The Website for those, that ranching is a hobby or full time passion, based around bottle feeding baby calves. The Message Board is a great area to ask questions or leave comments about cattle ranching and calf feeding. The Tip, Tricks, and How To Section has articles of ranching that can be useful for raising cattle.
-There are some good advice on animal care in this web site, but always refer to your veterinarian for proper treatment of your animals. Some home remedies work, but veterinarians know best, and can save you money and heartache with exact treatment.
In the video above of bottle feeding baby calves off a bottle rack, the calf that is being fed by hand is still learning how to nurse from the rack. There are five calves feeding from the rack at this time, but we have fed twelve at one time using this rack.
Our Basic Guidelines for Bottle Feeding Baby Calves
Feeding
Milk Replacers
- Feed one full bottle of milk replacer in mourning and then one more in the evening every day.
- Ages: Day 1 to 3 Months Old.
Colostrum Supplements
Sav-A-Calf Grage A Ultra 24 Milk Replacer
When a calf is having trouble taking to the bottle.
- When a calf is sick.
Purina Nurse Chow All Milk Protein Replacer
- The main milk replacer we use 90% of the time.
- Low cost and calves grow well.
- We start most of our calves on Nurse Chow, and only change if there is a problem.
Cargill Nutrena Milk Replacer
- Cost is higher than Nurse Chow, but mixes up in the bottle better and easier to work
with. Use mostly when there is two or three calves being nursed.
Creep Feeds
Purina Acc-Creep 13% Protein
- Feed 3 lbs of creep per head in mourning and again in the evening.
- Ages: 2 Weeks to 6 Months Old.
Hay
Any local grass hay
- Ages: 2 Weeks to 6 Months Old.
- We always have enough calves in the pen to fed 6’ x 5’ round bale, but for just a few calves a small square would do.
- Free Choice- It is always available to the calves.
Mineral
Purina Wind and Rain All Season Mineral
- Any Age.
- Free Choice- It is always available to the calves.
After six months then the calves are fed on the pasture.
-Be sure read all product labels, and full understand dosage amounts before you administer any vaccines or treatments to animals. If you have any question ask a veterinarian.
Scour Treatments
Mild Case
Just mix in a tsp spoon in with milk replacer- once
day for up to four days
Average Case
- Manna Pro Scour Ease Plus
A calf supplement to be mixed with dry non-medicated
milk replacer.
A bolus pill given- 1 bolus for 50 lbs of weight in the mouth
Extreme Case
Noromycin 300 LA, Norbrook
Ready to use, injectable, broad spectrum antibiotic
For More Info: Calf Scour Treatments
Vaccines
- Bo Bac 2 X, Boehringer Ingelheim
Prevent scours
Works best if given in the first six hours of life, works well with antibiotics and vaccines
Prevent blackleg and other sudden death ailments
Given at age of one month of age
- Boehringer Ingelheim: Express 10 & 10+HS
Prevent Respiratory Disease
Given at four months of age
Prevent coccidiosis (bloody scours).
Used as a drench or in the milk replacer. We have mixed up the drench and placed it
in the bottles with
with the milk replacer.
This treatment has to be mixed with water
Given when calves are about 6 weeks old.
- IVOMEC Plus Injectable, Merial
Dewormer
Prevents and Kills parasites
Given when calves are about six months old.
Tips on When Calves don't Want To Nurse a Bottle
1. Stay calm. It can be very frustrating when a calf doesn’t want to suck, but getting irritated won’t help.
2.Only mix and try a half of a bottle. You won’t have to pour out as much if it doesn’t suck and it is lighter and easier to handle.
3. Place the calf in a very small pen or loading chute, then sprinkle some milk replacer on it nose. Then wait for the calf to lick it off. Stand in front of the calf not touching it, but don’t let it go by you. Then place the nipple in its mouth.
4. Try placing the bottle in its mouth several times for about 15 minutes in the morning, if it doesn’t suck. Stop. Then try again that evening.
5. Give an injection of Injectable vitamin B complex supplemental for cattle. It will help stimulate the calf appetite.
FAQ
Is there any profit in raising bottle calves?
Well, yes, but very little money is made, by the time you buy feed and milk replace and treat sickness, you can make a little money, but not much.
Why do you bottle feed calves?
There are 3 main reasons why we hand raise calves. 1)The calf’s mother has pass away or doesn’t clam the offspring. 2) We purchase baby calves at auction like Holstein calves to place on our own heifer cows, if their first offspring don’t survive the birth process. 3) We purchase baby heifer calves to hand raise to keep on our ranch and reproduce, when these calves grow up, they are easier and safer to work with.
Why would you place a calf on a cow that is not her mother?
We will do so if the cow has lost her first offspring. By doing so the cow will bond with the calf and learn how to raise and take care of a baby calf. Also this will help condition the cow’s body in producing milk for future offspring.
What do calves do more: play or sleep?
Sleep, Most of the time they will be sleeping day and night. Baby calves will play very little. They will spend most of their time eating and sleeping.
Do baby calves drink water?
Yes, They like water and will drink often, especially here in Texas where it gets hot. Water will help cool them.
How much milk replacer will a calf take?
The general rule of thumb is 1/2 gallon in the mouring and 1/2 gallon in the evening, but some calve do need more.
How many times a day should you feed a calf?
You should feed twice a day, but if you got the time you can feed more, just cut back on the milk to the right amount not feed to much. To much milk replacer will give calves the milk scours.
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This page was last modified on Sunday, January 24, 2010 08:04:44 PM