# Buying first ever calf, need advice!



## okfarmgirl (Jul 22, 2016)

We are looking to buy our first calf, a 6 month old heifer, for $700. Our original thought was just to raise for her for 5-6 more months and send her to the butcher to feed the family. But, should we consider breeding her instead? We are JUST starting out with our homestead.


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## Empire (Jan 7, 2016)

How much do you want to feed her? She won't be ready to breed for about 8 more months then it's about a 9 month gestation period. How much land and pasture do you have available? What type of service are you going to use to have her bred, ie artificial insemination or a live cover bull? What type of housing do you have available? 
There are many things to think about when starting to raise beef. A lot of your decisions will be based on what your plans for the future are.


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## okfarmgirl (Jul 22, 2016)

We want to keep her organic, grass-fed. We are ok with waiting to get our money's worth. We thought about getting a bull calf to breed her and then send the bull to butcher while we wait for her to have a baby. Then repeat until her baby is ready (if she proves to be a good breeder). We have about 2 acres, partly treed with a pond that is crossed fenced for cattle already.


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## gundog10 (Dec 9, 2014)

If you are going for beef get a steer as they will normally have more meat on them, larger overall and cheaper as heifers bring a premium. If I was spending that kind of money on one calf and it was a heifer, I would keep her and breed her. If you are looking for freezer beef, might look around for some cross bred dairy calves. I just picked up ten head of 3 month weaned Holstein and Holstein/Angus cross for $2,250.


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

Calf looks stunted in the picture.


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## okfarmgirl (Jul 22, 2016)

Allen W said:


> Calf looks stunted in the picture.



How would I be able to tell in person? Should I be worried about this? I'm getting the cow from someone I attend church with but just want to get as much advice/input as I can.


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## Empire (Jan 7, 2016)

Calf looks OK to me. She looks small but that could be due to a number of factors


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

okfarmgirl said:


> How would I be able to tell in person? Should I be worried about this? I'm getting the cow from someone I attend church with but just want to get as much advice/input as I can.


Maybe stunted isn't the right word but the calve needs better groceries then it has been getting. My guess is it is a bottle calf and since you said in a post you wanted to keep it grass fed it hasn't had any grain supplementation. Makes a tough life for a little calf.

Calf needs to be weighing about 450 to be worth the price that is being asked..


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## okfarmgirl (Jul 22, 2016)

Looks like we are going to get a deal on some other animals from them to start our farm. Plus they are going to haul our horses AND this calf for us. I think we will try to fatten her up and breed her next year. She wasn't a bottle calf but they had to sell the mama because they are in a bad way. Maybe she was weaned a little too soon. We are going for it anyway! I'm sure I will be back for more advice! He's offered to help us all along the way with doctoring, worming, breeding, etc.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

If this animal was marketed through a sale barn you would be disappointed when you receive the settlement check IMO. The head size is disproportional to the body. Notice the width between the eyes, to me she displays an over width that I would associate as a dwarf. Certainly the animal has been stressed and will carry this impact forward as she ages. I would not want her as a brood cow nor would I want to have her trying to produce tender beef efficiently.


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## okfarmgirl (Jul 22, 2016)

agmantoo said:


> If this animal was marketed through a sale barn you would be disappointed when you receive the settlement check IMO. The head size is disproportional to the body. Notice the width between the eyes, to me she displays an over width that I would associate as a dwarf. Certainly the animal has been stressed and will carry this impact forward as she ages. I would not want her as a brood cow nor would I want to have her trying to produce tender beef efficiently.



Since we've already committed to her...what would be your suggestion? What's the best way to get our money's worth?


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## Empire (Jan 7, 2016)

Ha, it that dwarf line was true, I'd market her as a mini Hereford and sell her to one of the folks that want to spend big money on dwarf cattle! That's all they are. I have books dating to the early 1900's that talk about dwarfism in Hereford cattle and the dangers that come with having them in your herd. Dangers with breeding and shortened life spans and the like. Biggest issues would be a dwarf cow trying to deliver a full sized calf. Just a post on here not to long ago about a lady with mini Herefords that had to have the vet do c section deliveries on both her mini herefords.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Raising quality beef on grass, selecting a breeding bull to raise, raising a cow to breed, getting her bred, raising her calf on grass can each be a challenge. Sort of like starting out playing chess when you don't know checkers.


