bottle feeding calves

[WTA]

I've been trying to get some good calves to start raising on our farm for over a year now and nobody has been selling. Now winter is coming close and for some reason there are just born calves running through the auctions like crazy. My neighbor can get some week old polled herefords (registered purebreds) for almost nothing from a friend of his and I think I'm going to do it. I was thinking about 5 of them maybe.

I've bottle fed pigs before and a horse once but how about cows? I don't know a thing about ones this young. It can't be that hard right, just use milk replacer I guess and feed three or 4 times a day. I doubt it would be that long before they start going after hay if I keep it available too.
How hard is it growing ones this young? If anyone has any experience please let me know what you think.

 

[Egon]

Teach them to drink out of a bucket. Only takes several days or even less.

Then call them pail bunters!

 

[WTA]

I can't believe I didn't remember that. Several years ago we took care of some abandoned calves and we figured that out the first day. We were able to get milk right out of the cooler at a local dairy farm cheap and we fed them that. No dairy farms within driving distance here though.

I do got a horse and a goat making milk though. I'm not milking a horse but that goat needs to be weaned. I wonder if that stuff would be ok to use if I kept her going? She makes a good bit of milk when she's nursing twins.

Short of real cows milk what is the best thing to feed one?

 

[jimg]

I did this w/ goats and IIRC I milk feed them to about 10wks. The idea is to ween them over that time w/ steadily declining amts of milk. I feed them twice/day. (The feeder should be positioned such that they extend their neck so milk doesnt go into the rumen. Its the same setup as if they were being nursed.) I started putting free choice hay/water out from the start to get them used to it. In the beginning its more of a play thing but as time goes on they get the idea of it on their own. Quick changes in feed is not a good thing...slow is best. BTW I got my kids at 4 or 5wks.

 

[WayneB]

Teach them to drink out of a bucket. Only takes several days or even less.

Then call them pail bunters!

Yep all you need to do is have warm freesh milk and stick your fingers in it and let the calf suck on your fingers. Quicker than you can think they will start drinking so hold onto that pail or they will bunt it right out of your hands.

 

[Soundguy]

You can get powdered colostrum packs.. and bulk milk replacer packs and mix it up. I'v only bottle fed a calf once.. used the big? 1qt bottle fromt he farm store witht he nipple the size of your thumb. took to the milk real fast..

( she's a big ole long horn now... )

soundguy