Raising a cow

Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2006 at 08:59

I am trying to fit in time for this blog.  I get on and get so caught up in reading everyone else's blogs and then I have run out of time to right on mine.  We are thinking about getting a baby calf.  Let me say again we are completely new to this whole lifestyle.  My husband and I both grew up in town.  We absolutely love being out though.  Anyway, we have been thinking on getting a baby calf to raise for meat.  I can buy organic beef at our commissary for $4.00 for 2 lbs. but all I can get is ground beef.  We would also like to do it so that the kids have a little more responsibility.  We have some friends who own a dairy and can get us a holstein very reasonably.  I know that is not a beef cow but she said you can eat them.  We are completely flying blind.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

Untitled Comment

Posted by kayinpa on Thursday, January 26, 2006 at 09:28 - Link

Ok, I have no experience with cow...well I did milk one, ONCE.... LOL... but I have heard several people recommend the book "The Family Cow". It is available at Amazon.com.

Raising a calf

Posted by spinninggrandma on Thursday, January 26, 2006 at 09:43 - Link

Well, ya wanna raise a calf for meat? Holstein actually is more tender! You get a young bull calf from the dairy, and then you get milk replacer from the feed store. Follow the directions for that. Teach the calf to drink from a bucket ... he will get too big too fast to have a bottle. To do that, you need to first put your hand in the bucket, get it milky, and let the calf suck your thumb, drawing his head into the bucket. It will only take a time or two before he realizes the good stuff comes from the bucket.

You will also need to start feeding a calf pellet or creep feed or something ... your dairy friend can tell you what they feed. The calf will mouth the food at first but then start eating it for real. Then you can gradually wean the calf off milk by about 6 weeks and feed the calf feed totally.

Then onto grass and wean it off the feed onto a grownup grain. You've got it made.

Just don't let the kids get too attached ... eating the pet is hard!

You can butcher at any age from 1 year on. Most people butcher about 2 years. I used to butcher about 18 months. Because you are going to butcher and it's not around other cattle, you don't need to make your little bull into a steer.

Good luck ... email me for more details if you want ... I've done this lots and hope to do it again, soon.

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