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## okfarmgirl (Jul 22, 2016)

haypoint said:


> Raising quality beef on grass, selecting a breeding bull to raise, raising a cow to breed, getting her bred, raising her calf on grass can each be a challenge. Sort of like starting out playing chess when you don't know checkers.



Roger that! Well I gotta start somewhere or I will be sitting around wishing I had. Sustainability is important to our family and we have quite a few mouths to feed. My kids will get to learn alongside of me.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

okfarmgirl said:


> Roger that! Well I gotta start somewhere or I will be sitting around wishing I had. Sustainability is important to our family and we have quite a few mouths to feed. My kids will get to learn alongside of me.


I dig the sustainability part and I've done a lot of learning on the go, too. Few people that bite off more than they can chew wish they had another bite to shove in their mouth.

I've been at this homesteading thing for four decades. During that time I've watched scores of others try their hand at backyard farming, hobby farming and small farming. I've had and seen lots of successes and I've had front row seats to a bunch of failures.

Putting your children through a few animal husbandry failures will chase them away from farming as fast as babysitting a colicky baby works as birth control.

Most experienced cattle farmers grain their animals, when they are young and just starting out, when body condition and hay quality dictates it and to fatten them up to insure a good taste. Sometimes it is better to sell extra hay and buy grain. Real grass fed cattle require many acres of high protein feed. The average grass and weed pasture isn't going to get you the rapid growth you need to bring cattle to butcher weight quickly, a key to tender, eatable, beef.

Raising a bull for a single breeding channels funds into the creation of a calf that could be better spent on a couple calves.

A freezer full of lean hamburger and tough steaks is a lot different from a bad NY strip from Save A Lot.


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## okfarmgirl (Jul 22, 2016)

Grass fed beef is a definite goal but this little lady is going on grain. I've got a horse that is a hardkeeper and I supplement his grain with Calf Manna. I've got half a mind to do the same with this girl.


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## COWS (Dec 23, 2012)

If that calf is 6 months old you should wait about a year before breeding her. I agree with the ones who don't like her for breeding. Put her on good grass and hay and she should fatten up fairly well. A little grain won't hurt a thing.

If there is a livestock sale nearby I would go watch some calves sell and get an idea of prices and conditions, etc.

COWS


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## Gravytrain (Mar 2, 2013)

Good choice...she wouldn't be a good candidate for grass finishing at all.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

I don't think she looks dwarfy and I like the thick size of her hams. I think the head is a bit distorted because she has her head closer to the camera-- like those big fish photos with the fish held out at arms length so it looks bigger in the photo.

She certainly doesn't look like she has been missing out on any groceries.

I never butcher cattle until they are almost 2 years old. Late fall of their second fall is when they get butchered. If you butcher at 11-12 months, you won't get much meat and it won't be full flavored.

I suggest that you give her a good de-wormer and put her onto about 1/2 cup of good mixed grain every day. That will keep her tame and teach her to come when you call her.

I pick my brood cows only partially on their conformation. Temperament is number one to me. I don't want to be attacked by my cattle, so I only keep nice natured animals that are very tolerant of human activity. It is far too early to decide whether or not to breed that cow. You want to see how well she grows and how she behaves before you decide.


