Nurse cows, milk prices, & other ramblings.

Help Support Steer Planet:

K

kanshow

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2007
Messages
2,660
Location
Kansas
Dori's classified (Nice cow, BTW) got me thinking..  How many calves would you have to have to pay for a nurse cow? Is it more trouble than it is worth?  I don't even know what a good cow costs but would imagine they are getting cheaper with milk prices down & all.  We are feeding 2 right now - which I know isn't enough, but we'll probably pull another twin soon and calving season has only begun so?? 

Speaking of low milk prices - I just paid $65 for a bag of milk replacer which is the same, if not higher than last year.  I also haven't noticed any big decrease in milk prices at the grocery store..    Seems like someone is still making sure their profit is made...
 
D

dori36

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 29, 2007
Messages
969
Location
Central Lower Michigan
kanshow said:
Dori's classified (Nice cow, BTW) got me thinking..   How many calves would you have to have to pay for a nurse cow? Is it more trouble than it is worth?  I don't even know what a good cow costs but would imagine they are getting cheaper with milk prices down & all.   We are feeding 2 right now - which I know isn't enough, but we'll probably pull another twin soon and calving season has only begun so?? 

Speaking of low milk prices - I just paid $65 for a bag of milk replacer which is the same, if not higher than last year.   I also haven't noticed any big decrease in milk prices at the grocery store..    Seems like someone is still making sure their profit is made...
Click to expand...

Good question!  But if you'd like to try one out, I'd sure love to send my Angus cow your way!!  Thanks for the compliment on her, btw!
 
DFSC

DFSC

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
477
Location
San Antonio, Texas
We have a milk cow that we bought fairly cheap from a dairy about 5 years ago. Since then she has raised 30+ calves for us on top of having a calf a year. We've had as many as 3-4 babies on her at one time. If you can find a good, gentle milk cow I would go for it! Just my experience, but I would not bottle raise a calf they don't grow the same and just don't look healthy.

Jordan
 
K

kanshow

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2007
Messages
2,660
Location
Kansas
We are having an unusual year in that we normally don't have this many extra calves.  We also try to foster whenever we can..  we've already fostered one twin over. 

I think one of the key's to raising good looking calves is to make sure they start on feed as soon as possible and then let them basically go full feed on a good corn based ration for the first several months of life.  I agree that most of the time, a mother raised calf will do better.   

One of the hold backs in getting a dairy cow is that I don't know if I can even located a good gentle dairy cow right now. 
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Top