Calf feeding

[bambi_boy]

I have an 8 day old Holstein bull calf, he is eating well, about 4 pints 3x a day. Question is, should he be drinking water too? He has plenty of water available, clean it everyday, but he won't touch it. Also the starter, have been putting some in his mouth after he nurses his bottle, he doesn't seem to care for it, and won't touch it own his own.

Please advise.

 

[dun]

Keep doing what you're doing. One day the light will go on in his head and he'll eat the grain and drink water as needed.

 

[bambi_boy]

The dairy farmer we got him from laughs at me- as I blend his replacer in the blender. When I put it in his bottle and "shook" the bottle, it didn't seem to mix very well. He says that the baby bull calf is spoiled now. Lays on his blanket in the pen area. I know it sounds stupid, but he is "pet". The other baby should be on the ground in the next week.

 

[Alice]

For now he is a pet...and there's no problem with that...at least not right now. I think if you intend to keep him around as a pet/pasture pet, you should have him banded right away. Grown holstein bulls can be some of the most dangerous.

But, for right now he is a baby and you are caring for him as you would a baby...and that's good. Approaching his care in the way you are will make it easier for you to spot any difficulty he might have be it illness, pinkeye, lameness, etc. You'll be able to notice if he looks a little off...or if he's got a little rattle in his throat, or his eyes look "not quite right."

Good on you! Just remember, when these babies grow up, they can hurt ya' whether they mean to or not.

OK, I'll quit fretting. You enjoy that baby!

Alice

 

[TexasBred]

The dairy farmer we got him from laughs at me- as I blend his replacer in the blender. When I put it in his bottle and "shook" the bottle, it didn't seem to mix very well. He says that the baby bull calf is spoiled now. Lays on his blanket in the pen area. I know it sounds stupid, but he is "pet". The other baby should be on the ground in the next week.

They're your babies. Spoil them all you want to. But like children as they grow you may have to discipline them. lol. Best Wishes.

 

[FarmGirl10]

Keep doing what your doing, he'll eventually get the idea like dun said. I'd suggest putting a little hay in with him too, I've had a lot that would eat hay before they'd eat calf starter.

Good Luck

 

[bambi_boy]

My husband will cringe as I type this - but all boys on this place on 4 legs shall never be able to speak in a deep voice! Vet waiting till all 3 are here to come "take care of that problem!" No dangles on this hobby pet farm! Heck even had the dear hubbs cut to shoot blanks!


He does have high quality hay (coastal) horse quality, not cow hay.



By the end of next week there should be 2 Holstein and one Jersey bull calves here.

If you have ever seen the movie "Cars" you will know why the Jersey will be named "Frank"

TIA

 

[dun]

If you plan on having them as "pets" take the time to train them to do something usefull. Lead, follow voice commands, pull a stone boat, drag branches, whatever. That way you can love on them all you want but will realize you are the boss. Things are only done at your bidding, not when they feel like it.

 

[B&N]

We started with Holstein babies several years ago as pets as the kids rasied them for 4 H. They seemed to take longer getting on the water but eventually came around. Same went for the feed. Always gave a true calf starter feed. Would let them suck off their fingers and than they would take within a couple of days. I agree good hay is a must. Good Luck to you :

 

[larryshoat]

4 pints of milk 3x is plenty for a 8 day old calf . Sounds like he is taking it ok . Just a word of caution the rcomendations on a bag of milk are for a 100 lb holstein calf . Nothing wrong with feeding a calf a lot of milk, but increase slowly .

Larry

 

[milkmaid]

I'd be cautious about feeding that much milk to an 8-day old calf... even a holstein. Sounds like a potential scour problem.

As far as water... I rarely provide that until weaning (around 6-8 weeks). I'll start offering grain around 1-2 weeks of age, but it usually takes a few weeks before they start eating it well. Wouldn't worry about him not being too interested in anything but milk at this age.

FWIW, the blender sounds like a good idea. I generally use a bucket and whisk to mix it thoroughly; ain't no way anyone can mix 2 cups of milk replacer and 4 pints of water in one 4 pint bottle without having half of it stuck to the bottom. :lol:

 

[Alice]

Okay, I'm gonna jump right out here and take my life in my hands...

I'd be cautious about feeding that much milk to an 8-day old calf... even a holstein. Sounds like a potential scour problem.

To that I say especially a holstein.

As far as water... I rarely provide that until weaning (around 6-8 weeks).

Water is crucial, in my opinion. There were holstein calf raisers around here that thought too much water caused scours. Yeah, too much water in the milk replacer, maybe. When they withheld water, their death rate didn't go down...it went up. Of course, this is Texas. Maybe the climate played a part in it.

I'll start offering grain around 1-2 weeks of age, but it usually takes a few weeks before they start eating it well. Wouldn't worry about him not being too interested in anything but milk at this age.

