Feed or Milk?

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MurraysMutts

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125lbs
Just got him. Went right to feed. And drank a gallon or two of water. Normal poop. Plenty energetic but very gentle at the same time. I guess someone didn't wanna spend time with him...
Has no idea what a bottle is. Wrestled with him a while this evening. I'd like to see him bigger b4 full weaning off milk.

Will this critter do ok on feed/hay and water alone?

Maybe a good time to buy a few squares of that alfalfa huh?

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Got a face only a mutha could love...
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Since he's drinking water from a bucket he just might drink milk the same way.
I agree with this. Fill up the same bucket he's drinking water from with a gallon of milk and let him go crazy.
 
Judging from the pictures that calf is older than he looks. Giving him milk now could cause diarrhea from lactose intolerance. Work him up slowly on a good feed and good hay. Deworming probably wouldn't hurt either.
 
Well. He drank 2 qts of milk replacer from a bucket overnight. I've refrained from giving him any milk this morning. 3 pounds of 50/50 high grain sweet feed and 14% creep.
I'll get him some hay as well.

It scares me to death but I may try just feed and hay. Pretty sure hes lost or been pulled off his mama. Hes mooing like crazy this morning. Typical weaning behavior. I figure I'll let him de-stress a while b4 I work him. Couple weeks maybe, while hes quarantined from everyone else.

Here's a shot of his number 2. Seems perfectly normal to me. Doesnt look like milk poop.
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If he eats good maybe soy meal would be a good option to supplement his protein. I'm not an expert but I know someone who messes around with quite a few bottle calves and he swears by moving them off milk replacer and onto soy meal.
 
I'd say he'd be fine on grain. Might want to get a 16% to 18% Calf Starter. 14% protein is a bit low on the protein, for a calf that small/young. Also it wouldn't hurt to worm him. My local MFA has a oral wormer for calves, that I mix in their feed,, that works well.
 
He will do fine on feed and hay. Don't wait to vaccinate and treat for parasites!
You can add a little dry milk powder to his feed as a bonus.

My guess is he had a no milk, apple head mother and was pulled off her at the sale. Nose hair looks like he was sucking not long ago.
 
He ate all 3 pounds. So I gave him another 3 pounds this morning. I'm thinking of giving him a flake of alfalfa every day too. Thatll up his protein Intake. Hes has some nice Bermuda bedding that hes munching on too.

I'll get him wormed and vaccinated soon. Probly hold off a lil bit on castration til hes leveled out.

Thanks guys.
We'll see what he does. He was cheap enough.
 
He ate all 3 pounds. So I gave him another 3 pounds this morning. I'm thinking of giving him a flake of alfalfa every day too. Thatll up his protein Intake. Hes has some nice Bermuda bedding that hes munching on too.

I'll get him wormed and vaccinated soon. Probly hold off a lil bit on castration til hes leveled out.

Thanks guys.
We'll see what he does. He was cheap enough.

He looks small enough to band as long as you can count to two.......lol
 
Or maybe not. His stool got a bit loose this evening. I better cut the feed just a little huh?
Maybe I better do pound and a half morning with hay. Then check that evening and go from there.

Hate not knowing what they been eating b4 I get em....

On a positive note, guess the rumen is working maybe
 
Well. He drank 2 qts of milk replacer from a bucket overnight. I've refrained from giving him any milk this morning. 3 pounds of 50/50 high grain sweet feed and 14% creep.
I'll get him some hay as well.

It scares me to death but I may try just feed and hay. Pretty sure hes lost or been pulled off his mama. Hes mooing like crazy this morning. Typical weaning behavior. I figure I'll let him de-stress a while b4 I work him. Couple weeks maybe, while hes quarantined from everyone else.

Here's a shot of his number 2. Seems perfectly normal to me. Doesnt look like milk poop.
View attachment 1669
Marray,
May I ask why it scares you to death to just feed grain and hay? I have an 8 week old bottle calf that gets hay too. Should she not be getting hay yet?
 
@ksmit454
Well my concerns were pottbellies and not getting enough nutrition. The hereford I had no idea what his age was. The silver one was born 12 20
I've never weaned such a small one off of milk. Now my silver one is definitely getting a little pot bellied. But they both seem to be doing great! Seems I was worried for nothing. Lol
20210309_070251.jpg
 
@ksmit454
Well my concerns were pottbellies and not getting enough nutrition. The hereford I had no idea what his age was. The silver one was born 12 20
I've never weaned such a small one off of milk. Now my silver one is definitely getting a little pot bellied. But they both seem to be doing great! Seems I was worried for nothing. Lol
View attachment 2905
Oh yes that makes sense. I had a friend once who had a bottle calf that at one point had a huge potbelly and looked skinny elsewhere... that makes sense now that nutrition was lacking and the calf just had a hay belly. Your calves look excellent!! I tend to err on the side of worry as well lol
 
125lbs
Just got him. Went right to feed. And drank a gallon or two of water. Normal poop. Plenty energetic but very gentle at the same time. I guess someone didn't wanna spend time with him...
Has no idea what a bottle is. Wrestled with him a while this evening. I'd like to see him bigger b4 full weaning off milk.

Will this critter do ok on feed/hay and water alone?

Maybe a good time to buy a few squares of that alfalfa huh?

View attachment 1656
Got a face only a mutha could love...
View attachment 1657
Take those dang stickers off!!😂😂
 

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