highvoltagecattleco
Well-known member
Most of the best milk replacers have at least 20% protein and 20% fat. I've had a lot of success with a 22% powder. I feed C.O.B. and orchard grass free choice.
highvoltagecattleco":9yc3a8o6 said:Most of the best milk replacers have at least 20% protein and 20% fat. I've had a lot of success with a 22% powder. I feed C.O.B. and orchard grass free choice.
msscamp":b17mr1wu said:mom to 4":b17mr1wu said:msscamp":b17mr1wu said:randiliana":b17mr1wu said:So what do you more experienced calf raisers have to say??
Well, you're not going to like my answer - but here it is. Until they are a month old (because that is generally the age they can eat pellets), they get their protein from the source nature intended - milk. That means 2 gallons/day, every day. I've tried the calf starters and such things, but discovered fairly quickly that the calves teeth are not strong enough to eat the pelleted milk replacer. It gets sorted out and goes to waste, which means I'm paying money for something that is not being utilized. I now adher to a very basic regime of milk replacer, good quality grass hay alternated with good quality alfalfa hay, good minerals, fresh water, and provide a small amount of C.O.B. (corn, oats, and barley mixed with a little molasses). I start out feeding a handful - poke a little in their mouth every time I bottle them - and, if it is not eaten within a 12 hour period, it is dumped into the bunk of the older calves or cows, and replaced with fresh. As they start eating the COB better, I start decreasing the milk replacer. This method of raising calves has worked very well for me.
Just curious, what size/breed calf are you giving 2 gal./day to?
Size: From the day they go on a bottle - varies, but usually newborn to a few days old. Breed: Whatever I can get - we raised Murray Greys, but I've also raised bottle calves that were Hereford, Red Angus, Black Angus, and Black Baldies - I've never raised a dairy breed, strictly beef because that is what is the most abundant in my area. I go with the 2 gallons/day because we used to have beef breed milkcows, and we always got at least 2 gallons/day when we milked them. If they had a calf on them, that is what the calf would be getting and I try to keep my bottle calves as close to what nature would provide as possible, without bankrupting my endeavor or making them sick. My reasoning is simple - when is the last time you saw the typical bottle calf pot gut on a calf raised by its mother? You haven't, and that tells me that, although grain and hay are important, milk is more important. I can't duplicate their mother's milk, but I can come in a pretty close second.
mom to 4":1eglkwyb said:I've been using a really good milk replacer (18/21) According to the label I should give this calf 3 1/2 to 4 qts. a day. I'm sure he would eat more, but I was somehow under the impression that if I gave him much more than that, it wouldn't be good for him. Maybe give him scours/diarrhea or something. So you think it's OK to give him more? 2 gal. would double the label recommendation. He's about 70-80 lbs. angus x. Thanks.
mom to 4":1y6zq7ub said:msscamp":1y6zq7ub said:mom to 4":1y6zq7ub said:msscamp":1y6zq7ub said:randiliana":1y6zq7ub said:So what do you more experienced calf raisers have to say??
Well, you're not going to like my answer - but here it is. Until they are a month old (because that is generally the age they can eat pellets), they get their protein from the source nature intended - milk. That means 2 gallons/day, every day. I've tried the calf starters and such things, but discovered fairly quickly that the calves teeth are not strong enough to eat the pelleted milk replacer. It gets sorted out and goes to waste, which means I'm paying money for something that is not being utilized. I now adher to a very basic regime of milk replacer, good quality grass hay alternated with good quality alfalfa hay, good minerals, fresh water, and provide a small amount of C.O.B. (corn, oats, and barley mixed with a little molasses). I start out feeding a handful - poke a little in their mouth every time I bottle them - and, if it is not eaten within a 12 hour period, it is dumped into the bunk of the older calves or cows, and replaced with fresh. As they start eating the COB better, I start decreasing the milk replacer. This method of raising calves has worked very well for me.
Just curious, what size/breed calf are you giving 2 gal./day to?
Size: From the day they go on a bottle - varies, but usually newborn to a few days old. Breed: Whatever I can get - we raised Murray Greys, but I've also raised bottle calves that were Hereford, Red Angus, Black Angus, and Black Baldies - I've never raised a dairy breed, strictly beef because that is what is the most abundant in my area. I go with the 2 gallons/day because we used to have beef breed milkcows, and we always got at least 2 gallons/day when we milked them. If they had a calf on them, that is what the calf would be getting and I try to keep my bottle calves as close to what nature would provide as possible, without bankrupting my endeavor or making them sick. My reasoning is simple - when is the last time you saw the typical bottle calf pot gut on a calf raised by its mother? You haven't, and that tells me that, although grain and hay are important, milk is more important. I can't duplicate their mother's milk, but I can come in a pretty close second.
OK -- when I asked about this I was just curious so I could file it away for future reference. Now it looks like we may have a bottle calf. Mama is losing weight and not producing milk.
I've been using a really good milk replacer (18/21) According to the label I should give this calf 3 1/2 to 4 qts. a day. I'm sure he would eat more, but I was somehow under the impression that if I gave him much more than that, it wouldn't be good for him. Maybe give him scours/diarrhea or something. So you think it's OK to give him more? 2 gal. would double the label recommendation. He's about 70-80 lbs. angus x. Thanks.
mom to 4":2wxha5uw said:I gave him probios yesterday. Can I give it daily?
I thought that's what he was suggesting.highvoltagecattleco":3jmk9ft6 said:I also use probios for the first two weeks. When we started using probios it really kept them regular.
mom to 4":3cnskiwi said:Just read a great article on a thread from last year:
Bottle Feeding info
Thanks randilana!
donnaIL":1z1oq97p said:Been watching calves on thier momma's for a few years, and they don't eat as early as these...don't know why i didn't put 2 and 2 together...
donnaIL":2kzye52r said:The ones on our cows haven't ever eaten grain that early (course I don't buy starter for them either), guess my post was not that clear.
We give our cows a little grain each day, and after thinking about trying to teach these 2 week old calves to eat it, I cannot recall any of our calves (on the cows)being interested in grain at that early of an age. They munch on hay and grass at a couple weeks. I should keep better notes (the memory isn't as good as it use to be). Seems we start giving the calves a little sweet feed at a few months old, after they start coming up with the cows and licking the bowl & showing interest.
Since I never had to bottle feed before, this is all new to me. I just wanted to post that these twin calves I have were not eager to eat grain (the rolled corn,oats,barley)or purina calf starter..and that they started at 1 gallon of milk replacer a day and have slowly increased to 2 gallons a day. And I am happy they are eating because the sooner they do the sooner I can wean them.
They are good sized calves..I would guess at birth the heifer weighed 65lbs and the bull 75lbs.(maybe bigger).They have grown good.. Here's a picture on Easter...They were not yet 2 weeks old. Donna
donnaIL":25xiosu4 said:Thats them, 3 weeks old on Tuesday. Thanks Alice for your help. Donna