Some black bovines.

[andybob]

Some of the dairy herd, due to be turned out to grass this weekend.

One of the massagers!

A view of the feeding passage

Weaned calves, not eligable for CAB but we get a premium through the farm shop anyway.

A new Buffalo calf.

Just thought this might be interesting, a little different from the usual (which is normal for me!)

 

[Big Swede]

What breed are we looking at? Cape buffalo?

 

[Anonymous]

Messager :???: I sure wish I had that barn sitting here right now...

 

[andybob]

What breed are we looking at? Cape buffalo?

The larger of the Asian water buffalo (milking strain).

 

[andybob]

OT I will have to get a picture of the new finisher barns on the beef finishing side of the farm.

 

[burnt]

Nice setup. Looks like the feed stack should last a while yet!

Do the cows like that back scratcher pretty good? The barn where my son milks cows has those for their Holsteins
and he said they stand under it and plumb wear it out.

 

[Whitewing]

Is that yellow gizmo a buffalo polisher?

Those critters are popular in Venezuela....milk/cheeze.

 

[cure]

That was pretty cool to see in the morning I will take some pictures of my dairy to compare to. Pretty neat to see those big old girls up to the manager.

 

[andybob]

That was pretty cool to see in the morning I will take some pictures of my dairy to compare to. Pretty neat to see those big old girls up to the manager.

It would be great to see your herd Cure, post some pictures when you get a chance.

 

[WyomingRancher]

Neat pics . Does that calf even weigh 50 pounds? What's the mature weight of those animals? Thanks for the different pics .

 

[andybob]

Neat pics . Does that calf even weigh 50 pounds? What's the mature weight of those animals? Thanks for the different pics .

The calves are about 50 lbs (no calving problems) our strain weigh about 1300 lbs, but they can vary, depending on breed ,to as light as 600 lbs as adults.

 

[cure]

Here are some pictures of our dairy



Standing at the front of the barn looking to the back

All the cows that are milking lay in free stalls. this barn will hold 230 head comfortably

This is our hospital barn

This is the maternity barn

This little guy is about 2 hours old

This is where the babies go till they are about 3 months old

This is the feed barn where all the feed for the milk cows gets mixed into a TMR

This little guy got demoted to the black and whites when his momma prolasped and died on us.

 

[strawking]

Awesome pics from both you guys!! Hey cure do you keep all your bull calves? Reason I ask is I'm looking for some to raise and fatten. If you sell them what do you get out of them and I would assume they get first milk.

 

[cure]

Strawking I do sell my bull calves just as they are being weaned I have a guy that owns a little butcher shop that carters to some of the ethnic cultures aroound salt lake city and they love veal. I usually get some where around 1.50 to 2.00 dollars a lbs for a 350 to 400 pound calf. He is happy to pay that and I am happy to get that. Because as we all know holsteins aren't the easiest to put the weight on and make a profit at it to.

 

[strawking]

That sounds like a pretty good deal cure. I am looking to bottle feed them from the start if I can find a dairy on the front range to work with, or just pick some up at the barn. I'm actually gonna do a test. Have you ever heard of the kiwi-calf system? Im gonna try a few calves on that, a few on the bottle and a few on a bucket and weigh them through out to see what works the best.

 

[cure]

That sounds like a pretty good deal cure. I am looking to bottle feed them from the start if I can find a dairy on the front range to work with, or just pick some up at the barn. I'm actually gonna do a test. Have you ever heard of the kiwi-calf system? Im gonna try a few calves on that, a few on the bottle and a few on a bucket and weigh them through out to see what works the best.

I have heard of the kiwi calf system but I don't anything about it. What I have found to work the best for me is to feed them 3 times a day and what I do is in the morning I give them 2 quarts of milk and one quart of water mixed in with the milk. At noon I feed them one quart milk one quart water. Evening I do the same as the moring feeding. We also get our calves to drink from a bucket as soon as possible. Give them all the free choice water and grain they will eat. I wish you the best of luck because there is nothing more weak hearted then a dairy calf. Let me know how the calf system turns out.

 

[strawking]

Will do cure, jst got off the phone with an order buyer and he said there hasn't been any baby dairy calves lately so not sure we will be able to get any this year. Thanks for the advice.