How do you get a calf to take a bottle?

[TNcowman]

Calf is 2 weeks old. Need to get her started on milk replacer ASAP. Tried this morning and the little rascal fought me but never took bottle. Any suggestions? (her mother has pretty bad mastitis and I pulled calf this morning while I continue treatment)

 

[bigbull338]

Calf is 2 weeks old. Need to get her started on milk replacer ASAP. Tried this morning and the little rascal fought me but never took bottle. Any suggestions? (her mother has pretty bad mastitis and I pulled calf this morning while I continue treatment)

put calf in the chute.straddle calf force mouth open.shove nipple in mouth an clamp the mouth on nipple forcing calf to suck.being as the calf is 2wks old might be hard to bottle break.i wouldnt feed it tonite.id try to bottle it in the morning.get a calf hungry an sometimes they take bottle better.but i really dont think sucking momma will hurt anything.you may have to put her back on her momma.

 

[warpaint]

Another set of hands here would be a good thing.

Good info BigBull. To that I would add, to work the calfs jaw, like a biting motion, till it gets the hang of the bottle.

You also might want to check the size of the nipple on the bottle, as some won't take the one made for calves. Co-op or similar stores carry sheeps nipples for bottles.

 

[littleboss]

My trick of the trade is to coat the nipple with molasses or corn syrup. Hasn't let me down yet

 

[bigbull338]

Another set of hands here would be a good thing.

Good info BigBull. To that I would add, to work the calfs jaw, like a biting motion, till it gets the hang of the bottle.

You also might want to check the size of the nipple on the bottle, as some won't take the one made for calves. Co-op or similar stores carry sheeps nipples for bottles.

paint ive been bottle breaking calves for 35yrs.an ive had every kind of calf you can think of to break.an only had 4 holstein heifer calves beat me.years ago me an my dad started buying weaned hol heifers.to raise an put in the dairy.we was at the dairy sale.an bought 4 hol heifer calves for $230ea. thought they was weaned.well they wasnt.fought with them to take bottle an nothing.went an bought a tuber an tubed them for a week.an they died in a week.never taking the bottle.well that was $920 down the drain.so me an dad ate the lose.raised 60 calves an weaned heifers the yr before he died.an bred them the next spring an summer.

 

[Alice]

I'd rather eat nails than try to bottle break a calf that's been on it's mother that long. I swear, there is nothing more frustrating.

I wish I had a neat, never fail trick, and I don't. I've tried different nipples, I've straddled them and forced the bottle in the mouth and worked the jaws up and down (while getting beat half to death), you name it, I've tried it. One thing I haven't tried is the syrup on the nipple...and had I known about it or thought about it, I'd have tried that.

It got to where I'd load them up the next sale day and take them back with the hopes that someone knew more about it than me and would have better luck.

I would seriously consider doing what BB338 said...

but i really dont think sucking momma will hurt anything.you may have to put her back on her momma.

Alice

 

[warpaint]

Another set of hands here would be a good thing.

Good info BigBull. To that I would add, to work the calfs jaw, like a biting motion, till it gets the hang of the bottle.

You also might want to check the size of the nipple on the bottle, as some won't take the one made for calves. Co-op or similar stores carry sheeps nipples for bottles.

paint ive been bottle breaking calves for 35yrs.an ive had every kind of calf you can think of to break.an only had 4 holstein heifer calves beat me.years ago me an my dad started buying weaned hol heifers.to raise an put in the dairy.we was at the dairy sale.an bought 4 hol heifer calves for $230ea. thought they was weaned.well they wasnt.fought with them to take bottle an nothing.went an bought a tuber an tubed them for a week.an they died in a week.never taking the bottle.well that was $920 down the drain.so me an dad ate the lose.raised 60 calves an weaned heifers the yr before he died.an bred them the next spring an summer.

Wasn't arguing with ya BigBull. I said you gave good info.

 

[bigbull338]

Another set of hands here would be a good thing.

Good info BigBull. To that I would add, to work the calfs jaw, like a biting motion, till it gets the hang of the bottle.

You also might want to check the size of the nipple on the bottle, as some won't take the one made for calves. Co-op or similar stores carry sheeps nipples for bottles.

paint ive been bottle breaking calves for 35yrs.an ive had every kind of calf you can think of to break.an only had 4 holstein heifer calves beat me.years ago me an my dad started buying weaned hol heifers.to raise an put in the dairy.we was at the dairy sale.an bought 4 hol heifer calves for $230ea. thought they was weaned.well they wasnt.fought with them to take bottle an nothing.went an bought a tuber an tubed them for a week.an they died in a week.never taking the bottle.well that was $920 down the drain.so me an dad ate the lose.raised 60 calves an weaned heifers the yr before he died.an bred them the next spring an summer.

Wasn't arguing with ya BigBull. I said you gave good info.

i know you wasnt paint.was just showing people that even an experienced cattleman can get stung good buying cattle.no matter how careful you are when your buying.

 

[cattleluvr18]

it tends to help to rub the throat while also working the jaw. then it gets all the motions goin at once so the milk pretty much has to go down.