Offering calf starter grower right off the get go...no later than 3 days...is also crucial, at least around here. When the babies start to drink water and eat grain, the incidence of scours goes way, way down. Again, this is Texas...Stephenville, Texas. I'm only going by what I observed and what I was told by the Holstein calf raisers.

FWIW, the blender sounds like a good idea. I generally use a bucket and whisk to mix it thoroughly; ain't no way anyone can mix 2 cups of milk replacer and 4 pints of water in one 4 pint bottle without having half of it stuck to the bottom. :lol:

Oh, honey, ain't that the truth!

Alice

 

[bambi_boy]

here is a link for the mixer that I use. http://www.target.com/Oster-Inspire...95-5003811?ie=UTF8&rh=k:handheld mixer&page=1 Funny - this is how we mixed the formula for our human babies as well. I put the water & powder in a 2 quart tea pitcher then blend for a minute or so. This way I KNOW it is mixed well. I do almost everything with him as I did the human babies, his bottles are even cleaned the same way. I don't want any bacteria on his stuff to cause him any problems.


So... should I be giving him only what 3 pints - then make up with water at a different inbetween times?

He always acts like he is hungry.

He was TOO funny playing with the dogs this am, feeling rather spry.

 

[larryshoat]

As I said before it sounds like you are getting by with it . I don't think I would change it now .For future reference I think I would be a little more conservative with the milk starting out . I think you will find many calves that won't be able to handle that much that early .

Larry

 

[bambi_boy]

Again, hate to sound stupid -but I am new -

How old, how long do you have to worry about scours taking the calf? My vet lives about 2 miles from me, and I won't hesitate to call him, tube him if need be. I hate the worry that every time I walk out there he will be dead.

 

[Alice]

How old is this calf. If the calves started eating dry feed before two weeks of age, we'd breathe our first sigh of relief. AND, at two weeks of age, whether the calves were eating dry feed or not, and they were still alive and hadn't scoured, we'd breathe a sigh of relief. The calves we were raising came from the sale barn, so they started out with 2 strikes against them right off the get go. If your's had the benefit of colostrum, then you're a jump ahead.

Two weeks of age is usually a good marker. Of course, that doesn't mean you still don't have to watch them like a hawk. Holstein bull babies are fickle, fickle, fickle. You might not have to worry too much about scours after two weeks of age, but you always have to worry about upper respiratory stuff.

Alice

 

[milkmaid]

Generally speaking, the largest cause of death in 1-30 day old calves is scours. After that not so much. I'd agree with Alice though that after they're about 2 weeks old you don't have to worry about them near as much.

Chances are slim you'd just "go out one morning and find him dead"... most of the time if a calf has scours, you have at least 24 hours to doctor him and try to get him turned around.

 

[milkmaid]

Alice- my thoughts on water- at least in my area of the country it hasn't been that big a deal and I haven't noticed significantly more or less scour problems because I did or did not provide water. The main reason I don't generally provide it is because of the hassle without significant returns. Granted, calves in the summer I often provide water for, and calves on nurse cows (the way I've raised them the last 2-3 years or so) have water since they are with the cow 24/7.

Around 10-14 days I have most calves drinking from a bucket and that's when I provide grain... before then they don't seem to notice it and it isn't worth my while. Just my thoughts based on my experience in my area of the country. ;-) I'm perfectly willing to accept that things may be better done other ways in your area.

 

[bambi_boy]

He is 10 days old, and was on momma for the first 5 1/2 days so am I a sigh & a half? I might add that it is 75 + degrees here, so that is why I worry about the water. He eats only what starter I put in his mouth after I finish bottle feeding him. He was a little less disqusted with the thought of it this morning, but still does not seek the starter on his own - or water.

 

[Alice]

He is 10 days old, and was on momma for the first 5 1/2 days so am I a sigh & a half? I might add that it is 75 + degrees here, so that is why I worry about the water. He eats only what starter I put in his mouth after I finish bottle feeding him. He was a little less disqusted with the thought of it this morning, but still does not seek the starter on his own - or water.

Water: At 75 degrees, he's ok not drinking water since he's getting it from the milk replacer. You might try mixing his replacer with less water. Use the same amount of milk replacer powder that you would for 4 pints of water, but mix it with 3, or even 2 pints of water. If he feels thirsty and needs water, he'll find it and drink it

Starter grower: See above re: mixing the milk replacer with less water. He won't feel as full and very well might start nosing around in his feed.

Water and starter grower: Keep his feed bucket and water bucket close together and feed him the bottle at the feed bucket.

Yes, you could say you are at a sigh and a half. Continue to watch him closely...listen while he drinks his bottle to see if you hear any kind of rattle. Continue to monitor his poop. In other words, continue to do what you are doing. The fact that he had the benefit of colostrum and mother's milk for 5 1/2 days is encouraging, to say the very least.

And, like Milkmaid said, it is highly unlikely that you will walk out one morning or evening and find him dead from dehydration of the scours. You'll have warning...at least with the cool weather that you're having.

Alice