Early weaning

[tdc_cattle]

I have a calf that was born on Christmas. Her mom had a respiratory infection and isn't able to maintain condition while milking the calf. Is early weaning an option? How do you go about weaning a calf that young? Are there better options? I don't have any intentions of culling the mom but dont see her rebreeding unless she gets some condition in her.

Our grass is slowely growing but not enough to get ahead of the cows and I'm down to my lowest quality hay.

 

[Bigfoot]

Yes, I would probably go ahead, and wean that calf. He's old enough to start on a good quality feed.

 

[Rafter S]

I just bought a young calf (240 lbs) to put with a calf my son and daughter-in-law had raised on a bottle. I talked to my vet about it because I don't normally wean or buy calves that young. He recommended starting them on Purina Receiving Chow if it's available, or crimped oats and alfalfa hay if it isn't.

 

[Bigfoot]

I actually feed a small calf free choice oats, and my best hay.

 

[TexasBred]

Buy a good high quality textured calf starter 18% protein or more to get it use to eating a grain mix. The molasses in the feed will make it more palatable and enticing.

 

[Rafter S]

I actually feed a small calf free choice oats, and my best hay.

Are you talking about whole oats? If that's working for you don't mess with it, but my vet told me that the rumen (and the bacteria in it) isn't fully developed in calves that small, and that they won't digest whole oats as well as crimped oats. In other words, much of the oats will go straight through them without the calf receiving much benefit. He explained that if the oats are rolled and crimped to break up the outer shell then the bacteria can get inside to the grain better.

 

[Son of Butch]

Your calf is not too young to wean.
Many dairy calves are eating calf starter by 21 days and weaned off milk replacer by 42 days.
Definitely what TexasBred said, get her a bag of textured calf starter, most calves prefer it over a pelleted starter.

 

[Bigfoot]

I actually feed a small calf free choice oats, and my best hay.

Are you talking about whole oats? If that's working for you don't mess with it, but my vet told me that the rumen (and the bacteria in it) isn't fully developed in calves that small, and that they won't digest whole oats as well as crimped oats. In other words, much of the oats will go straight through them without the calf receiving much benefit. He explained that if the oats are rolled and crimped to break up the outer shell then the bacteria can get inside to the grain better.

Yes, I feed them whole oatts. If its real small, I will mix a little texteured horse feed in it to get them eating it, and then once they start switch to free choice whole oats.

 

[tdc_cattle]

Does she need a companion? She's my oldest calf by several weeks so all the others I could put with her are even younger.

 

[jerry27150]

all cows lose weight while feeding a calf, you can feed cow some grain, easier than weaning calf, til grass gets going

 

[backhoeboogie]

Our grass is slowely growing but not enough to get ahead of the cows and I'm down to my lowest quality hay.

what bothers me the most is the low quality hay. Get it fed and don't get any more. Use good hay. Best way to know what you're getting is to make it yourself.

The calf needs a little supplement and that's already covered. I'm worried about the rest of your bunch. Low quality hay is just a filler. They need more.

 

[Son of Butch]

Does she need a companion? She's my oldest calf by several weeks so all the others I could put with her are even younger.

All herd type animals need companionship. After she's eating grain well....
Could you put her in with the other cow/calves and have a corner creep feeding, water/rest area for her?

 

[tdc_cattle]

Our grass is slowely growing but not enough to get ahead of the cows and I'm down to my lowest quality hay.

what bothers me the most is the low quality hay. Get it fed and don't get any more. Use good hay. Best way to know what you're getting is to make it yourself.

The calf needs a little supplement and that's already covered. I'm worried about the rest of your bunch. Low quality hay is just a filler. They need more.

Lowest not low. Baler broke down when this field was being baled so it dried down more then id prefer. At this point it's sat outside for 10 months. It's not junk, lowest is a relative term.

 

[tdc_cattle]

all cows lose weight while feeding a calf, you can feed cow some grain, easier than weaning calf, til grass gets going

I'm contemplating making her a pen with the gate being like a creep feeder. Her calf would be able to go in and out with the other calves as it pleased and still nurse but I'd be able to provide the cow with top quality feed. I found some alfalfa bales and could grain her as well.

 

[Ashes12127]

You could put a plastic calf weaner/nose flap in the calf. This would allow you to wean it off the cow but not separate it from the herd. Then you could have a creep feeder so the calf is getting supplemented. Minimum stress. I had to wean a 4-month old calf recently as well...sometimes it's for the best although I hated to do it.

 

[angus9259]

I actually feed a small calf free choice oats, and my best hay.

Are you talking about whole oats? If that's working for you don't mess with it, but my vet told me that the rumen (and the bacteria in it) isn't fully developed in calves that small, and that they won't digest whole oats as well as crimped oats. In other words, much of the oats will go straight through them without the calf receiving much benefit. He explained that if the oats are rolled and crimped to break up the outer shell then the bacteria can get inside to the grain better.

I think your vet is misguided about oats. Do some research and judge for yourself. There's a lot out there about oats for young calves and the value of rolling them.