hold my hand on his horn to let him know I am still in the way and not to turn back. So work with him now and teach him how you expect him to act. and everybody has to use the same way with him. Just like the members of the herd would teach him his place in the herd.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

Absolutely, categorically, positively do NOT handle him about the head, anywhere NEAR the head, and do NOT let your children play with him. Please???


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## Ziptie (May 16, 2013)

All we buy is Jersey bull calves. We like them because they are smaller and easier to handle. I feel much better about the kids being around them then some of the high strung Angus. 

Bought one 6 month old Angus calf from the neighbor...put the thing in a barn stall and it went ballistic..breaking though 2X4 and sheets of plywood. It went back to the farm that day.

Yeah, it will will never be as big as an Angus and the feed conversion ratio's are not as good. For us all the little guys get is hay/grass and during the cold winter months whole oats. Saying that though we took some 1.5/2 year olds to auction last summer and received $2.25 lb live weight. 

As for the grass you would be surprised on how much they eat. I would break up that two acres into at least 3 pastures with one of the area's being a dry lot. That way you can rotate between pastures and if they eat the grass faster than it can recover feed them hay in the dry lot.

Last word of warning is never trust them. Not because they will want to hurt you(if you get them castrated). They are always messing around trying to hump each other (we have two steers) and you don't want them to think that your their buddy and they can do that to you. Turned my back on our Jersey cow a few times (while bringing her in for milking) and she about tried to do that to me.


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## cfuhrer (Jun 11, 2013)

I think someone sees you as a mark. I think they want your calf and they think if they scare you badly enough you'll take what their willing to give you for him.

Everyone here has given you great advice, you'll be fine.


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## cowbelle (Mar 5, 2009)

I agree with much that has been said, but think you need to re-evaluate what you're aiming for. Unless Canada is much different than the US, a dairy steer won't be appropriate for a 4H project - they are universally beef animals here, and there is a lot of competition to have very good ones. Certain ages and weights by certain dates are important for your local fair. A bottle Jersey will not fit at all. Then the question of what becomes of him then - can you sell him for meat, or can you butcher him for meat? You and your family sound very much in "love" with the calf - can you part with him, or is he destined to be a pet for years? I know someone who did that with a Holstein calf, and now has a HUGE lawn ornament. Nothing wrong with that if you want it. More thought before diving in would help.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

cowbelle said:


> I agree with much that has been said, but think you need to re-evaluate what you're aiming for. Unless Canada is much different than the US, a dairy steer won't be appropriate for a 4H project - they are universally beef animals here, and there is a lot of competition to have very good ones. Certain ages and weights by certain dates are important for your local fair. A bottle Jersey will not fit at all. Then the question of what becomes of him then - can you sell him for meat, or can you butcher him for meat? You and your family sound very much in "love" with the calf - can you part with him, or is he destined to be a pet for years? I know someone who did that with a Holstein calf, and now has a HUGE lawn ornament. Nothing wrong with that if you want it. More thought before diving in would help.


Our county actually had a "dairy beef" class. Confused me at first, because I was used to solely beef animals. This class was for dairy steers raised for beef.


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## GREEN_ALIEN (Oct 17, 2004)

I suspect a neighbor wants a calf...

Calves are high right now, real high. I get my bottle calves (all jersey, bulls) direct from a dairy at 80 bucks a pop in bulk. Each calf arrives with initial shots and guaranteed two feedings of colostrum. They walk off the trailer into waiting arms which band em, tag em and pen em.

Each calf will receive about one bag of milk replacer (84.00) and 200 pounds of 21% grain (56.00) during its pen stay of about two months (calf dependant). Free choice hay and some grain is provided from day one, hay cost negligible.

At 8-10 weeks the little beasties are kicked out on pasture if summer or lot if winter. Pasture or hay is provided (seasonally dependent) as well as a ration of COB.

Since dairy steers tend to get hammered as feeders (approx 600lbs) at the sale barn, I am starting a new program of hanging on to them for 13 months based on a neighbors program. He managed to get 45 jersey steers to go from wobbly legged bottle calves to a finished average weight of 1085 pounds in 13 months. LOL I have not figured out how exactly and he is not being very forthcoming... but I will crack the code lol.