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## raisinem (Jul 27, 2016)

I am a cattle producer and as was mentioned directly above I agree with a lot of what was said. 1st id say is you paid 700 for her you paid WAY too much. I think a lot of what you paid was emotional value. Cattle are not something a person that has never been around them or know what they are looking at should venture out on there own and buy if you plan to start your herd. Its best to take someone you trust to point out all the flaws and guide you to the right direction now if you don't heed the word that's a different story. That heifer would never be anything I would breed EVER. A good solid heifer with a good start and foundation could be bred in a year this one may not be ready even then. Throwing grain at her is ok but you also have to be careful with how much you feed or she may have all 4 sticking up. What she needs if you are dead set on keeping as a cow is to worm her really well put her on GOOD grass pasture that's been fertilized and taken care of. Hay is ok but remember not all hay is the same nutritional wise. Find out what you have by getting an analysis on your hay. just a few things id suggest Good Luck


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## okfarmgirl (Jul 22, 2016)

Here she is now at approximately 9 months. She's on oat hay, cattle cubes (20%) and Kandy Mag (13.5% mag). I'm not sure if all stock pellets will be better than the cubes.


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## Empire (Jan 7, 2016)

She still looks small. Probably will always be small. I have 9 month old Herefords that are pushing 700 pounds. If you are looking for meat she looks like a good candidate. If you are looking to breed, you may want to explore other options.


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## okfarmgirl (Jul 22, 2016)

Empire said:


> She still looks small. Probably will always be small. I have 9 month old Herefords that are pushing 700 pounds. If you are looking for meat she looks like a good candidate. If you are looking to breed, you may want to explore other options.



She is measuring 56 around the heart girth. We are looking for more cattle to start a little herd. We will see how she matures but we are considering not breeding this one. She's a cool little cow though


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## Empire (Jan 7, 2016)

At 9 months she should be way over 56 inches. Definitely a small heifer there


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## CowPoke (Jul 31, 2014)

Paying wayyyy too much for that calf regardless of what you are planning to do with her


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## Empire (Jan 7, 2016)

okfarmgirl said:


> View attachment 57494
> 
> 
> Here she is now at approximately 9 months. She's on oat hay, cattle cubes (20%) and Kandy Mag (13.5% mag). I'm not sure if all stock pellets will be better than the cubes.


Oat hay? We don't have that around here so excuse my ignorance. Is that hay made after the grain heads have been harvested off? If so then you are feeding your heifer straw which has very little nutrient value and is nothing more than filler. Good quality grass hay would go a long ways towards her health. Also I would vaccinate and De worm her. I have bought 2 Hereford heifers in the past week that were larger than what you claim she is now, and they are both about 4 months old. With her size, I'd say she is either a dwarf or extremely malnourished.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Empire said:


> Oat hay? We don't have that around here so excuse my ignorance. Is that hay made after the grain heads have been harvested off? If so then you are feeding your heifer straw which has very little nutrient value and is nothing more than filler. Good quality grass hay would go a long ways towards her health. Also I would vaccinate and De worm her. I have bought 2 Hereford heifers in the past week that were larger than what you claim she is now, and they are both about 4 months old. With her size, I'd say she is either a dwarf or extremely malnourished.


Oat hay is cut just prior to the formation of grain. Basically, it is grass hay. Oats develop rapidly and in most areas of the world, making hay depends on the weather. So, oat hay might have some no developed grain in it, some developed grain or a lot of developed grain. Being thicker stemmed, it may require better crimping/conditioning and/or better drying conditions than grass hay.

With a bushel of oats selling at $2. wholesale and hay at $4 a bale, in many cases it makes sense to bale oat hay.


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## Empire (Jan 7, 2016)

Thanks for the info. Most folks around here that grow oats use it as a fast growth crop over alfalfa or trefoil. The either harvest the grain or mow the oats and make oatlage. I've never seen anyone bale it as dry hay. Must be a regional thing


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

okfarmgirl said:


> She is measuring 56 around the heart girth. We are looking for more cattle to start a little herd. We will see how she matures but we are considering not breeding this one. She's a cool little cow though



Looks like she is doing good for what she is. In all honesty this isn't a heifer you want to breed, she is a long way from where she should be at this age.


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## Lady89 (Feb 22, 2014)

okfarmgirl said:


> Since we've already committed to her...what would be your suggestion? What's the best way to get our money's worth?


put her on some high calorie grain feed along with all she can eat grass or hay to try put some fat on her and make up for her slow start

sorry responded before i saw there was a page 2


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