Jersey Steer Calf

[Draagyn]

Looking for advice on what to feed our 3 month old jersey steer calf. He is weened off milk and has been on 18% medicated dairy calf starter for over a month. This feed says to only feed up to 3 months of age. The next step is a 16% medicated dairy calf developer, but I want to get away from medicated as soon as possible. His grain is supplemented with hay. Any suggestions on what to feed him at 3 months? Also most the cattle grains I see are separated between dairy and beef, even though he is a dairy breed, should I feed him beef grain as that's what he is being used for? Thanks.

 

[RSKY]

Jersey is the best beef. By far.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Looking for advice on what to feed our 3 month old jersey steer calf. He is weened off milk and has been on 18% medicated dairy calf starter for over a month. This feed says to only feed up to 3 months of age. The next step is a 16% medicated dairy calf developer, but I want to get away from medicated as soon as possible. His grain is supplemented with hay. Any suggestions on what to feed him at 3 months? Also most the cattle grains I see are separated between dairy and beef, even though he is a dairy breed, should I feed him beef grain as that's what he is being used for? Thanks.

This post really caught my eye, and there's a story behind it. I don't know if I have ever eaten beef from a Jersey steer, but I am told it's good. I'm also told that they are not as an efficient meat producer as say an Angus or a Hereford, meaning of course that the meat from a Jersey will probably cost you more to produce than from a beef breed.

Back to the story. I recall my Dad saying that back during the depression and the hard time farmers had, that you could buy all of the Jersey Bull calves that you wanted for 50 cents apiece. You can't even buy a soup bone for that today.

 

[prichard]

Well I imagine you have a hard time getting milk or of that jersey

 

[M5farms]

any quality beef feed is fine at least 16% protein , start him on 1.5% of his body weight in feed gradually uping it till you get to 3% , free choice hay and water. jersey is slow to mature it will take some time to get to slaughter weight

 

[roadhunter]

I know the bulls dont bring much at the sale barn so hopefully it's cheap beef.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

I can't really answer your question because I only buy caves after there on full grass but I also hear great things about jersey's meat quality.

I'm new into cattle, I have 3 right now, two cross jersey/beef and one full blood jersey steer, by far the jersey is the most aggressive, I call him the ninja cow because literally if you turn your back to him he will horn you, you have to always watch him and push him away, it's kinda annoying but I'm not in there to play with my cattle so I'm not in there long.

When he's older watch out for that.

My first steer goes in the 24th of Jan.

 

[Bird]

Jersey is the best beef. By far.

How about a half breed Jersey?:laughing: When I was a kid, we always had a Jersey milk cow, usually bred to a Hereford bull, and that was the calf we slaughtered for our beef.

 

[RSKY]

My mother would buy the little bulls from a local dairy farmer and we would take them by the vet to get them cut before we took them home. Always had Angus, Herford, or another type raising to sell but always killed a Jersey for the freezer. They will not put on as much weight per 100/lb. of feed but the meat is better. Has a slight amount of marbling in it and is very tender. Anything else slaughtered at 600-800 pounds but a Jersey could be bigger and not tough.

RSKY

 

[EddieWalker]

Interesting. I never even thought about raising dairy breeds for eating. It also never crossed my mind what you do with the boy dairy cattle. And what they would taste like. I see them for sale all the time, but just dismissed them because they are dairy cattle. Now I'm feeling really silly!!!!