Something else we are starting to experience is that high end chefs are discovering how tender a jersey steak is and are requesting jerseys from the processors. This in turn is starting to edge our prices up, especially if you can sell a load as opposed to an individual animal. This info is coming from my calf hauler so not first hand, yet.

Back to your calf... 4H or not, he is not a 'guy', he is food period. Is he dangerous, heck ya but so is any large animal. Can he kill you or your kids, sure but so can a shetland pony.

Get his nuts off and dehorn. I am a tad perplexed as why they are still on... If the 'he is booked' thing is to go to a vet to have him banded and dehorned think KITTENS next time.

As a 4H steer for the kids he will need a fair amount of taming and handling. Thats just part of the game. Don't be afraid to instill in him a healthy respect for man.

As someone else commented, there may be a 4H dairy beef class in your local 4H so he will fit right in. If not then don't waste the time training and handling, simply feed and butcher.

1000 dollars a month LOL no! More like 50 for a little grain if you have adequate pasture. If you need hay, 2-3 ton a winter depending on where you are in CN.

Ted.


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## wannabfishin (Jan 31, 2014)

im not sure where you are located but in todays market in most locations that calf is worth a lot more than $40. best way to find out for sure is tell him if calves are selling that cheap youd like to buy a few more and ask if he'll sell you any.


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## Skip (Mar 13, 2008)

There's an ad on kijiji for a 2 week old jersey bull calf for $200, Oshawa area, here in Ontario.


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## Shoestringer (Oct 18, 2013)

We butchered our last Jersey steer at one year old. He ate about half a round bale each month through the winter and all the grass he wanted the rest of the time. I added a little grain but just enough to keep his interest. I never played games with him but led him easily enough by a collar. His horns we left, but at that age they were not so big as to catch you off guard. Before we froze him he was taller than his mother and pretty well filled out (for a Jersey). Calf prices in Ontario are high right now and we got a lot of beef from our $25 calf. I don't think he would have benefited much from another year of feeding.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

carmansjersey said:


> I attended a sale almost three weeks ago and fell in love with a handsome little Jersey Bull. I purchased him for a mere $25 CDN and hauled him home in the back of my SUV. It's been almost three weeks and after bringing him back from severe Scours with the pills, getting him on Milk Replacer and a warm place to sleep I am losing my mind. He is fantastic. We have just bought-a bag of calf starter and as of yesterday he is fully vaccinated with the exception of two boosters he will receive in mid-September. Yes he is a bull. I have every intention of de-horning and castrating him but the emotions are so mixed right now! I have been told the bull is not worth anything and had a guy offer me $40CDN for him. Along with filling my ear knowing I am new to this.. So here is what I was told. He is not worth more than $40CDN. He is absolutely dangerous and the fact we handle him everyday makes it so much worse. When he approaches for an ear or chin scratch we should kick him or shove him away... It will take two years before he is worth anything at a sale as a bull or steer. It would cost $1000 a month to keep him fed even though he is on 2 acres of grass that we would put out that much in hay and grain. He will never respect a fence (even once castrated) that if we castrate to early we would stunt his growth and he would always be sickly looking... I am at a loss... I don't know what to think but I want honesty! I love this little guy and have nursed him back to health and put money into him to avoid anything respiratory later and to avoid blackleg etc... And I plan to de-horn and castrate but now I am being told it's pointless because he will always be deadly... We want him as a 4h steer for our kids who love him to death. He is halter broke, free roams right now, respects our fencing (2 strand barbwire and 1 strand hot wire) he does great with our other animals and our children... I saved this guys life now I am being told whether a bull or a steer or horns or no horns that he will end up killing us.... I honestly though removing the dangerous horns and removing his testosterone from him would change that!


There is so much misinformation in this that I'm not sure where to start. 

Since you mention CDN currency, I'm guessing you are Canadian and because of the misinformation, I'm wondering if you on the Prairies because it's primarily beef country. 

There is no way on earth there is calf worth $40.00 at this time so even if you do change your mind about keeping the little guy consider the market carefully. 

