I have a cow question too

Seems to be a popular topic the last few days so here goes.

My first question is diet for expecting heifers. If fed grass hay do they tend to have issues with hypocalcemia just before, during, or right after having a calf? The reason I ask is I raise dairy goats and if we feed grass hay during gestation or while in milk it spells disaster for the doe and her kids. Are cows similar?

Anyway, for the last few years I have seen what I think is pretty good deals on dairy calf's. I know they don't meat up as well as beef breeds, but for the right price and since I like my beef leaner as I get older I keep thinking about getting one or two to raise for family and friends.
Milk to feed won't be a problem as my milking doe's will make more than their kids will use up as well as us. Every spring I get a rush on goat milk and can sell every drop I get going into calf's that are being bottle or bucket raised. I charge what I think is a fair price and people tell me that it is way less costly than replacer and the calf's don't scour on it. Sounds good to me.

Anyway, there is a cow dairy close to me that is always looking to unload a calf. You put your name on a list and they call when one is ready to hit the ground. You go over and help get the calf dry, milk the colostrum from the cow, give them 50 bucks and go home with your new calf.

Is getting one that is only an hour old too risky? I have raised 100's of kids goats, but know nothing about cows other than you put feed in the end with teeth.

Thanks for any input,

Greg

Very rare for a heifer to get milk fever, third or fourth lactation cows are more susceptible. And your second question about taking the new born calf home after one hour,I would prefer the calf get at least two feedings of 2 litres of colostrum in the first 12 hours. Maybe you could get extra first milking milk to take home so you could give the second feeding yourself. Taking the calf home is not a real problem , be sure you have a draft free pen, with lots of bedding.Best of luck,Bruce.

Same here, make sure the calf has nursed a few times, 24hrs with mom would be better than going after a hour. Ya many people do that after 1 hour with bull calfs, but not a calf you want to survive.

yeah, I'd want the calf dried off. he ain't even gonna be dry in a hour. What's the big hurry?

They need to be on colostrum for at least 3 days.

Worked on a dairy for years, it took one or two feedings of colostrum to get a gallon in them and they are good to go. I brought home many a wet calf from a cow that calved while I was milking. After 12 hours of life the colostrum is of little value. Pick him up as soon as you can because the longer there at one of those big dairys the higher the chance he's going to catch something. These calves need the same amount of the same type of milk everyday. It doesn't matter what you feed them just keep it the same or your going to get scours, before I knew what I was doing I lost half the calves that came down with scours.

So to recap:
Get 1 gal of colostrum ASAP.
Feed them the same thing every day at the same time and in the same quantity- this is more important than colostrum.

Dairy meat is not leaner than beef. I believe all the dairy breeds come before the beloved Angus in marbling. Marbling is the fat inside the steak and that is what makes it taste so good.

Nate

I have had a large herd of Dairy goats and of dairy cows all goats are is miniture cows. They are both remenants. Milk fever is causeed by a mesobalic (sp) problem. High producing cows and goats are both candicates for it if not fed and managed correct
gitrib

Thanks for all the replies guys. It helps. I think I will do this. I did make a call to the dairy today and they told me that I can take all the time needed to get the calf dry,on it's feet, and fed before leaving and can also come back and milk the cow again to get all the second milking colostrum i wanted. They can't use it anyway as the cow can't hit the milk line for 6 milkings after freshening. Makes scene. It was the same on the goat dairy. Got to keep the somatic cell counts down in the milk hitting the bulk tank.

Thanks again,

Greg