Raising a Jersey cow baby comes with many rewards. Topping the list is that they’re absolutely the cutest baby cows ever. Adult Jersey cattle have characteristic doe-like eyes that make you want to melt when you gaze into them. Trust me when I say they look even cuter on Jersey calves.
Jersey cattle have a reputation for being curious and docile, making them excellent family milk cows. Even young children can share in the responsibility when you’re raising a Jersey cow baby on your homestead. Jersey calves weigh just 55 pounds when born (and take several months to reach the 200-pound mark), making them small enough to manage easily.
If you’ve decided to bring a Jersey calf onto your homestead, we have some tips for making the experience enjoyable for you and the cow. In this blog post, I answer the following questions:
If you’ve never bought a Jersey calf before, it can be intimidating figuring out how to go about it. Knowing what characteristics to look for and the best places to find a quality Jersey cow baby are important parts of the process. Determining the health status of a baby Jersey also is important before buying so as not to end up saddled with a sickly calf.
Options include buying directly from a registered Jersey cattle breeder or going to a dairy cattle auction. When choosing to purchase through an auction, buyers should beware. The chances of getting an animal with health issues increase when you buy this way.
It’s best to go directly to a Jersey cattle breeder where you can get a full health history of the baby and its mother. It also offers the chance to see the living conditions of the cattle. How Jersey cows are raised directly impacts their overall health and wellness.
How much a Jersey calf costs depends on a few factors, including location. Most baby Jersey cows cost between $1,200 and $2,000 when purchased from Jersey cattle breeders. During the pandemic, Jersey cattle auctions took a slight hit on average prices for Jersey calf sales.
If savings are important, consider buying a heifer. They’re much cheaper than bulls and they have the added benefit of providing your homestead with a plentiful source of raw Jersey cow milk.
When possible, stay away from bottle-fed Jersey calves. Weaned bottle-fed heifers tend to be a bit underweight. Also, if they weren’t fed on a schedule, they can develop anxiety and other health issues.
Other things to consider:
Raising Jersey cow babies means feeding them enough for healthy growth. Calves should never be sold before they are weaned from their mothers (or the bottle, if buying a bottle-fed calf). Doing so can jeopardize their growth and overall health.
It’s important to remember that Jersey calves require more maintenance than an adult Jersey cow. Feed them smaller meals more often for optimum results. Their stomachs are smaller and can’t digest as much food at once as adult Jersey cattle. Using an automatic feeder can help ensure baby Jersey cows get the nutrition they need without creating more work for the homesteader.
Dry cow feeding regimens are important for a calf’s development. Choose the best cow feed for Jersey milk cows when selecting cattle feed for your calves. Make sure the calf has plenty of water because it impacts feed consumption.
Sure, you could argue that all baby cows are adorable. You’re not wrong. There are other reasons besides their cuteness factor to choose a Jersey calf over other breeds.
Jersey cows are popular for many reasons. Here are just a few.
Raising a Jersey cow baby isn’t hard when you have the right information to guide you. One of the things I recommend is to find an experienced Jersey cattle homesteader or dairy farmer near you to mentor you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer.
Happy homesteading!
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hi! we have 2 jersey-cross calves that are 6 weeks old. I have been feeding them milk replacer and starter feed (textured) with available hay. They also have orchard grass, timothy and clover in the pasture but not alot. My concern is they have not ate any of the starter feed yet. We did just pick them up yesterday. They have been eating the milk replacer mainly out of a feeding tub. One of them wants to eat out of the bottle still. I am doing this to make sure she gets food in her. Is there anything else I can do?