There is no reason you can't make a 4H calf out of him but you may want to check and see if your local club handles dairy cattle and if not, how far do you need to travel to a club that has a dairy division. 

There is no way that it's going to cost you $1,000.00 to feed him and castrating will not stunt his growth. 

There is no reason to believe he won't respect fences and while I've had cattle that were jumpers, it doesn't seem to be breed specific nor is it common, as long as the have feed in front of them. Bulls have a tendency of wandering if they're out of work but steers seldom leave home. 

Being new to cattle doesn't mean you shouldn't have cattle, it simply means you will learn and since you're asking reasonable questions, I'm going to assume you're receptive to learning. 

I would agree with others who have said that you should remember your buddy will grow considerably and it's best he remembers he's cattle and not a puppy or pet. Don't play head butting games and remind him to respect your personal space as he grows and if he challenges you in any way, adjust his attitude with a buggy whip immediately.


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## Agriculture (Jun 8, 2015)

The only misinformation that I see is the $1000 per month quote for feed. Not sure where that came from. The $40 value probably came from someone who just hasn't kept up with recent spikes in the market for all cattle, including previously worthless Jersey bull calves.

I see a lot of exaggeration in the original advice that was given, probably in response to all of the concerns which are raised because of the pet mentality under which this calf is being viewed, in order to make an impression about how potentially wrong it is. Sort of fighting fire with fire, using the opposite extreme as a method to get the point across.

There is real reason to believe that a single calf as it grows will not respect fences, without other herd members to keep it content in place, especially one which seems to be on a course where it will not be taught properly to respect much of anything. The other animals with which it has contact are not specified, but if a few chickens and a dog, or even an occasional sheep or goat, that is not going to cut it enough to curb it's desire to seek companionship.

I think that it was wise and admirable for whoever gave that advice to be so dramatic in his presentation in this case, out of an abundance of concern for the possibilities that may arise out of this situation.


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## carmansjersey (Aug 26, 2015)

We sold him at a month for $200. Owners said it was rare to find a young jersey fully vaccinated and not riddled with the sale house scours. Regardless I will later on take on another but not right now lol. I'm in the maritimes btw


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## GREEN_ALIEN (Oct 17, 2004)

carmansjersey said:


> I love this little guy and have nursed him back to health and put money into him to avoid anything respiratory later and to avoid blackleg etc... And I plan to de-horn and castrate but now I am being told it's pointless because he will always be deadly... We want him as a 4h steer for our kids who love him to death. He is halter broke, free roams right now, respects our fencing (2 strand barbwire and 1 strand hot wire) he does great with our other animals and our children...


Geez, just three days ago you professed you and your children's love of this seemingly perfect 4H steer...

Several of us here are actual cattlemen/women and told you you were being hoodwinked by a the guy wanting the calf cheap... So, do tell, what caused the sale.

Ted


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## carmansjersey (Aug 26, 2015)

Our landlord posted eviction over the calf. Even though we are fighting it as he approved all animals here. But legally filed an eviction. Sadly all our pets had to go


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## GREEN_ALIEN (Oct 17, 2004)

ok, that sucks!


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## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

GREEN_ALIEN said:


> I suspect a neighbor wants a calf...
> 
> Calves are high right now, real high. I get my bottle calves (all jersey, bulls) direct from a dairy at 80 bucks a pop in bulk. Each calf arrives with initial shots and guaranteed two feedings of colostrum. They walk off the trailer into waiting arms which band em, tag em and pen em.
> 
> ...


Ted,
Have you ate Jersey steaks? They are good.

Do you finish any for sale as freezer beef? I'd think that might be good money for you.


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## GREEN_ALIEN (Oct 17, 2004)

HDRider said:


> Ted,
> Have you ate Jersey steaks? They are good.
> 
> Do you finish any for sale as freezer beef? I'd think that might be good money for you.


Oh yea, I like Jersey steaks. Sooo tender.

I have not finished but one Jersey to freezer in my life lol. I previously got into the black is better crowd and took some of them to freezer but most were sold as feeders once a year.

