How to Raise Dairy Cattle in Florida

Raising dairy cattle in Florida is a similar process to growing them in other parts of the country, except the hotter climate makes proper ventilation and providing a way for the cattle to cool themselves much more necessary. A well grown dairy heifer will not only reach milking maturity faster, but will also produce more throughout her lifetime. Therefore, it is important that the heifer receives adequate feed and housing.

Things You'll Need

  • Colostrum
  • E.coli vaccination
  • Calf hutch
  • Rearing pen
  • Pasture
  • Grain
  • Hay
  • Silage
  • Milk replacer
  • Iodine
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Instructions

    • 1

      Feed the newborn calf one quart of colostrum within 24 hours after birth, if it has not already drank sufficiently from its mother. Colostrum is the first milk a cow produces after giving birth and contains antibodies which bolster the calf's immunity. It can be given colostrum that was saved from another cow if it cannot be obtained from the mother.

    • 2

      Vaccinate the calf against E.coli within 24 hours of life. This significantly lessens it chances of getting scours, or diarrhea in the next several months. Most E.coli vaccinations are a paste that is given to the calf orally. Also dip the calf's navel in iodine to prevent early infections.

    • 3

      Separate the calf from its mother after several days and place it in a hutch for the first 3 to 4 months of its life. Feed it about a gallon of milk made with milk replacer daily, as well as several pounds of grain and adequate hay. Keep it well bedded at all times, as wet bedding can lead to pneumonia or heavier fly presence in the Florida climate.

    • 4

      Wean the heifer at about 4 months. This involves removing milk from its diet and substituting it with access to water. Place it in a well-bedded pen with other heifers the same size. Do not overcrowd the pen, as it will hinder the heifers' growth. Increase the grain intake to about 5 to 10 pounds per animal, and provide free choice hay and water.

    • 5

      Place the group of heifers in a pasture about 6 to 8 months of age. More heifers of the same size can be added to the group as well, if the facilities are big enough to sustain them. Increase the grain intake to about 15 pounds per animal and offer free choice hay, usually in the form of round bales. Make sure there is adequate shelter for the animals to get out of the sun.

    • 6

      Begin feeding the heifers corn silage at about 9 to 12 months of age. This speeds their growth and gets their stomachs used to the diet they will eat as milking cows.

    • 7

      Breed the heifers when they are roughly 850 to 950 pounds. This is generally at about 15 months of age. They will calve at two years old and become part of the milking herd.