my calf wont take a bottle

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yes I tried that he would drink a little but not much. right now I'm putting a tube down his throat and giving him 1 bottle a day and he's doing fine that way just wondering if anyone knew of any tricks to get him to suck the bottle. has anyone ever tried putting a calf on another beef cow and did it work.
I have heard that a jersey would feed other calves but not sure about a beef cow.
 
jtbakv":1vel56qg said:
yes I tried that he would drink a little but not much. right now I'm putting a tube down his throat and giving him 1 bottle a day and he's doing fine that way just wondering if anyone knew of any tricks to get him to suck the bottle. has anyone ever tried putting a calf on another beef cow and did it work.
I have heard that a jersey would feed other calves but not sure about a beef cow.
Depends on the cow, but a lot of them will. Alos the calf may become a "sneaky snacker". When a cow is nursing her calf the orphan calf sneaks in from behind. But I've found that the "SS" calves are more prone to going back to sucking after they are weaned
 
I have him in the corral with 3 other babies calves would it be better to put him out to pasture and see if he would be adopted or leave him in with the other babies.
 
A 7 week old calf is old enough to wean. I know a rancher who runs 3000 sheep and also buys several hundred feeders each year. He gets a few pregnant heifers in with these young cattle every year. When I was there the other day he had four 3 month old calves in with a large group of lambs. I asked about feeding them, and he told me they bucket feed with milk replacer for one month. Calves had access to the lambs ration from birth. At one month of age the calves are weaned on to a good balanced feed and pasture. These calves looked real good. Check with your feed store and have them recommend a good calf starter to get your calf growing.
 

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