Now I am setting up an operation to run 40-50 bottle jerseys to butcher weight based on a neighboring farmers program. It really depends on the market and I can dump these as feeders if need be.

Ted


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## M88A1 (May 21, 2012)

carmansjersey said:


> We sold him at a month for $200. Owners said it was rare to find a young jersey fully vaccinated and not riddled with the sale house scours. Regardless I will later on take on another but not right now lol. I'm in the maritimes btw





carmansjersey said:


> He's booked for two weeks time which will make him over a month old. He's only budding right now. And doesn't any animal have the potential to be dangerous? They made it sound so terrible that now my husband is terrified of a 3 week old calf


the entire story stink and then top it off with "hes booked for 2 weeks which will make him over a month old".

3 days later you post "we sold him at a month"

that takes the cake....you must be bored to sit around a spin a yarn like that just for attention........


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## Wild_Bill (Aug 4, 2014)

I don't much care if the OP is truthful or not. My problem with this whole posting is bad info from many. The cold hard facts that I know to be true are as follows. Jersey Bulls are cheap! Holsteins are high around here but jerseys go cheap. I get mine for $10-30. If they are ok when you get them they will most likely make it. When I get mine home i offer a bottle. Most go to town. The ones that don't get another chance in the morning. Still won't take the bottle the go out back and become dog food. Sorry I'm not dumping a ton of cash into something that most likely won't make it anyway. None of my jerseys have ever seen a vet. All the jerseys around here are polled so no need to worry about that. I band sometime between 3-6 mo. That's just me but very easy after the boys are hanging low lol. We handle all the calves a lot. If you are bottle feeding this can't be helped. We have touched the heads and all over. I keep them in pastures with no electric until a year or do old. They are not mean or I'll tempered for the most part. However due to you spending so much time with them they will see you as part of the herd. So head butting you should be expected. That's just part of it. Either don't go in the pasture with them or don't own cattle. My beef cattle always shy away when I'm with them. Heck the only time I can even touch them is when they are on grain. I however am a big guy and don't mind if the jerseys challenge me a bit. It's a bit of fun sometimes. Mine are about 700lbs or so at a year and that's when the fun stops and they go to real cow pasture. About 2yrs old they get loaded. I grain the last 45 days.

Just so you know buying beef feeders work out to about the same cost per lb of meat as raising bottle baby's and its a whole lot easier. But no big outlay of cash upfront. I keep gettin jerseys for myself. I sell almost all the beef breed cattle. The jerseys are for my freezer!


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Carmansjersey, a wise man once said that it does not mater if a bull is being aggressive or just being playful: when he weighs 1000 pounds and you weigh 100 pounds the results are likely to be the same! What he meant was, never turn your back on ANY bull.

Then again, people have farmed with oxen for a VERY long time, and their oxen do not kill them! Not usually, anyways! I do know that modern day people teach their oxen to lead while they are still calves, which gets the cattle used to obeying humans.

I am sorry you had to sell the soon-to-be castrated calf!


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## GREEN_ALIEN (Oct 17, 2004)

Wild_Bill said:


> My problem with this whole posting is bad info from many. The cold hard facts that I know to be true are as follows. Jersey Bulls are cheap! Holsteins are high around here but jerseys go cheap. I get mine for $10-30.


I would call it localized info. Here, day old Jersey bull calves are sitting right at 80 each. A little less in bulk, but not much.



Wild_Bill said:


> If they are ok when you get them they will most likely make it. When I get mine home i offer a bottle. Most go to town. The ones that don't get another chance in the morning. Still won't take the bottle the go out back and become dog food. Sorry I'm not dumping a ton of cash into something that most likely won't make it anyway.


Talk about bad info... whew. :sob: I do a ton of bottle calves and this is by far one of the most 'bad info' statements I have heard. Maybe its different for the onesie and twosie guys but for those that make a living, or a substantial portion thereof, WHAT A WASTE! Talk about dumping cash. Each bottle of milk has an approximate value of .80 to 1.00. I can easily put 4 to 6 feedings of time into a calf to get them to fully accept a bottle. Thats 2 to 3 days. That would be 4 to 6 dollars for that one calf who isn't "most likely to won't make it anyway". That is somewhere between 5 and 7.5% of the cost of the animal. It is not cash, it is labor. So it takes 20 minutes instead of 5, big flippin deal.



