First time calvers
- Thread starter jallen
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Supa Dexta
Well-known member
No, 2nd or 3rd calf they come on stronger.
Thanks for the reply. I have one that dropped last night, she seems to have very little milk. The calf is trying to nurse constantly but doesn't seem to be getting much out of the deal. I'm hoping it has gotten plenty of colostrum, no way to know though I guess.
Son of Butch
Well-known member
If you are concerned you could give the calf supplemental colostrum.
Not only will 1st lactation milk production lag compared to next year and beyond;
1st calf heifers are more likely to have low quality colostrum and will produce better quality for 2nd calf and beyond.
http://www.leedstone.com/chart-colostrum/
Not only will 1st lactation milk production lag compared to next year and beyond;
1st calf heifers are more likely to have low quality colostrum and will produce better quality for 2nd calf and beyond.
http://www.leedstone.com/chart-colostrum/
Supa Dexta
Well-known member
I'd rope her and see if she has milk atleast. If she does, and you know she is being fed well - that's all you can do for her. You can supplement the calf if you feel it needs it, sometimes heifers take a couple days to kick into gear I've seen before.
And then some calves like to bunt, and go from teat to teat quickly when they are learning to nurse too - cows that have milk, seems the calves just get over eager and cant pick just one.
And then some calves like to bunt, and go from teat to teat quickly when they are learning to nurse too - cows that have milk, seems the calves just get over eager and cant pick just one.
skyhightree1
Well-known member
jallen":324guhpx said:
put a lil molasses on the nipple. When using replacement milk use milk based not soy.. Do not use too much milk replacer than directed i always use a lil less. Do not try to make it drink too much I always start off with half a bottle then build up. I have also found if the nipple is really firm its harder to start them on a bottle. Thats just my personal experience and :2cents:
aprille218
Well-known member
If the nipple has a big enough hole in it that the milk will drip out without being even sucked you can squirt some into their mouths which helps them get the hang of it faster.
skyhightree1
Well-known member
aprille218":1on4l59l said:
That can be done by squeezing the nipple doesn't necessarily have to be done by a large nipple hole. :2cents:
A little more in the bag this afternoon and the calf is nursing best I can tell. She goes from teat to teat a lot though. She never stays on one for long enough to do any good it seems like. At this point I feel like the calf is probably getting enough and should be ok.
Toad
Well-known member
I had a first time heifer that took 2 days to start producing decent milk this year. I fed a bit of replacer to get the calf going and then backed off as she came in. Now she has the biggest bag of all the heifers that have calved so far.
Checked again this morning, the heifer has more milk this morning than at any point so far. The majority seem to be in the rear of the bag and of course the calf wants to nurse the front. I feel like the calf should be getting what it needs but it won't stay on a teat long enough to do jack squat. It just punches the bag and bounces around. If its not getting milk its not because it isint there. I don't have time to babysit the stupid thing and momma is making milk so its on its own at this point. Sometimes I wish animals were just a touch smarter for the sake of my sanity.
cmf1
Well-known member
jallen":2klwvtn4 said:
Good solid yellow feces from the calf is a pretty good indicator of colostrum consumption.
Big Cheese
Well-known member
I would like ask this question here since it was mentioned briefly earlier and i've been wondering about it....my uncle has a couple of bottle calves so he is having to buy Milk Replacer and I'm pretty sure the milk he has been buying lately could be Soy based not for sure. It says soy-something on the ingredients but its the third or fourth ingredient so I may not be right. Our vet says the brand is a really good brand and it is working great for him...his two calves look really good. What is the reason behind some of y'all saying the soy based is not good replacer? I can see why the actual Milk based replacer is better so you don't have to explain that I just want to know why some of y'all stay away from the Soy based.
randiliana
Well-known member
Baby calves digestive systems have a hard time digesting plant based protien. Essentially they starve on a soy based replacer.
A few years ago, we were feeding several and to keep costs down we thought to try a bag as it was quite a bit cheaper. Within 3 days you could see the calves going downhill on it. In the end, we mixed it off with good replacer on some older calves.
A few years ago, we were feeding several and to keep costs down we thought to try a bag as it was quite a bit cheaper. Within 3 days you could see the calves going downhill on it. In the end, we mixed it off with good replacer on some older calves.
Big Cheese
Well-known member
My uncle is using Land O Lakes brand and it seems to be working and doing great so maybe it's not soy based but it definitely had soy in it
