Calf bottle feeding
- Thread starter Tripple C
- Start date
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I like to bottle feed for about 7 -8 weeks. Sometimes a little less if they are eating enough calf starter grain. At weeks 6 -8 I drop to 1 feeding a day and make sure they have plenty of fresh water and calf starter and soft hay to nibble on , also don't forget the free choice mineral with salt block. They should be eating almost 1 3/4 -2 pounds a day before you wean them from milk replacer.
Tripple C":181g3apn said:
I like to use Probios Bovine One Oral Gel for Ruminants. I can get the calves on feed much faster with it. I'll start out with milk and about 6-7 weeks use the gel and they go on feed pretty fast.
Victoria
Well-known member
I'm insane. I botle feed for about 6 months. I like my orphans to look like they had a mother instead of looking like orphans.
I bottle feed about 7 weeks, then get them on a lot of good grain and hay right away. I don't like mine looking like "typical" bottle calves either. Milk replacer gets expensive fast -- $6.28/week -- whereas I can feed enough grain to keep the same ADG at only $2-3/week.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
Victoria":1n24ncw0 said:
I always went a bit longer myself. In the end, I transitioned to one bottle a day for a spell too.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
milkmaid":2j7km5bk said:backhoeboogie":2j7km5bk said:
Do you have them on a bottle the entire time, or do you move them to the bucket? The thought of a 500-600lb calf drinking from a little calf bottle is kind of amusing.
I haven't used a bucket since '76, when we did a dozen babies. They didn't do as well when I went to a bucket. Now I know why. msscamp explains it quite well. I won't try :lol:
MM they are in a chute. Last time I did three calves, I put up three chutes. Panels on T-Posts. The bottle racks hold the bottles. I move the racks up a little when they get bigger. One move I think. Mix the bottles in the kitchen sink, head out there and they run in their chute. I drop the bottles in the racks from outside. Then I take a coffee can of feed to the feeder. I check the water in their trough. There is always one slower than the others. The chute keeps them from rooting each other off. I go refill the coffee can and set it down with lid on. By then it is time to take the bottles in and wash them. It is about a 10 minute evolution.
About twice a week I push the wheel barrel through and shovel up everything dropped. I put fresh hay in the rack inside the little shed and pitch fork up droppings there.
Victoria
Well-known member
MM, I sure wasn't trying to imply anything with my comment. I know some calves will come out looking good on grain but replacer is what has worked for us. It is expensive and that is why I work my butt off to make sure we don't have orphans.
In the past I have kept them on the bottle. I think that sucking is good for them. We never keep them in the corral just put them in the field with the herd and the buckets with nipples don't work too well in the field. I am tough on the calves, I don't let them get away with anything and they get a lot of hard shoves when they are young to teach them who is boss and thank goodness when they grow up they think I am bigger than them.
In the past I have kept them on the bottle. I think that sucking is good for them. We never keep them in the corral just put them in the field with the herd and the buckets with nipples don't work too well in the field. I am tough on the calves, I don't let them get away with anything and they get a lot of hard shoves when they are young to teach them who is boss and thank goodness when they grow up they think I am bigger than them.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
backhoeboogie":3ih2e2lg said:
Victoria, I see your point too, now. I wasn't being critical of how anyone feeds a bottle per the prescribed methods. I just go longer than I probably should. My calves usually go about 4 months on the bottle when 2 may be all that is needed, with good starter.