Wild_Bill said:


> Just so you know buying beef feeders work out to about the same cost per lb of meat as raising bottle baby's and its a whole lot easier. But no big outlay of cash upfront. I keep gettin jerseys for myself. I sell almost all the beef breed cattle. The jerseys are for my freezer!


LOL you need some math practice...
600 weight feeder beef steers last week approx $2.05/# = $1230
I left out the beef bottle calf math as they started at 600.00 here this spring. Do the same inputs and it is still way more than a Jersey.

Bottle Jersey $80
Lets say 12 weeks on bottle, Ok?
1 bag of milk replacer 65.99
3 bags of 21% calf ration 45.00
And 16 more weeks to more or less catch up with that beef in weight?
Hay and grain approx 300.00 (I used my high end numbers)
That is 490.99 to 600 weight give er take.

Granted, the beef will convert better in the stretch but we are talking 20% at best. So if the beef took another 500 dollars of premium inputs to reach 1000#, you could expect the Jersey to take approx 60 dollars to reach the same 1000# mark.

I can touch 900# in 12 months and a neighbor is routinely hitting 1100-1150 in 13 months. I sure want to know what his ration mix looks like lol.

It is all about dollars and cents.


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## Wild_Bill (Aug 4, 2014)

Oh my! Until beef shot up most of the dairies around here took dairy Bulls off mama and culled. Not worth the time to drag to the sale. Yea I do my math and my numbers are no where near yours but I'm not calling you out. I can however say if you are buying MR for $65 it's soy based crap. Most likely from tractor supply as that is their price. Again just giving my point of view.


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## GREEN_ALIEN (Oct 17, 2004)

As did dairies everywhere. This is not yesterday, its today and the little turds cost money.



Wild_Bill said:


> I can however say if you are buying MR for $65 it's soy based crap. Most likely from tractor supply as that is their price. Again just giving my point of view.


And I can say you stuck your foot in your pie hole... again.
LOL no soy, no tractor supply.
FWIW it is a patented product that one of the dairies used to provide when I did calves 100-150 at a time. I bought up a bunch when I decided to semi retire.

Anything else you would like to say since you seem to know it all...


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I'm in beef country and there was a time when dairy calves were given away or $5/head but with cattle prices so high, I've seen them sell as high as $300 in my area but typically they sell closer to $150. Our sale barns don't handle them so people here will buy them from brokers via kijiji or craigslist and they end up with sickly poor doing calves. 

The person that posted is way further east than I am so dairy cattle would be a lot more plentiful.

I have never needed a lot of milk replacer but I did find that I got a much better price if I bought from a guy that was buying in volume but I get the impression that prices here seem to be adjusted seasonally so the same bag my local feed store is selling for $95 now is much less expensive from January to March.


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## GREEN_ALIEN (Oct 17, 2004)

wr said:


> I have never needed a lot of milk replacer but I did find that I got a much better price if I bought from a guy that was buying in volume but I get the impression that prices here seem to be adjusted seasonally so the same bag my local feed store is selling for $95 now is much less expensive from January to March.


That's the ticket right there wr! Buy in bulk and direct when you can.

I avoid Tractor Supply and Runnings for everything when possible. If I need something incidental I may get it at Runnings if in a hurry but not often.

With a little searching around you can find anything in bulk. Easier these days with internet.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

GREEN_ALIEN said:


> That's the ticket right there wr! Buy in bulk and direct when you can.
> 
> I avoid Tractor Supply and Runnings for everything when possible. If I need something incidental I may get it at Runnings if in a hurry but not often.
> 
> With a little searching around you can find anything in bulk. Easier these days with internet.


I let my ex take most of the cattle but I even found simple things like drugs are more expensive when you purchase in smaller doses so rather than pay a king's ransom for a small bottle of nuflor, I'd talk to a friend who ran 1000 head and could buy a bottle off him for substantially less money. 

