Need advice

[Hogfarmer10]

I had bad luck today. I had a cow die today. Haven't got a clue why. Here's the kicker. She had a calf on 10-8-22. So 4 months to the day. My wife is already raising a bottle calf. Would you put the calf of the dead cow with the bottle calf and feed each one milk + calf starter, put them together and just feed the bottle calf milk but provide calf starter for the orphaned calf, or just let things be? My guess is that the calf weighs around 200lbs. but I've never been good at guessing calf weights.

 

[kenny thomas]

Feed the calf good feed and hay. Your probably not going to be able to get it to take a bottle.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I agree. No milk. I have weaned calves to show at 4 months of age. They are ready for feed at that age. Will need about a 15-16% protein diet. Start slow. 1% of it's body weight to start on grain.

 

[Warren Allison]

I had bad luck today. I had a cow die today. Haven't got a clue why. Here's the kicker. She had a calf on 10-8-22. So 4 months to the day. My wife is already raising a bottle calf. Would you put the calf of the dead cow with the bottle calf and feed each one milk + calf starter, put them together and just feed the bottle calf milk but provide calf starter for the orphaned calf, or just let things be? My guess is that the calf weighs around 200lbs. but I've never been good at guessing calf weights.

No, it is plenty old enough to wean. Get some Calf Manna or other brand of caf starter feed. How old is the bottle calf?

 

[coachg]

Good sweet feed / calf starter and hay .

 

[Brute 23]

Yep... wean it

 

[aprille218]

If the calves are pretty close in size and are nice to each other then keeping them together would be fine. They both can have calf starter but just give the younger one milk. Having them together will not only provide companionship but they will learn from each other too.

 

[Hogfarmer10]

Thanks everybody. Bottle calf is a Christmas baby, so she's probably going to be weaned mid March, as long as she keeps growing like she has been. I think I'll pen them together, or I'm at least going to try. I appreciate everyone on here always helping.

 

[1Sport]

Purina makes a complete calf starter feed, Precon, in a blue and white bag. It's a complete feed, so it contains so it contains some roughage. It's pricey, but a lot less trouble than battling the diarrhea caused by regular feeds. I start my weaned calves on this, then transition to a more conventional feed. It works for me, helps to keep them from getting the pot belly bottle calf look. And Jeanne is right at this age that calf's gonna take off and do just fine.

 

[Allenw]

Put the two together and get some good textured calf starter for them. They'll do better together. The bottle calf should be well started on starter feed by now anyway.