How to Raise Calves
Consider why you want to buy calves., Start saving up., Stock up on feed., Get water, it's the most important nutrient., Prepare the space and shelter., Find a breed you like., Find a place that sells the breed that you want., Pick out the ones you...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Consider why you want to buy calves.
Ask yourself are you wanting these calves as potential freezer beef, a start of a breeding herd, or merely as a "pet" and a lawn ornament? -
Step 2: Start saving up.
Calves aren't cheap, either to purchase or to raise, so you will need to save at least $500 to $1,000 for the first little bit.
A Holstein calf can cost around $500 to purchase--that is, if the calf's a heifer; bull calves tend to be much cheaper--and a beef calf may be a little less, depending on the age and weight. , It's best to purchase your feed before you purchase the calf so that you have food ready for when you bring the calves home.
Bottle-raised calves require milk-replacer specially formulated for calves.
Do not purchase milk from the grocery store because it does not have the same nutritional content and good bacteria for the calf's digestive system as raw milk does.
You can quickly kill a calf with pasteurized milk, even if it's homogenized.
A bottle calf will need to be started on grain and hay fairly quickly, usually within a week or two of its life.
Once you get it on this feed, you can start, over the following weeks, progressively feeding less milk replacer (gradually increasing the water to powder ratio) less often.
Usually you do not need to buy colostrum because a calf needs colostrum in the first few hours of its life.
If you buy a calf that is a day or two old, the colostrum will be ineffective.
You are better off with milk replacer instead.
Weaned calves or those that are pre-weaning can be fed small amounts of milk replacer that is watered down.
Calves at this stage (they are often around 3 to 4 months of age) can be fed grain, hay and will even graze on pasture.
Dairy calves typically need to be "grained" a lot since they do not have the same ability to convert grass to muscle and energy like beef calves do.
If you have beef calves though, it's recommended to feed less grain and more hay/pasture.
If the pasture and hay is in very good quality, you can limit the grain to only a few times a week.
Note:
Too much grain for beef calves can put too much fat on them when they need more protein over energy to grow--not get fat.
If you have to buy hay, the price varies as the amount does too.
If you make your own hay then you will save a lot of money in the long run.
Grain usually costs $350.00 per ton.
Don't quite need that much? They sell small 50 lbs bags for $15.
Prices very by location.
Grass costs nothing if it grows wild.
If not, you're going to have to buy some grass seed ($15.00 at your local store; prices vary).
Milk replacer cost about $45 to $55 dollars per 50 lbs bag (prices may vary) , Calves, especially the older ones, need plenty of water.
You will need to purchase a stock tank or an automatic waterer (expect to pay around $200 to $300 for a good waterer; a little less for a stock tank) for these calves.
Also, remember to fill up the stock tank with water regularly if it looks full.
Cleaning the tank out to keep the algae blooms down helps with the water quality.
Clean water makes for healthy calves! , Make sure that they have plenty of space to roam and frolic, but also make sure they have a shelter such as a lean or a barn, so that they are protected from storms.
If you're getting bottle calves, you might want to build a little or calf hutch for it.
If you're buying older calves (ones close to weaning or have already been weaned, either from the bottle/bucket or from their mothers), a corral that is around 200 square feet (per calf, that is) is sufficient for the first few weeks when you get them home. , There are many to choose from, so choose wisely.
It is best to choose a breed that is local to your area and one that has young calves readily available.
It is usually far more common to find young calves of dairy breeding than beef breeding.
If you were to find young calves of a particular beef breed, it would be because they were weaned early (i.e., around 3 months of age), or they are orphans a producer or small-time farmer does not have a surrogate mother to take in. , You are more likely to find calves at a dairy farm than a cattle ranch.
This is because baby calves are raised on their mothers until they get quite big (sometimes over half of their mother's size), they are never separated away from their dams permanently like with a typical dairy farm.
You may come across an advertisement in a local newspaper or on a that is looking to sell a beef calf or two, but this is considered rare.
Your best chance at finding a calf is by going to a local dairy farm and asking if they have any calves to sell, or by looking on Craigslist.com or Kijiji.com for anybody looking to sell young calves. , Make sure you consider your abilities when picking out the number of calves you want to take in.
One or two calves alone can be a handful, especially if they're no more than a day or two old, so choose according to the kind of commitment you want to make to raising calves.
If you do not want to be feeding a young calf every two to three hours for the first week, then you are better off looking for older calves that are close to weaning or that have already been weaned.
Note that the older the calf, the easier it is to look after it.
Younger calves tend to be more prone to sickness and diseases than older calves, and are much more sensitive to what and how you feed it than a weaned calf. , Larger calves (or more than two bottle calves) will need to be shipped in a small stock trailer, or in the back of a pickup truck with stock-racks attached.
For younger bottle calves, many people like to use their van, jeep or even car to bring them home if they have no other alternative or find it's safer for the calf. -
Step 3: Stock up on feed.
-
Step 4: Get water
-
Step 5: it's the most important nutrient.
