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The Patriot
Glenmora, Rapides County, Louisiana
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United States Department of Agriculture recommends starting dairy herds with young grade heifer calves from good producers to achieve excellent results quickly, at lower cost, with reduced disease risk and better breeding compared to buying mature cows or gradual grading up.
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Excellent Results Obtained in Starting With Grade Calves From Good Producers.
(Prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture.)
Young calves from good dairy cows are a satisfactory foundation for starting a dairy herd. Ordinarily the method advocated is to grade up common cows with a pure-bred bull, requiring a number of years of patient selection and breeding-a period sometimes discouraging to an energetic dairyman. Frequently this causes farmers, who want results too quickly, to change breeds.
It is expensive to buy mature dairy cows that are free from disease, that have good breeding and show desirable productive ability. Often, especially in new dairy sections, a farmer buys mature stock without being properly prepared to care for it, and many discouragements follow. To a great extent most of this difficulty can be avoided by buying good grade heifer calves from herds of well-established milk production. In some dairy regions it is a common practice to sell the heifer calves for veal. These calves, while only grades, are usually from good producing ancestors and carry a productive ability much greater than common cows.
The buying of such calves to start dairy herds has been tried in several states with excellent results. Of course the cost of small calves is much less than mature animals and the danger of disease is also greatly lessened. In general, shipping is simpler. Calves may be shipped by express at from two to four weeks old, depending upon the distance, with good results, if they are properly cared for upon arrival.
In buying it is important to deal only with dairymen. Do not buy from men who purchase calves at stock yards to ship back to the farmers, because it is not always possible to determine the breeding of the calves, and calves that are physically unfit may be shipped. In some cases shipments are made C. O. D., which enables the buyer to see the calves before paying for them. A man who sells calves in this way makes a special effort to please his customers. It seems desirable, especially in sparsely settled sections, that more attention be given to perfecting a satisfactory system of distributing dairy calves to farmers.
Advantages in buying small calves as a foundation for a dairy herd are summarized as follows:
Small investment.
Better breeding.
Greater freedom from disease.
In case of accident loss is smaller.
Raising calves stimulates interest and in consequence causes better care of live stock.
A satisfactory herd can be established more rapidly than by grading up common cows.
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Young calves from good dairy cows are a satisfactory foundation for starting a dairy herd. The method of grading up common cows with a pure-bred bull requires years of selection and breeding. Buying mature dairy cows is expensive and risky, especially without proper care preparation. Buying good grade heifer calves from established milk production herds avoids much difficulty. In some regions, heifer calves are sold for veal but carry good productive ability. Buying such calves has yielded excellent results in several states. Cost is lower, disease risk lessened, and shipping simpler. Deal only with dairymen, avoid stock yard purchases. Shipments can be C.O.D. More attention needed for distributing calves in sparsely settled sections. Advantages: small investment, better breeding, greater freedom from disease, smaller loss in accidents, stimulates interest and better care, establishes herd more rapidly than grading up common cows.