Essentially, I always bought in volume or bought of someone who got volume rates.


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## Ziptie (May 16, 2013)

Wild_Bill said:


> I don't much care if the OP is truthful or not. My problem with this whole posting is bad info from many. The cold hard facts that I know to be true are as follows. Jersey Bulls are cheap! Holsteins are high around here but jerseys go cheap. I get mine for $10-30.


Can I come to your place to pick up some calves?:bouncy:

Craigslist listings from around Iowa. I could go on and on.

Located in Wisconsin we have groups of all size calves available. 
All calves are healthy and taking Bottle well
Holsteins are 375 to 480 a head depends on the size 
Beef Crosses are going to be 530 to 600 a Head
Delivery can be arranged You wont be disappointed

I HAVE 7 NEW HOLSTEINS BOTTLE CALVES FRESH IN FROM THE DAIRY. 1 LARGE BULLS WEIGHT ABOUT 110 LBS 400 PER HEAD. 1 MED. CALFS 85 LBS (2) R HEIFERS 1 IS A BULL WANT 350 PER HEAD. 6 SMALL ONES 65LBS (5) HEIFERS ALL BREEDABLE (2) SMALL BULLS WANT 310 PER HEAD. IF U TAKE ALL ILL MAKE A DEAL ALL DOING GREAT ALL FROM LOCAL DAIRYS. CALL

16 jersey bottle calves. Banded and vaccinated. 1-2 weeks old. $300\hd.

3 jersey weaned calves. Banded and vaccinated. 2 months old. Eating grain and hay. $425\hd.

Edit: This spring we paid $250 each for a 2 month pair(Jersey bulls) strait from the diary. Was the best deal we could find and we had to drive and hour one way for them.


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## GREEN_ALIEN (Oct 17, 2004)

Just go collect them free from behind his barn when he goes to shoot them Ziptie...


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## nate77 (Mar 20, 2013)

Bought two jerseys in the middle of june, paid $120 for the a regular tan jersey, and $150 for a black jersey both were week olds, and in great health. I thought those two were a great deal considering Holsteins were going for between $400 and $600.


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## Gravytrain (Mar 2, 2013)

I can still get free Jersey bull calves from a local dairy...however, I see a lot of dairy bull calves around here going for $50 or $60 in private sales and at the auctions.


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## Papafana (Apr 1, 2015)

Keep it and love it as my wife has 5 females and 2 bull calves and could not part with any as she calls them her new family since the boys left home. Good luck with it as sounds like you would do anything to keep it healthy


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## CJHames (Dec 25, 2013)

I'm sorry for your landlord troubles and the loss of your pets. But I do want to thank you and all of the posters for giving me the idea of buying a jersey bull calf and using it as a beef steer. I knew it was possible, but didn't know they were so much cheaper than Angus. 

I have a friend who is a bit of a cow snob. If it isn't black, all black, he won't touch it. He wants me to go in half's with him on two Angus heifers, a few steers and a bull. I keep looking at the prices here in North TX for black cattle. Yikes. I just want a steer a year for our family to butcher, what do I care what color the thing is? This is a terrific idea.

Many years ago we entered a raffle and won a half side of beef from a local dairyman. I'm sure it was an older holstein cow whose milk production had dropped and she was sent to the hamburger pen - and the dairyman did tell us he had her on grain for a while to fatten her up - but that was the best beef I've ever had in my life. We could cut the steaks with a fork they were so tender. That meat was pure heaven.

I'm an owner. One Jersey bull calf comin' up!


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## GREEN_ALIEN (Oct 17, 2004)

CJHames said:


> I'm sorry for your landlord troubles and the loss of your pets. But I do want to thank you and all of the posters for giving me the idea of buying a jersey bull calf and using it as a beef steer. I knew it was possible, but didn't know they were so much cheaper than Angus.
> 
> I have a friend who is a bit of a cow snob. If it isn't black, all black, he won't touch it. He wants me to go in half's with him on two Angus heifers, a few steers and a bull. I keep looking at the prices here in North TX for black cattle. Yikes. I just want a steer a year for our family to butcher, what do I care what color the thing is? This is a terrific idea.
> 
> ...


