Bottle calf! Some say I'm crazy...

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Good morning everyone!
Seven has been coming up in the mornings. Mooing/begging for a bottle or feed or something. Lol
Lil Willy is doing fine! He has even been nibbling on the calf manna. Not much. Just a few pellets at a time. But I like that.
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But it keeps me from going insane...
Found this lil gal a while back. Turns out my biggest cow had twin heifers and she was left behind. She was very lucky to be found even. I was out on the 4wheeler and just stopped and shut it off. Let out a big moooooo like I sometimes do, and she popped up outta the tall grass. I thought who the heck are you?Mama wanted to name her Lucky.
We settled on naming her Seven




As you can she, she was pretty thin, but had obviously nursed at least once. Colostrum issue worried me, but we pressed on....


The regular milk really made the scours. She had issues getting in and out of her temporary accommodations. Lol





Moving along well tho.



Newest picture. Shes on feed now. About 5 or 6 pounds a day. Seems to be doing well.

I know it takes lots of time. Not so bad if you get things organized and establish a routine tho.
I plan on keeping this heifer just because I can. They really grow on you. The last 2 I've raised have all been sent off down the road for one reason or another.
Questions, comments, and especially other bottle calf stories are more than welcome. Pictures please!
Awwww..... she's as cute as can be. Darn lucky U found her.
So is that one pic-what my red angus x charolais'. baby's r gonna look like ? We jus switched and gonna look like fuzzy Easter around here'😂
 
Seven is out of a black simangus cow and a dark red chiangus bull.
I have a pic somewhere of him. And of a heifer still around out of a char cow.
Shes basically red. Looks like a big red angus. Those diluters can make for who knows what color! Lol

Here is sevens sire..
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No pics but...

Almost outta that textured sweet feed grower whatever ya call it.
Shes going on dry pellets from here out.
Funny. I think she prefers it anyway. She picks thru and eats the pelleted feed first. Lol
Good to hear she's eating good. She's my favorite color!!
We saved quite a bit of money having our coop make us a corn based protein feed. Sometimes we buy 500lbs, sometimes more then put in a crepe feeder so those tiny ones can eat all they want( after they r used to it of course) .
 
Nothing fancy today. Brushed Willy while he drank his milk bottle today. Seven watched and mooed at me the whole time. She got a scoop of cookies and brushed a bit too.
Then along came everyone else! Lol
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She is certainly a lot bigger than she used to be. Brushing her makes ya realize just how much bigger!
 
I really like him. Hes sure got good thick coat of hair. And hes good and thick for such a lil guy. Excited to see how he does!
Tho, I dont really have a plan for him. Other than feed him thru the winter.
Haha
 
Rains coming tonight they say. I've knocked up a lil shack for willy. Willys place I'm gonna call it. Lol
I'm kind of hesitant about putting any hay in it for bedding. Lil fart is already picking at the grass in his pen. I'm afraid itll slow down his consumption of the calf manna. I do have some old crabgrass hay that is plum full of straw. Figure thatll make for a nice bed out of the weather.
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This thing was cheap! Price a calf hut lately?
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Great idea. Should work great.
I've had one sitting around forever. Finally used it this year. With the drought, we needed to graze hay fields where there wasn't any water supply. We ran black plastic water line, then a hose across road to one of these tanks. Set timer & filled it several times a day. Got us through!
 
Great idea. Should work great.
I've had one sitting around forever. Finally used it this year. With the drought, we needed to graze hay fields where there wasn't any water supply. We ran black plastic water line, then a hose across road to one of these tanks. Set timer & filled it several times a day. Got us through!
We had a couple on a small, flatbed trailer we used during the 3 year drought. Pumped water from the lake into each one & hauled it to the pastures without wells. Finally broke down and bought a 1000 gallon tank (which, fortunately, haven't had to use in 4 years).
 
So the wind blew a lil.
Had to get out the lil fart genny.
Gotta have coffee and hot water for a bottle.
He was ready. When I first came out,he was all snuggly in his lil house.
I've been trying something a little different. I feed his bottle then get the heck out. He seems to know that's time to go eat some feed. Still just a cup or so every other day. I'll be happy to see him eat a cup in the morning and a cup in the evening. Hes doing well tho!
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When you say a cup or so every other day - do you mean he has it in front of him all the time and that's about what he is consuming? As long as he eats a little every day, he's doing fine. Looks GREAT. Nice little house you made him.
 

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