How to Raise Quality Calves

Raising quality calves requires expertise in many facets of cattle production. Genetics, nutrition, handling, environment and health all contribute to calf quality and no single one of these is more important than the others. You cannot overcome bad genetics with higher quality feed or a better health program. Likewise, you can acquire the best bred calf and lose quality with poor nutrition or high-stress handling. Degree of calf quality is determined when you sell the animals. Buyers pay top dollar for your calves when they have good conformation and are healthy.

Things You'll Need

  • A bull with good genetics
  • Cows that produce an adequate milk supply
  • Good fences
  • Good grass
  • Creep feeder
  • Creep feed
  • 4-way viral BRD vaccine
  • Pasteurella bacterin and leukotoxoid combination vaccine
  • Haemophilus bacterin
  • 5-way lepto bacterin
  • 7-way or 8-way blackleg bacterin
  • Bang's vaccine
  • Dehorning equipment
  • Castration equipment
  • Livestock sprayer
  • Wormers
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Instructions

    • 1
      Breeding a good bull to production-proven cows results in a quality calf crop.

      Buy a bull with good muscle and bone, adequate frame and testicular development from a reputable breeder. Breed this bull to fertile cows that provide a sufficient milk supply to raise a quality calf crop.

    • 2
      Putting calves across the fence from their mothers during weaning reduces stress.

      Wean calves from their dams at about six to seven months of age when they are well-developed and are eating grass. Quickly and quietly separate calves from cows and put them into a pasture adjacent to the one containing their mothers. This is called fence line weaning and reduces stress on cows and calves. You need good fences for this type of weaning to be effective.

    • 3
      Calves respond favorably to frequent quiet handling.

      Walk among calves several times a day so they become accustomed to you and have less stress. Stress causes cattle sickness, weight loss and growth reduction. Do not use electric prods, whips, or canes to move calves from one area to another. Move calves quietly by telling them what to do by your body movements. Walking with the flow of cattle causes them to slow down or stop. Moving against the flow initiates or accelerates their movement.

    • 4
      It is time to move these animals to a better pasture because their hooves are beginning to show.

      Graze calves on properly managed pastures. You should never be able to see calf hooves when they are grazing. If you do, the grass is too short and the calves either need to be moved to a pasture with more grass or supplemented with good quality hay.

    • 5

      Vaccinate calves with four-way viral BRD, pasteurella bacterin and leukotoxoid, haemophilus bacterin, five-way lepto bacterin and seven-way or eight-way blackleg bacterin at two to three months of age. With the exception of the blackleg bacterin, give booster shoots three weeks prior to weaning. At this time, also vaccinate heifers for bang's.

    • 6

      Dehorn all calves and castrate bull calves before four months of age. These actions increase market value.

    • 7

      Worm nursing calves and their dams in the spring of the year. When external parasites such as flies, ticks and lice are present, spray animals, barns and pens with a labeled insecticide.