LOL Welcome to the dark side CJ!

I too am a recovering cow snob. Back in the past life, it was all black or send it back in my beef herds.

Ted


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## Patchouli (Aug 3, 2011)

It's amazing to me how much the price of dairy calves has shot up. They used to sell for nothing around here too. These days we have no dairies anymore and what few calves you do see go for comparatively absurdly high prices. 

I think the facts on steers have pretty well been covered here. They aren't anymore dangerous than a heifer. A bull calf will grow out a little faster and heftier but for a small producer the difference is not worth it. Far better to castrate and get a more manageable animal. 

I definitely think the guy the OP talked to was a weasel out to get him a good calf at a cheap price.


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## sonofthunder (Apr 10, 2014)

First of all me say here that I am in USA/Ga so prices in Canadian and US I am not sure of the conversion. But I would buy a tractor trailer load of Jersey Bulls for what you paid. Within in 6 months here, I would more than quadruple the investment. Probably even multiply that by a couple more points. That's not exaggerating a bit either. Baby Bull calves here are selling for about a hundred dollars US on the average. So you got you an outstanding bargain based on Georgia standards that is.

Vaccinating and worming and such is a smart move for sure and I applaud you for that. The guy who offered you the 40 is trying to rip you off for sure. If you are raising the bull for a pet, then he is highly trainable, can make for a wonderful pet and if that is what you are planning, just be prepared for a BULL to grow up from the baby you have now. Even IF you castrate him, he will still be a handful if he wants to be. Dangerous? Yes as are ALL animals. Will he be more dangerous without his horns and testicles? Only slightly less so. A hornless Bovine can kill just as quickly as one with horns. They hare hugely powerful in their necks and heads. 

Jersey Bulls are typically speaking more aggressive than many other breeds but less so than others. They tend to have a shorter temper which can make for some interesting challenges. But they are NOT to be feared. 

I have worked cattle all my life and the absolute very best herd bull I have ever had was a 2,000lb Jersey Bull. He was mean as a rattle snake but took care of his herd and defended them. There were only two people who could handle him when it was time for vacs and boosters and such. Me and one of my Brothers. IF that bull saw us coming toward him he would charge us but we used good judgement and common sense and never were we injured by him. IF and when he saw strangers in his pasture, he would run them out, no matter they be man or beast. He wasn't afraid of the devil himself but was a superb Herd Sire. When it came time to put him down at the end of his siring capabilities, we did so with heavy hearts but he was very delicious.

Two acres of grass is more than sufficient to keep him up IF and ONLY IF the grass is perennial and in good quality as well as quantity to start off. The bulk of your feeding expense will come if and when your winters there make natural browsing and foraging insufficient for him. Here in Georgia and I realize that we are several hundred miles South of where you are, our Winters do create issues with feeding but we only feed our stock hay we cut off their grazing land during the growing season. IF your grass sources is sufficient to keep him up during the Spring thru Fall, then you can probably secure enough hay to get him through just fine. Feeding supplements to boost the proteins and other vital nutrients is always a good thing and that's where you biggest expense is going to come in. 

Again, here in Georgia our pasture lands average out to 1.25 acres of land per bovine year round. Some Winters here we don't even have to hay them but when it does come to that, our supplement feed bill is almost nil. 

Now back to the petting and buddying up with the Bull/Steer. Because of his size when he begins to mature, you should always use extreme caution when in enclosed areas with him. Though he may be gentle as a lamb, he won't realize his immense size and strength over yours could kill you. He will rub and push on you just as he would in a pasture full of lady bovines or fellow bull/steers. All the Bulls I have raised in 50 years, the only bull I was over cautious with was the Jersey I mentioned above. He was indeed aggressive, he was super powerful and short tempered but, he never harmed me in any way. He realized early on that I am the Alpha and he respected that. 