-
Step 6: Prepare the space and shelter.
-
Step 7: Find a breed you like.
-
Step 8: Find a place that sells the breed that you want.
-
Step 9: Pick out the ones you want and how many you want.
-
Step 10: Bring them home.
Detailed Guide
Ask yourself are you wanting these calves as potential freezer beef, a start of a breeding herd, or merely as a "pet" and a lawn ornament?
Calves aren't cheap, either to purchase or to raise, so you will need to save at least $500 to $1,000 for the first little bit.
A Holstein calf can cost around $500 to purchase--that is, if the calf's a heifer; bull calves tend to be much cheaper--and a beef calf may be a little less, depending on the age and weight. , It's best to purchase your feed before you purchase the calf so that you have food ready for when you bring the calves home.
Bottle-raised calves require milk-replacer specially formulated for calves.
Do not purchase milk from the grocery store because it does not have the same nutritional content and good bacteria for the calf's digestive system as raw milk does.
You can quickly kill a calf with pasteurized milk, even if it's homogenized.
A bottle calf will need to be started on grain and hay fairly quickly, usually within a week or two of its life.
Once you get it on this feed, you can start, over the following weeks, progressively feeding less milk replacer (gradually increasing the water to powder ratio) less often.
Usually you do not need to buy colostrum because a calf needs colostrum in the first few hours of its life.
If you buy a calf that is a day or two old, the colostrum will be ineffective.
You are better off with milk replacer instead.
Weaned calves or those that are pre-weaning can be fed small amounts of milk replacer that is watered down.
Calves at this stage (they are often around 3 to 4 months of age) can be fed grain, hay and will even graze on pasture.
Dairy calves typically need to be "grained" a lot since they do not have the same ability to convert grass to muscle and energy like beef calves do.
If you have beef calves though, it's recommended to feed less grain and more hay/pasture.
If the pasture and hay is in very good quality, you can limit the grain to only a few times a week.
Note:
Too much grain for beef calves can put too much fat on them when they need more protein over energy to grow--not get fat.
If you have to buy hay, the price varies as the amount does too.
If you make your own hay then you will save a lot of money in the long run.
Grain usually costs $350.00 per ton.
Don't quite need that much? They sell small 50 lbs bags for $15.
Prices very by location.
Grass costs nothing if it grows wild.
If not, you're going to have to buy some grass seed ($15.00 at your local store; prices vary).
Milk replacer cost about $45 to $55 dollars per 50 lbs bag (prices may vary) , Calves, especially the older ones, need plenty of water.
You will need to purchase a stock tank or an automatic waterer (expect to pay around $200 to $300 for a good waterer; a little less for a stock tank) for these calves.
Also, remember to fill up the stock tank with water regularly if it looks full.
Cleaning the tank out to keep the algae blooms down helps with the water quality.
Clean water makes for healthy calves! , Make sure that they have plenty of space to roam and frolic, but also make sure they have a shelter such as a lean or a barn, so that they are protected from storms.
If you're getting bottle calves, you might want to build a little or calf hutch for it.
If you're buying older calves (ones close to weaning or have already been weaned, either from the bottle/bucket or from their mothers), a corral that is around 200 square feet (per calf, that is) is sufficient for the first few weeks when you get them home. , There are many to choose from, so choose wisely.
It is best to choose a breed that is local to your area and one that has young calves readily available.
It is usually far more common to find young calves of dairy breeding than beef breeding.
If you were to find young calves of a particular beef breed, it would be because they were weaned early (i.e., around 3 months of age), or they are orphans a producer or small-time farmer does not have a surrogate mother to take in. , You are more likely to find calves at a dairy farm than a cattle ranch.
This is because baby calves are raised on their mothers until they get quite big (sometimes over half of their mother's size), they are never separated away from their dams permanently like with a typical dairy farm.
You may come across an advertisement in a local newspaper or on a that is looking to sell a beef calf or two, but this is considered rare.
Your best chance at finding a calf is by going to a local dairy farm and asking if they have any calves to sell, or by looking on Craigslist.com or Kijiji.com for anybody looking to sell young calves. , Make sure you consider your abilities when picking out the number of calves you want to take in.
One or two calves alone can be a handful, especially if they're no more than a day or two old, so choose according to the kind of commitment you want to make to raising calves.
If you do not want to be feeding a young calf every two to three hours for the first week, then you are better off looking for older calves that are close to weaning or that have already been weaned.
Note that the older the calf, the easier it is to look after it.
Younger calves tend to be more prone to sickness and diseases than older calves, and are much more sensitive to what and how you feed it than a weaned calf. , Larger calves (or more than two bottle calves) will need to be shipped in a small stock trailer, or in the back of a pickup truck with stock-racks attached.
For younger bottle calves, many people like to use their van, jeep or even car to bring them home if they have no other alternative or find it's safer for the calf.
About the Author
Jack Stone
Writer and educator with a focus on practical DIY projects knowledge.
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