Cowgirl-Ryuk
Member
I've been raising calves for the past 5 years with my local FFA and 4-H and I've always bottle fed. I've been told that bottle feeding is better for the calves since its as close to nursing off mom as they can get and while they suck on the bottle and foam the whole while, that its making the bacteria in their gut work over time which in the long run is better for ruminate development. But this past season one of my friends switched her bottle calf to a bucket calf and he turned out really well and actually ended up eatting more grain after he was switched to the bucket as opposed to feeding from a bottle. The amount of milk replacer didn't change, just the method of feeding.
I know sometimes it's just a preference thing but I just wanted to hear some opinions, experiences, and really see if there is that much of a difference between bottle and bucket feeding.
I know sometimes it's just a preference thing but I just wanted to hear some opinions, experiences, and really see if there is that much of a difference between bottle and bucket feeding.