Somewhere here, I have several photos of me actually riding on his back as we herded his harem in to the corrals and catch pens prior to vaccinating and worming etc... He would come up to me especially during winter feedings and rub his head up and down my legs and back. Occasionally he would think he was slipping up behind me and butt me in the butt. There is one photograph of me laying on the ground directly beneath him one Winter day. I was out feeding them and laid down on the ground to rest and dozed off to sleep. He sensing that I was vulnerable to the rest of the herd came and stood directly over me for apparently an hour or so. My parents became concerned when I didn't show up for noon meal and came to the pasture looking for me. Mother was a photographer and as soon as she saw me lying on the ground in among the herd she grabbed her camera and when she and dad drove out to the feeding area, there I was lying on the ground under the bull who was obviously standing guard over me. Why or how did he do this? Because he came to learn that I would do him no harm, I respected his power and size and he knew that I was alpha. 

The day we put him down, I couldn't do it of course so we called some local cowboys who put him down and loaded him on our trailer to take him to the processor. He was almost 10 years old. I hope this gives you a little insight and hope and understanding that what you have is a wonderful opportunity. Use caution and wisdom and you will be just fine with that big old Jersey bull/steer.


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## Pat-wcWI (Oct 28, 2012)

I am a retired dairy farmer and just wanted to add something here about dangerous cattle. We had Holsteins.

We never raised a bull....always used AI. For awhile there was semen available from a Holland bull. The heifer we raised by him turned into an extremely aggressive long yearling and she was never a pet...none of the cattle were.

Once out in the cow yard I was carrying a block of salt on my hip walking through the heifers. Out of nowhere she came running, butted me, knocking me to the ground. I was close to the electric fence and crawled on my back under it all the while kicking her in the face. Nobody believed me until she charged my husband. Then she went down the road.

Animals, even of the same breed can have different dispositions.


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## wendygoerl (Apr 30, 2005)

cowbelle said:


> I agree with much that has been said, but think you need to re-evaluate what you're aiming for. Unless Canada is much different than the US, a dairy steer won't be appropriate for a 4H project - they are universally beef animals here, and there is a lot of competition to have very good ones.


I recall seeing a study that found Holsteins beat "beef" steers in many categories, roughly half the market steers at the Shawano County Fair are Holsteins--hey, you've got to do something with the boys that don't make stud grade. That said, Jerseys are the smallest of the five major breeds, so size may be to your disadvantage (never having shown cattle, I can't speak to what a judge looks for in a market steer).

As to temperment, I've heard stories from every point on the spectrum. Boys that are perfectly tractable one moment, and do something spontaneous the next. Bulls that are easily handled--but only by the person that raised them from a calf. Every few years a steer will get loose at the county fair; one year they chased it all the way to the high school, about two miles away. Then there's the bulls a local breeder rides--in parades. Others are perfectly mundane. Best way to tip the odds in your favor is handle it early and often, but don't let it get away with anything that will be a problem when it gets bigger. In this, a Jersey is probably a safer bet: their small size comes from being developed in England, where the relatively small farms would make an evolutionary push for them to get along better than big pastures that can afford to have cattle chasing around.


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## Mary Kay (Feb 20, 2013)

I agree with the advice you've been giving. I disbud mine, band them and handle everyday. I am trying to work my Guernsey for an Oxen. I tried with my Jersey but never had enough time and he got quite big but he never gave me trouble, we did eventually beef him.
Most important NEVER turn your back and be aware of where your animals are. Mine all ware bells!


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## miraclemant (May 28, 2011)

I agree with several other posters here, I believe whoever gave you that "scary" advice, I think he was trying to scare you into selling the calf to himself, CHEAP. As evidenced by the fact that you soon sold the calf for $200 CDN. 
Which brings up the main reason I wanted to post a reply. 
As a young boy growing up in Western Washington state, we had dairy farms on both sides of our small hobby farm. (still love that smell to this day). Anyway, the dairyman on the south side of us, had one of his prize Holsteins got the idea that the field peas (grown for silo) in the field next door, was just too appetizing to pass up. And she started the habit of walking right thru the electric fence to get to those nice juicy field peas. Well the farmer would chase her back and repair the electric fence. After about 10 days of this, he had had enough, so before he went to bed, he direct wired the fence to 110v. Which I have to report did stop the cow from walking thru the fence to get to the peas, PERMANENTLY......


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