WE are starting to look for calves to raise for beef. We are just learning (by reading and talking to locals) but could use some info on what age would be good for a calf....we would like to pay the cheapest price that would pretty much guarentee that it would survive to adulthood.

Any input would be great....thanks in advance.

-- Storybook farm (mumaw@socket.net), February 14, 2001

Answers

I'd recommend going with a weaned steer calf in the 400-600 pound range. Color isn't as important as a good conformation. Look for calves with a good rectangular box shape. Wide and high shoulders and butt. Nice long length. If you're not familiar with what to select, when you go to the livestock auction (if that will be your source), ask around and one of the buyers will probably show you what to look for and how much to expect to have to pay. Do not make a pet out of it and, if named, make it something like T-bone, Hamburger or Sir Loin.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 14, 2001.

4-6 weeks isnt a bad age .You can wein as early as 6 weeks if they are eating hay well .I like to bottle feed as my children "play" with the cows often .I would wait for good weather .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), February 15, 2001.

I think Ken has the right weight. We usually buy at 350-to near 400 pounds, weined. Make sure you get his shots and wormed. The price fluctuates weekly and the cheapest isn't always the best route. Don't forget to have him cut.. This is for your consumption so don't make a pet out of him..been there, done that.. name mine T-bone and Porterhouse.

-- Lynn(MO) (mscratch1@semo.net), February 15, 2001.

I'm going assume you are wanting a bottle baby. About 4 weeks seems to be the point where you are sure they are going to make it. Unfortunately it is rather hard to find calves that age. About all that is available is either day old or the great big feeder calves (that is what ken was referring to). I guess some of ya'll raise your calves to be a lot bigger than I do. Shoot I butcher mine at about 600 pounds! Best steaks you ever wrapped your teeth around :o). The most common kind of calves available are dairy breeds. If you buy one of these calves try to take a friend that knows a bit about calves. Make absolutely positively sure that the calf received colostrum(not powdered colostrum either...the real deal). That will help a calf more than just about anything you can do for it. Make sure he is alert and no signs of loose stools. Also very important is to know who you are dealing with. Try to get a recommendation from someone who has dealt with the seller before. Use common sense....does the place smell bad(manure smell is normal....I'm talking really stinky here), are the pens reasonably clean, fly control at a reasonable level, no bad damp areas in the pens. These are good indicators of a person that at least gives his stock decent care.

I'd like to point out something that a lot of people overlook. The price for day old bull calf in this area is $80-85 for a holstein(I nearly fainted when they told me...that is high!). I can buy a dairy cull (giving plenty of milk for a family but not enough to be profitable on a mega dairy) for about $500 that is due to calve in a couple of months. As soon as the cow drops the calf that calf automatically takes $85 off what I paid for the cow. I now have fresh milk and don't have to mess with bottle feeding a calf. Seems to make better sense to me economically. Not to mention that the cow will continue to have a calf a year and can usually raise a spare calf along with hers(well at least I really hope she will have a calf a year....I need to find a neighbor with a bull :o). Oh I nearly forgot....usually if you buy one of a dairy's cull cows you can do some hagling about the price of a calf to go with her if she is still fresh. I usually end up getting a bull calf for free.

-- Amanda in Mo (aseley@townsqr.com), February 15, 2001.

The reason I recommended a feeder steer is that momma is going to do a much better job of raising it to that age than you can. If you go this route, keep it isolated in a pen for a week or two. During that time try to gentle it down to where you can handfeed it either range or alfalfa cubes.

Another method is to look for a steer in your slaughter range and then only feed it for a month or two to fatten it up, if that is your desire. There are those who say for most cuts it would be hard to tell the difference between one fresh off pasture or grain-fed, provide the meat from one fresh off the pasture is s-l-o-w cooked.

Be prepared for a lot of hamburger and stew meat. A 1,000 pound steer yields about 565 pounds of meat, of which only about 75 pounds are considered to be broiling steak quality. (The other 465 pounds would be such things as bone, guts, stomach and guts content, trimmed fat, hooves, blood, tail, hide, head meat (cheeks and nose) and brains.)

When you have it processed, you can ask for the sweetbreads, tongue, liver, kidney and heart to be added to the hamburger grind. Several extra pounds of useable meat here.

On what would normally be considered offal, it doesn't necessarily have to be wasted. When Joel Salatin has his processed, he brings everything home and buries the waste in his compost piles.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 20, 2001.

Do yourself and your children a favor, eliminate brains from your hamburger and diet now. The easiest way to get madcow disease is from brain tissue. It's not supposed to be here yet, but since it takes so long to become evident, I'm not taking any chances.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@calinet.com), February 20, 2001.