NURSING

[j4qtrhorse]

When do you decide when and when not to bottle feed a new born calf. calf is walking ,looks good but doesnt seem to be getting any milk from her first time mom. calf will try all teats even head butts then gives up and lays down calf does walk around appears to have strength i just dont know if he has gotten any milk. born 1:30 pm and at 9m i tried to give it some colostrum replacer mixed up one full bag makes 1 1/2 quarts but the calf only ate appro 1 cup or 1 1/2 cups. if the teats are plugged will they loosen up on their own or do have to try to milk the mom.

 

[regolith]

Calf stands shivering with slightly hunched back and guts look like they've been sewn together... get some food into it.

Between that, and the bouncy fat calf that you know has been feeding, there's a big range of possibles.
I look at energy, gut fullness, check under the tail for yellow poop (not just meconium), looks comfortable when standing, Mum's teats are shiny or some quarters lighter than others, for indicators that the calf has fed. Offering a bottle which the calf refuses or only drinks a little is a reasonably good sign that it's fed already.

A strong calf will manage to remove the teat plug. Unfortunately the person who told me that didn't offer any suggestion for the fate of a weaker calf.