Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
working relationship with a veterinarian clinic in case medical advice and treatment is
needed.
The most time-consuming period when raising dairy calves is the first week when calves
have to be trained to drink. The calves are fed 3 quarts of milk twice a day — or more if the
weather is very cold. They will place homemade calf jackets on the calves as well to help
them retain body heat. They will closely monitor their health, as scours (diarrhea) is a big
killer of young calves. Any calf that appears ill gets prompt, aggressive medical treatment.
The calves will be weaned by 4 to 6 weeks of age; after this, the daily time commitment de-
creases greatly.
They enjoy raising dairy calves as it gives them an enjoyable part-time job with a short com-
mute — just a few steps from the house. It also gives them a family project they hope to en-
joy with their young twins, and they do not have to pay a babysitter when they go to work at
this job. The cattle market is a tricky beast though. Right now, prices for Holstein beef feeder
calves (400- to 500-pound cattle) are low, and this is out of the producer's control. Spielman
believes they can weather the market, and it will improve as the economy improves.
Dairy Cattle
The dairy cow is the stereotypical livestock mother. The modern dairy cow has been select-
ively bred to give large amounts of milk: so much so there is frequently a large surplus of
milk, which drives milk prices down to below the cost of production. Modern dairy farming
— at least most commercial dairy farming — is a highly capitalized business run on razor-
thin margins. Dairy pricing is a complicated process, dictated not merely on supply and de-
mand but also on federal government manipulation in terms of price supports. Becoming a
small-scale dairy farmer will take hard physical work and dedication as cows need to be
milked twice daily, seven days a week, when they are in production. You also will need to be
a savvy business owner to keep production costs down while making sure your cattle produce
enough milk to cover your costs.
Dairy breeds
There are five main breeds of dairy cattle, each having particular desirable traits, which you
will want to consider carefully when deciding which breed to purchase.
Holstein:
The Holstein is the most familiar breed. These large, black and white (or red and
white) cows are virtually milk-producing factories. Also known as the Friesian, this breed was
developed in the Netherlands. It was in the United States that the breed was developed into
