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This is something my husband & I are considering doing, we are looking for info on everthing that goes with raising it, to see if it will or wont save us any money. We know about the milk it needs for the first 6 months and the food we mostly need help on the shot part but will take any advice.
The grazing area that you will use for the pasture, be sure to mow it down several times this summer. This will keep it more palatable and higher energy for the calf. Old grass is more fibrous and less nutritious. With only one calf there will be more grass than it will need or be able to consume especially if you are starting it off on milk replacer. Buy a good quality milk replacer with 20% protein and 20% fat and mix with water accordingly. Feed minimum of 2 quarts of liquid with the replacer two times a day and as the calf begins growing gradually increase the amount of milk replacer and feed upwards of 3-4 quarts of water in the mix. As the calf is 2-3 weeks old, begin feeding a calf starter mix with molasses. Start by putting a small handful of the feed in its mouth and let it chew on it. Do this after every feeding of milk to get it started eating the feed. Feed very small amounts until it begins eating. Keep fresh feed and extra water available every day (very small amounts, so as not to waste). Do not keep this calf in an enclosed building like an old chicken house, etc. fresh air is a must.
Talk to a large animal vet or better yet the farm that you buy the calf from. They can best describe to you the vaccination program that you should follow. If in doubt check your farmer’s info with a vet. The farmer may be able to help you with individual doses for vaccinations. Vaccinations can help to maintain good health from respiratory infections.
Pay attention to your calf. Droopy ears, loose bowel movements or diahrea, clumping of manure on the tail (selenium deficiency, get a dose of selenium from vet), loss of appetite are all problems of some nature. Scours can be a cause of several issues ie. selenium deficiency, overfeeding, other health issues. Getting the calf on whole grains ASAP and off of milk by 5-6 weeks as this will lessen your feed bill and the calf will begin gaining weight with minimal problems. When beginning the grain start feeding small amounts of leafy alfalfa hay. Possibly buy one bale of good alfalfa or alfalfa/grass mix. At the beginning shake just the leaves in with the grain. Excellent protein source. Once the calf is on regular grass, if available feed several pounds of cracked corn and soybean meal or other protein source with free choice 1:1 mineral and free choice salt as well to help with the calf’s daily rate of gain. You could feed the mineral and salt with the grain on a daily basis to minimize any waste.
Home raised beef is a great way to raise your own food. Good luck and stay in touch with your farmer as he can probably help you with issues. If you need his help very much, be sure to offer him lunch or other compensation to help justify his time in helping you. His time is valuable as well.
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I doubt you will save much money by the time you hire it butchered but it is an expierence worth doing just to learn.
It will need a shot of blackleg and pasteurella vaccine (7 way) when it gets to growing else you might come home and find it dead someday. Just one shot is all. You can do it yourself by going to a feedstore or oterh ag supply that sells vaccines and needles or you can let the vet give it a shot and nueter it all at once. The bottle of vaccine is for many calves so you will have to throw away excess.
If you give the shot or shots yourself read on the bottle for how much. It tells in CC’s or Miligrams ( the suringe could be either but its generally so many marks on the suringe). Ask the feed store guys for advice.
If you get this baby calf try to get one that has been allowed to stay on its mother for a week. Babies need the first mother’s milk for their immune system. You stand a real risk of the calf dying over night from basically the scours, in reality a serious infection of the digestive tract. This risk passes the older the calf gets and there may be a shot available from the vet for this. Also you will be a risk of shipping fever (pnemonia). This goes for all calves stressed and shipped. Young animals are subceptible to respritory distress and this is why its needs mother’s milk for at least a week.
Combiotics or Penicillin G are available at the same feedstores and should be given intramuscular. If the calf scours get it a shot right away. If it starts wheezing get it a shot ASAP.
All that said with a little precaution you should not have much problem and will regret having to eat your new pet.
You can nueter it too if you want the entire expierence. Just get rubbing alcohol and a sharp knife or get one those new banding guns. With a banding gun do it real young. With a knife wait until its big enough to drag you around the pen and then hold it down and get after it. (It could bleed to death) The band is safer even than a vet with a knife.
If you intend to butcher at about 600 pounds then no need to nueter.
You county extension agent could help you and even loan you a banding gun.
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It is possible to raise a calf bottle fed, and it makes you bond well with the animal for future training and milking. It is definitely true that steers are much MUCH calmer then bulls. Even a hand raised bull will turn on you and become deadly when sexually mature. There is no reason, either then slaughter, to keep a steer unless if you want it as a pet–and an expensive one at that. Cows can give a good 12 gallons of milk a day, if you get the correct kind.
A pail, short stool, two hands and a very gentle milk cow are all you need to enjoy fresh milk every day. Once you start milking your cow, she will have to be milked twice a day every day until you let her dry up. If you do not her milk bag can expand and possible get infected.
As for shots and feed, when she is young she will need to be bottle fed. As for when she is older, let her graze on cool green grass, looks to me like you have enough room, and give her alfalfa, a leafy type of hay, daily. As for a good protein shot and a treat we give ours mollases mix. Ask your vet (You really need to get one) one the best type of food is for your specific breed and make of cow.
They do need shots. I don’t handle much of that, so you will have to ask your vet, I know that they need deworming and you can do that yourself, with the proper equipment and meds. Once again I don’t know they cow you will be getting so have a vet make that analysis.
I’m sorry I didn’t realize that you had said a beef cow. If you want to do this do not get one that you will have to bottle feed. You will get very attached and you won’t be able to send it to slaughter, I promise each cow has it’s own personality.
Oh BTW steers are just castrated (Neutered) Bulls, adult male cattle incapable of reproducing
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Have to have shots: No
Suggested vaccines: multiple and depends on your location. There are a multitude of diseases in cattle that are managed by vaccination (just like people). Some of them are nationwide (Brucellosis comes to mind) while others are somewhat location central (blackleg, yes, I know it’s wide spread but not all farms have it). As disease is spread in multiple methods, the approach to disease control is site specific.
Contact your local county extension agent (go to your land grant college web site, type in extension service and search for your county), local land grant college, feed store, or vet for information on disease control in your area.
As far as saving you money, it won’t. There have been a multitude of economic studies done on this topic over the last 60 years and the conclusion was: watch for loss leaders and buy in bulk. The time spent raising a single calf to produce meat will pretty much eliminate any savings.
As a kid, we always slaughtered a “freezer” calf, but after a long study my folks realized it tied up a lot of resources that could be better spent raising cattle.
A final issue that may settle your question will be where will you slaughter and process a beef animal? Local slaughterhouses have all but disappeared in Texas. Friends in other states have reported the same issue. A 750-1000 pound steer requires a lot of processing space, skill and equipment that you probably don’t have. How will you dispose of the offal, hide and other waste?
If you only want meat, then chicken, rabbit and/or goat production may be a lot more practical for a small operation