Author Topic: new shetland calfs coming soon any advice greatly appreciated (Read 4849 times)

orkney danny · « **on:** October 28, 2016, 12:38:49 pm »

hi,
we are taking delivery of 2 shetland calfs this weekend, i have read a bit about them but any advice from people who have had them before would be appreciated, they are about 6 months old and will be kept inside all winter but on nice days i intend to put them out and bring them in at nights, i have 80 x 3 foot bales of this years hay which a local farmer has told me its good stuff ( its not his hay) and i intend to suppliment this with a calf mixed blend dry food, they have fresh water collected from the byre roof in a IBC and fed into a drinking trough, is there anything ive forgotten/not done/done wrong?

thank you in advance from an excited but nervous Danny

devonlady · « **Reply #1 on:** October 31, 2016, 05:39:11 pm »

There are a few people on here who keep Shetland cattle who I'm sure will be able to help.

Rosemary · « **Reply #2 on:** October 31, 2016, 07:47:15 pm »

Welcome to Shetland cattle! We even have a Shetland cattle board on TAS!

Is it two heifers you're getting? Who are you geting them from?

We did what you're doing- bought two six month old heifers in October 2010, housed them through the winter and halter trained them. Had our first calves in 2012; we now have one of the original two (Blizzard), plus her 2013 daughter (Annie) and her daughter's 2014 daughter (Rosie) plus Blizzard's 2016 daughter, Winnie (who we'll be selling I think, when she's weaned) plus two 2015 steers (robbie and Fraser) and two 2016 steers (Paulo an Pedro). We've also bought a bull calf, who we'll be getting thsi month. Blizz and Annie are in calf and Rosie might be.

We have two beasts (a 2013 steer and a 2013 bull) hanging at the butcher's just now.

We sold the other original with her two daughters and a bull calf at foot last year as they didn't take to hand milking.

I'm not sure about the putting them out and bringing them in - if it's wet underfoot, they'll make a mess of the grass and eat any that's growing. Personally, if they're in, I'd keep them in. They don't fret.

Ours like sugar beet - in fact they like anything in a bucket - and it's a good way of getting them on teh halter. If you can halter train them, it will save you hassle later.

You'll love 'em.

oor wullie · « **Reply #3 on:** October 31, 2016, 08:11:03 pm »

I think you should have enough hay for the winter. You might not need to give them much dry food if it is good hay but it is always good to have animals trained to come to a bucket.

Most importantly enjoy them.

We took our first Shetland to the abbatoir this morning - very exciting, if a little sad.

orkney danny · « **Reply #4 on:** November 01, 2016, 04:58:17 pm »

aagggghhhhh Calfs didnt make it down from Shetland as the weather was bad now here on Thursday,

Rosemary · « **Reply #5 on:** November 01, 2016, 05:32:06 pm »

Quote from: orkney danny on November 01, 2016, 04:58:17 pm

aagggghhhhh Calfs didnt make it down from Shetland as the weather was bad now here on Thursday,

You'll love them even more

twizzel · « **Reply #6 on:** November 02, 2016, 09:43:16 am »

Quote from: Rosemary on October 31, 2016, 07:47:15 pm

I'm not sure about the putting them out and bringing them in - if it's wet underfoot, they'll make a mess of the grass and eat any that's growing. Personally, if they're in, I'd keep them in. They don't fret.

I was going to say the same thing, plus if they are not all that tame then getting them in before it gets dark may be hard work. I would keep them in all winter, tame them up, then put them out in the spring.

orkney danny · « **Reply #7 on:** November 04, 2016, 08:45:46 am »

calfs finally here and are a beautiful, black and white, colour, they were a little wary yesterday but were a bit more confident this morning, trying to get them to come to the bucket and once they start doing that i will start to halter train them.

Rosemary · « **Reply #8 on:** November 04, 2016, 08:58:00 am »

Do they have names?

orkney danny · « **Reply #9 on:** November 06, 2016, 06:43:16 pm »

Trixie and Tina. They are beautiful little things. Now I need to decide wether to put them to a bull when the time is right or to AI them.

Rosemary · « **Reply #10 on:** November 07, 2016, 09:16:36 am »

Quote from: orkney danny on November 06, 2016, 06:43:16 pm

Trixie and Tina. They are beautiful little things. Now I need to decide wether to put them to a bull when the time is right or to AI them.

We tried AI with our heifers with limited success but others have moresuccessthan we do. We had them synchronized and AI'd twice and neither held. Breeze held to the second service but Blizzard failed to hold after three then we took her to a bull who nicked her first day. Of course by that time any synchronisation was well out the window.

We keep a bull now - buy a bull calf, use him for two seasons then put him in the freezer. I'm tempted to try AI again now that they are cows rather than heifers.

Are you planning to breed them pure? Advice from the breed society is to take a pure heifer form every cow to keep the bloodlines going.

orkney danny · « **Reply #11 on:** November 15, 2016, 03:47:13 pm »

Hi Rosemary, I do plan to breed them pure, at least the first time, I would like a bull but I don't really have the land, I only have 6 acres but also have some sheep and I am getting pigs to turn over some rough ground I have, I can't afford for them not to catch with AI either though. AAGGhhh decisions decisions!!!

Rosemary · « **Reply #12 on:** November 15, 2016, 03:50:23 pm »

Quote from: orkney danny on November 15, 2016, 03:47:13 pm

Hi Rosemary, I do plan to breed them, I would like a bull but I don't really have the land, I have 6 acres but also have some sheep and I am getting pigs to turn over some rough ground I have, I can't afford for them not to catch with AI either though.

Are there no Shetland bulls on Orkney that they could go "on holiday" too? Best person to ask would be Paddy Zakaria, the SCBA Scottish Rep. If anyone can help, she can.