Ive been bottle feeding a calf, and prolly will be for another week or so. I have also been feeding him some calf starter pellets. My question is how much feed should i feed him a day, and what else does he need? anything helps
feeding calf
- Thread starter dbc
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
cattleluvr18
Well-known member
we hand fed a couple of hand fulls of calf starter after we were done milking. boy they like that but be careful they bit...HARD!!! then after that we put a little bit of water in there buckets and let them drink that until they got used to a bucket in there pen. then after they got used to the starter we put a little feed trough in there pen once we got closer to weining and they got used to eating out of that.
hoped that helped.
Do not stop giving that calf milk replacer until it is eating at least 3 pounds of dry calf starter a day for at least a week. I cannot caution you enough on that. If you do, you are setting yourself up for respiratory illness. Also, push the probios...helps with stimulating appetite.
And hay...give that calf good, grassy type hay...like coastal.
Alice
And hay...give that calf good, grassy type hay...like coastal.
Alice
dbc":2tjqaiuv said:
Probios is a microbial...and there are other brands of microbials. If you happen to have a Walco around, they have a microbial that is less expensive. What it does is keep the digestion of the calf's food going properly. It just helps keep their digestion and food absorption straightened out.
We always use it when we give antibiotics to calves because the antibiotics destroy all bacteria, good and bad. The Probios replaces the good bacteria. I've also read that it can stimulate appetite, which is why I suggested it.
And yes, you can get it at the feed store.
Good luck with the calf.
(And don't take it off that bottle too early!)Alice