 

[CWT Angus]

I might have missed this in the original post, but why does the calf need milk replacer?
I have started a 2 week old calf & a 2 month old calf recently & both did fine. It definitely helps them to get a little hungry. Depending on your facilities you might straddle the calf in a corner as mentioned , or I have also straddled them in the squeeze (if yours has the room) at that age. It's just a bit easier to contain them & you can do it with less force. Sometimes if you have to manhandle them too much they won't even try.
Don't worry, you'll get it.

 

[msscamp]

Calf is 2 weeks old. Need to get her started on milk replacer ASAP. Tried this morning and the little rascal fought me but never took bottle. Any suggestions? (her mother has pretty bad mastitis and I pulled calf this morning while I continue treatment)

Bottle breaking a calf at 2 weeks old is fighting a downhill battle, and the chances of you winning are slim. Unless the cow has mastitis in all 4 quarters, I would treat the mastitis and leave the calf on her. A cow with reasonably good milk can raise a calf on 2 or 3 quarters.

 

[novatech]

Calf is 2 weeks old. Need to get her started on milk replacer ASAP. Tried this morning and the little rascal fought me but never took bottle. Any suggestions? (her mother has pretty bad mastitis and I pulled calf this morning while I continue treatment)

I had one the same way. I tried the molases and it did not work. I tubed it for days. Finally I called an elderly man that had bottle raised calves for years. He told me to take a hand full of sugar and shove it in her mouth and put the nipple in right after. I thought he was nuts but I was desperate so I gave it a try. It worked. The calf was working its tongue trying to get that sugar off and got some milk in the process and started sucking.
With the next calf I got, it did not work. With this one I stuck the bottle in and worked his jaw squeezeing the milk out manualy and he started sucking but it took several days.
Sometimes you get so frustrated you just want to turn them into veal.

 

[TNcowman]

Update:
I put the calf in barn and tied it up with a dog collar and 4ft of rope. I let it be away from mother cow all night. I put some Log Cabin syrup on the nipple, straddled the calf and the calf took two quarts of re-sorb (electrolytes & milk replacer) in less than 5 minutes. I will do again middle of the day today and tonight and then do in the morning and in the late afternoon. When I get her mom better in a couple of days, I will put back together.

 

[Alice]

:clap:

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you...and the calf.

Alice

 

[KNERSIE]

if all 4 quarts of the cow's udder isn't affected, try milk the healthy quarters out and feed the milk in the bottle, once the calf get the hang of sucking on the nipple you can always change back to the milk replacer.

 

[Moocow11]

Calf is 2 weeks old. Need to get her started on milk replacer ASAP. Tried this morning and the little rascal fought me but never took bottle. Any suggestions? (her mother has pretty bad mastitis and I pulled calf this morning while I continue treatment)

put calf in the chute.straddle calf force mouth open.

how is the calf gonna be in the chute while u straddle it??

 

[Alice]

Calf is 2 weeks old. Need to get her started on milk replacer ASAP. Tried this morning and the little rascal fought me but never took bottle. Any suggestions? (her mother has pretty bad mastitis and I pulled calf this morning while I continue treatment)

put calf in the chute.straddle calf force mouth open.

how is the calf gonna be in the chute while u straddle it??

Well, I'm gonna take a stab at this one.

Calves aren't that big, but they can take ya' on one he11 of a ride when your straddling them. In the chute, they can't go that far.

Alice

 

[Travis B.]

I'm breaking an 18 day old calf right now, whose mom got out on the highway during a horrible thunderstorm and was hit by a pickup and killed. I've found the easiest way to break one is feed it a full bottle once a day for the first few days to make it hungry at each feeding. I know it isn't much but it keeps them hungry. When I feed it I just back it in a corner, straddle it and use the biting method. So far this one is taking it pretty good and is going to two bottles a day in the morning. Hope all comes out well with your calf.

Travis Bryan

 

[msscamp]

Calf is 2 weeks old. Need to get her started on milk replacer ASAP. Tried this morning and the little rascal fought me but never took bottle. Any suggestions? (her mother has pretty bad mastitis and I pulled calf this morning while I continue treatment)

put calf in the chute.straddle calf force mouth open.

how is the calf gonna be in the chute while u straddle it??

Well, I'm gonna take a stab at this one.

Calves aren't that big, but they can take ya' on one he11 of a ride when your straddling them. In the chute, they can't go that far.

Alice

You wanna bet? :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Alice]

Calf is 2 weeks old. Need to get her started on milk replacer ASAP. Tried this morning and the little rascal fought me but never took bottle. Any suggestions? (her mother has pretty bad mastitis and I pulled calf this morning while I continue treatment)

put calf in the chute.straddle calf force mouth open.

how is the calf gonna be in the chute while u straddle it??

Well, I'm gonna take a stab at this one.

Calves aren't that big, but they can take ya' on one he11 of a ride when your straddling them. In the chute, they can't go that far.

Alice

You wanna bet? :lol: :lol: :lol:

No, not really... :lol: :lol: :lol: