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Center of IL | Buy the biggest, best looking calf you can afford. If possible, get there early when they come in and ask ? Look at the cord, you want a calf with at least a dried up cord and preferably no cord. Shows they are older calves. Watch their bowel movements and try to buy calves with solid poop. Take your finger and make sure they aggressively suck your finger. Avoid calves brought in by jockeys who deal in calves. When you get them home, vaccinate as mentioned above and separate each calf if at all possible. Otherwise any disease will ravage the entire bunch. Have 3 x the electrolytes and medicines you think you will need on hand cause when you need them, YOU NEED THEM NOW not 2 days from now. You also need a calf force feeder and know how to use it. When a calf gets sick that's the only way to keep them going. You could have IV's handy too but I haven't had a lot of luck with them. Good luck. Personally,I think you'd be money ahead buying 200-250 lb weaned calves but maybe you need to experience the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat ! | |
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Any tricks to raising dairy calves?
