I have been reading all the posts about bottle feeding, since I am about to attempt this, and I have a few questions. Also, I am not looking to do this for profit, I am just wanting to raise some of my own beef + have a learning experience for my kid and me So here are my questions...
1. How large of an area should I keep the calf in? Would one stall of my barn be too small of an area?
2. When I feed the calf, do I need to wait until he finishes so I can remove the bottle from his stall, or would it hurt to leave the empty bottle until next feeding.
3. How well do I need to clean the bottle and nipple after each feeding? Do I just need to scrub them with hot water, or do I need to sanitize each time?
4. What do I do about scours if it develops? Do I just switch to electrolytes instead of milk replacer (or maybe a combo of both) until the symptoms are gone, or do I need to give the calf some sort of injection.
Things I already plan on doing (thanks to this website) are using a high quality milk replacer, keeping the stall area clean, keeping plenty of fresh water, and slowly introducing hay and a calf starter.
Thanks for any help
Tim
1. How large of an area should I keep the calf in? Would one stall of my barn be too small of an area?
2. When I feed the calf, do I need to wait until he finishes so I can remove the bottle from his stall, or would it hurt to leave the empty bottle until next feeding.
3. How well do I need to clean the bottle and nipple after each feeding? Do I just need to scrub them with hot water, or do I need to sanitize each time?
4. What do I do about scours if it develops? Do I just switch to electrolytes instead of milk replacer (or maybe a combo of both) until the symptoms are gone, or do I need to give the calf some sort of injection.
Things I already plan on doing (thanks to this website) are using a high quality milk replacer, keeping the stall area clean, keeping plenty of fresh water, and slowly introducing hay and a calf starter.
Thanks for any help
Tim