Bottle calves and nipples

[dun]

We had a heifer that calved without much milk a couple of days ago. To help the calf a bit we have been giving it a little milk replacer till the hiefers milk comes in, which it now appears to have doen. Based on the recommendations of folks on these boards I used a lamb nipple instead of the full size cow nipple. Calf took right to it, the only drawback I've seen is he tends to suck more air around the nipple then he would with a full sized nipple.
Based on that, after I had one sucking a bottle well with the lamb nipple I'ld transition it to the full sized nipple as soon as praticle/possible.

dun

 

[randiliana]

We can get ones that are a soft brown rubber (or latex?) that you pull onto a pop bottle. They are bigger than a lamb nipple, but soft and flexible enough that we rarely have trouble getting a calf to suck. I have also used a lamb nipple, but find that generally they are too small.

 

[dun]

We can get ones that are a soft brown rubber (or latex?) that you pull onto a pop bottle. They are bigger than a lamb nipple, but soft and flexible enough that we rarely have trouble getting a calf to suck. I have also used a lamb nipple, but find that generally they are too small.

I think that's the problem, even though itdoes match up size wsie pretty well with the heifers teats.
Many years ago we tried the ones that slip onto the soda bottles. Too many times the calves and kids learned to pop them off while they were sucking and spilled the majority of the milk. That's when we went to screw ons and haven;t had a problem. But back then we fed a couple of hundred calves and probably a 100 or so kids each year. Now we rarely feed a bottle, most years never.

dun

 

[randiliana]

I think that's the problem, even though itdoes match up size wsie pretty well with the heifers teats.
Many years ago we tried the ones that slip onto the soda bottles. Too many times the calves and kids learned to pop them off while they were sucking and spilled the majority of the milk. That's when we went to screw ons and haven;t had a problem. But back then we fed a couple of hundred calves and probably a 100 or so kids each year. Now we rarely feed a bottle, most years never.

dun

It is a problem with the ones that just slip onto the bottle. But, for just bottling a calf or 2 it is managable. For many more than that I can definitely see it being a problem. Replacing the worn out and stretched ones does make a difference. We have 5 we are bottling now, so that is starting to be a problem. Would like to get one of those multiple calf feeders, but I can only find them mail order from the US. No-one seems to carry them up here.

We feed calves every year. Most of them are kind of "kickstart" type things for a calf born in the cold. But often 1 or 2 others until we have a cow to foster them onto. This year it looks like we will be bottle feeding at least 2, possibly more. We are considering getting a few more to go with the ones we will have of our own.

 

[msscamp]

We had a heifer that calved without much milk a couple of days ago. To help the calf a bit we have been giving it a little milk replacer till the hiefers milk comes in, which it now appears to have doen. Based on the recommendations of folks on these boards I used a lamb nipple instead of the full size cow nipple. Calf took right to it, the only drawback I've seen is he tends to suck more air around the nipple then he would with a full sized nipple.
Based on that, after I had one sucking a bottle well with the lamb nipple I'ld transition it to the full sized nipple as soon as praticle/possible.

dun

That is exactly how we do it, dun. The main advantage of the lamb/sheep nipple is that it's easier for the calf to handle, and it allows him to make the connection to the bottle, without having to tube or fight him(I know you know that, and that statement was not directed at you). As also stated, the calf can (and will) suck the sheep nipple off once he really gets going. That can be remedied by holding on to the bottom part of it, but it tends to interfere with their nursing. If it's a long term deal, we transition to a calf nipple after bottling once or twice.

 

[novatech]

We had a heifer that calved without much milk a couple of days ago. To help the calf a bit we have been giving it a little milk replacer till the hiefers milk comes in, which it now appears to have doen. Based on the recommendations of folks on these boards I used a lamb nipple instead of the full size cow nipple. Calf took right to it, the only drawback I've seen is he tends to suck more air around the nipple then he would with a full sized nipple.
Based on that, after I had one sucking a bottle well with the lamb nipple I'ld transition it to the full sized nipple as soon as praticle/possible.

dun

I have never used anything other than a calf nipple.
The way I understand it is that you want to restrict the air in order to make the calf work to get the milk. Doing this causes saliva to build and aid with the microbe transfer to the rumen.
To much milk to fast causes "milk belly". Others that have been in the dairy business say all this is not necessary, but it is just the way I do it.
I always inject them with the microbes anyway, seems to make them do a little better.

 

[Beefy]

so far this year ive had 3 to bottle feed. I'm still feeding Cornbread. she is so aggressive that she pulls the teat out of the screwon ring, thereby spilling milk. i figured out that if i just hold the nipple base down with my finger she cant do that. ive started butting her with the milk bottle when i can feel her tensing up. she is such a little fart!

Turnipgreens knew how to suck but his mom (one of my sisters limousin cows) has big teats and will be leaving in the near future. i fed him out in the pasture for five days until he figured out how to latch on to her big ol tatas. hes a real mothersucker nowadays.

Tatersalads mom has a mastitis ridden bag and i think she only has one or two functional quarters. i had to feed tatersalad enough to get to realize that milk really did come from teats and she evenutally found the right ones.

i never did have to catch turnipgreens or tatersalad out in the pasture, just walked up to them and squirted milk on their nose before they could run away.

 

[sarsha]

we use a teat and a tube going into the bucket, and we had hardly any trouble with that, as the milk came qucik for the calf and the milk couldn't get split, good luck anyway