7 Day Old Calf Feeding

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Kate

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Hey Folks
To make a long story short I have a 8 day old calf that is eating feed like crazy and nursing her mother but her mother has not enough milk for her so I wondered if I could put calf replacer milk on top of the feed for her and if that would help her instead of feeding her a bottle since she is eating feed. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Kate
In Tennessee
 
Its not a stupid question, even if it was it'd get an answer (reference MM's on roadkill cats ;-) ).

What makes you think she is not getting enough or that mom is not milking well?
 
Something to add. Make sure the calf has access to plenty of water if the cow is not milking well. The milk replacer will make it need more liquid than the cow is suppling.
Is this the calf from the ruptured cow?
 
Thanks for your help. Yes Kenny this is the calf from the ruptured cow. A beautiful big calf. Tried her on a bottle this morning and would not take it. She is getting some milk from mother but I know not enough because she stand hump back a little and is nursing all the time and even sucks on the mothers ear! I feed her mother and she started eating with her so now I give her her own feed. We are taking to salebarn on Monday. Don't need this extra to do this winter. Hate to loose the calf though. Thanks to everyone of you who responded.
Kate
 
Maybe it would be better to sell the calf as well . The calf is too young to wean onto dry feed .

Larry
 
Kate":2ks3uc5i said:
Hey Folks
...so I wondered if I could put calf replacer milk on top of the feed for her and if that would help her instead of feeding her a bottle since she is eating feed. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Kate
In Tennessee

Yes, you can do that and it will help. Another option would be to set up a creep feed gate, and top dress her feed with milk pellets. I don't have any experience with the milk pellets, but I know a few people who do this and they swear by it.
 
I decided to sell the calf also when I take the mother. If it were spring I would tackle it but being the beginning of winter I don't think so. I'm just finishing feeding out a bottle calf I raised from July 2007, ready to put her with the bull and its been a long haul, see I can't sell them if I bottle raise them. They are keepers. Thanks so much for all your help.
Kate
 
No, I know you need calf starter for baby calfs but I was feeding our 4 heifers with another kind of feed and just gave her some of it since I knew I was not going to keep her. Just trying to keep her alive. She went to the sale barn today along with her mother and the guys were all trying to buy the calf. We'll see how she does.
Kate
 
Kate":10she9nx said:
No, I know you need calf starter for baby calfs ...

Kate

Just for the record, you do not need calf starter for baby calves. I've raised many a bottle calf on COB and grass/alfalfa hay, and they (and my bank balance) did just fine. Added bonus - they cost less because COB costs less than calf starter, and there weren't any pellets for them to sort out and not eat! ;-) Granted, I don't subscribe to the accepted B.S. of a calf only needing a gallon of milk replacer per day, but that is another story for another time. :lol2:
 

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