Running Arrow Bill
Well-known member
Help! LOL! I've already read the extensive thread by Milkmaid. Very good info!
Here's our situation:
One of our first calf heifers we bought who was already bred, had a heifer last month bred by a top bull and managed to step on her soon after she was born and rejected the calf which resulted in a broken leg. Took calf to Vet who did surgery on her and kept her for 10 days. Heifer was bottle fed from day one since mama rejected the calf (and we didn't have any nurse cows).
We started with colostrum at day one. Then started with milk replacer (24/20) and calf took bottle well with 2 quarts 2X a day and had normal BM's and urine output.
She is now 4 weeks old and still on bottle.
Question: When can we introduce her to feed and gradually wean her off daily bottle feedings? Type of calf feed to use? She has free access to quality hay and grass if she wants it.
Note: it would be extremely difficult for us to continue bottle feeding her for much longer and am wondering if we can put some calf feed (type?) in with her along with pan of water (while weaning her off bottle)??
Any concise information anyone and/or Milkmaid can give us will be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks,
Bill
Here's our situation:
One of our first calf heifers we bought who was already bred, had a heifer last month bred by a top bull and managed to step on her soon after she was born and rejected the calf which resulted in a broken leg. Took calf to Vet who did surgery on her and kept her for 10 days. Heifer was bottle fed from day one since mama rejected the calf (and we didn't have any nurse cows).
We started with colostrum at day one. Then started with milk replacer (24/20) and calf took bottle well with 2 quarts 2X a day and had normal BM's and urine output.
She is now 4 weeks old and still on bottle.
Question: When can we introduce her to feed and gradually wean her off daily bottle feedings? Type of calf feed to use? She has free access to quality hay and grass if she wants it.
Note: it would be extremely difficult for us to continue bottle feeding her for much longer and am wondering if we can put some calf feed (type?) in with her along with pan of water (while weaning her off bottle)??
Any concise information anyone and/or Milkmaid can give us will be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks,
Bill