Tony Jr
Well-known member
I have a calf that mama died Yesterday and I'm wandering if I need to try to start her on a bottle.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?!?!?
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?!?!?
2 1/2 month old calf's mama dies!
- Thread starter Tony Jr
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Crowderfarms
Well-known member
Get the calf penned, up. Did it get any Colostrum? Get it some high quality Milk Replacer, and some electrolytes. Don't waste time leaving it in the field. Get it started today.
OP
OP
Tony Jr
Well-known member
The calf is 2 1/2 months old.
jt
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i wouldnt do the bottle thing... the calf is big enough to wean and most store bought milk is not good at growing them off. if i wanted it to get milk, i would put it on a nurse cow...
other options..
sell the calf... or
pen it up and feed it some high protein calf starter to get it transitioned from mom. if you have some, i would put some auremycin sp? in the feed too. feed the calf well, and it should grow off ok.
good luck
jt
other options..
sell the calf... or
pen it up and feed it some high protein calf starter to get it transitioned from mom. if you have some, i would put some auremycin sp? in the feed too. feed the calf well, and it should grow off ok.
good luck
jt
Susie David
Well-known member
I would put it on the bottle with milk replacer at least twice a day providing that it has been creeping grass along with nursing, more bottle feeding if it hasn't been eating grass or hay. Hope that you have the time for the feedings sometimes it can take awhile to get them to take the bottle. I'd just like to have them on high quality intake for a few more weeks anyway, believe that it gives a better start in life...
Good luck...Susie
Good luck...Susie
At that age it's been chewing it's cud for almost 2 months at least. Start it on grain (calf starter) and good quality hay or grain (calf starter) and good quality pasture if you have it. You'll want to get it up to eating a couple of pounds of grain (calf starter) a day.
dun
dun
frenchie
Well-known member
I would either try to foster the calf on to another cow
or sell the calf.
or sell the calf.
Crowderfarms
Well-known member
Major malfunction here. My computer at work cuts the header on the thread. Go with Dun's advice, milk replacer wont benefit a calf that age, and training it to be tame and suck from the bottle probably would not work except in a headgate.dun":3krz1hwj said:
bigbull338
Well-known member
at that age id pen it up. an get it on feed as soon as possable .10 wk old calf would be hard to get on the bottle.so feed an grass it is. scott
Rustler9
Well-known member
We all have different opinions-I would try to get milk in the calf for about another month if possible. It probably will be hard to get it to take the bottle though. To do that you would need to pen the calf in close quarters and physically put the bottle into it's mouth, force it to take some of the milk. It may or may not start nursing. Also, it may start to drink the milk form a bucket. You definitely need to get it on some grain and/or pellets. Good luck and keep us posted on it's progress.
OP
OP
Tony Jr
Well-known member
Thanks for all your replys. I've now stared it on grain and hay!
Bama
Well-known member
One other option is to put some dry milk powder in the grain. It don't have to have water mixed with it to do any good.
SF
Well-known member
Listen to Dun. Grain and hay or pasture.
Medic24
Well-known member
ok all, while I am not disagreeing with you on this, because a calf can be raised just fine from 2 months on up on grain etc.......you need to take into acount the condition of the calf...if the mother died, was it lactating well before it died?
Now thsi is my opinion.......just mine mind you......
I would forgo the bottle.at this point in time, yes likely to be a real fight, unless you want to try and see what happens....
But I would pen the little bugger up, and for the first few days, offer only milk replacer in a bucket as the only liquid for it to drink. that is in addition to the best calf starter you can find of course. and offer it good hay to help develop the rumen, which should be going pretty good by now anyway.
I think, there is certainly no harm in feeding it milk replacer, and in fact should add more fat and weight to the little bugger....and maybe grow it off a bit sooner, and again my opinion, perhaps a bit healthier..
but hey, it's up to you, at this age, you can certainly go either way.....decide what you want to spend, and how much more time you want to work with it.
Either way you decide.......good luck with it! :cboy:
Now thsi is my opinion.......just mine mind you......
I would forgo the bottle.at this point in time, yes likely to be a real fight, unless you want to try and see what happens....
But I would pen the little bugger up, and for the first few days, offer only milk replacer in a bucket as the only liquid for it to drink. that is in addition to the best calf starter you can find of course. and offer it good hay to help develop the rumen, which should be going pretty good by now anyway.
I think, there is certainly no harm in feeding it milk replacer, and in fact should add more fat and weight to the little bugger....and maybe grow it off a bit sooner, and again my opinion, perhaps a bit healthier..
but hey, it's up to you, at this age, you can certainly go either way.....decide what you want to spend, and how much more time you want to work with it.
Either way you decide.......good luck with it! :cboy:
Texan
Well-known member
You didn't mention what kind of calf it is, or if you have any more wet cows, but there may be another alternative. If it's a real aggressive little calf and you have the right kind of cows, the calf might can make it by stealing milk. A lot of little crossbred calves get pretty good at getting a little milk from wherever they can. That helps them make the adaptation to pasture and you don't stress them by taking them out of the environment where they have spent their whole life. I've done that before and had good luck with it. You can even get the calf started eating some cubes or pellets right out in the pasture if you have the time and patience to catch it off by itself. It doesn't necessarily have to be the labor intensive project that some have suggested.Tony Jr":1z981ncb said:I have a calf that mama died Yesterday and I'm wandering if I need to try to start her on a bottle.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?!?!?
Gayle Hilgeman
Active member
Get the calf in and give it some high protein feed and the best
hay you have.
hay you have.
preston39
Well-known member
tony Jr,
We have had good results from a combination of feed and the addition of liquid whole milk in a bucket...if you feel he needs more milk time to make the transition. May only need it for a few days/weeks.
Bottle shouldn't be necessary under normal conditions for a 2 1/2 month old. The objective is to prevent his growth from stalling from a sudden stressful change.
We have had good results from a combination of feed and the addition of liquid whole milk in a bucket...if you feel he needs more milk time to make the transition. May only need it for a few days/weeks.
Bottle shouldn't be necessary under normal conditions for a 2 1/2 month old. The objective is to prevent his growth from stalling from a sudden stressful change.
OP
OP
Tony Jr
Well-known member
She is eating up the calf starter and 12% sweetfeed. I've also seen her in the pasture eating grass and licking the mineral licks :lol:! I'm watching her close incase things turn, but all is well at the current time.
