My little orphan calf loves her milk but don't want anything else. I went to a tractor supply and one of the workers showed me a pellet he claim was the best. I told him she was only one month and 3 days old and I wanted some like horse grain with real molasses in it. Said they didn't have that in stock. I bought the pellets and according to the label it's a good calf starter after weaning or when you want to start weaning. I stop by my feed store and they were open and had what I was looking for. I didn't get back in time to feed any of it but in the morning I'll try it. I did leave a little hay in her pen and I think she might have eaten two tablespoons of hay. lol maybe I can get her prime in a day or so. I am going to have to move her to a new facility tomorrow morning because I need the corral for the big cows vaccine program Saturday. Maybe the move to across the road won't up set her to much.
Orphan calf
- Thread starter Tomcolvin
- Start date
SBMF 2015
Well-known member
I forgot to order texturized calf starter for the bottle babies on our weekly feed order. I had to go to tsc anyway so I decided to pick up something to get us by. I finally settled on purina goat feed. It's perfect for those new calves. Fine cracked corn, oats, protein and molasses. The calves really go after it.
Thanks, I picked up a bag at my feed store, I forget the name but it sounds similar to what you just subscribed. I put some in a trough this evening and it must have had an aroma to it because when I poured it in trough and went out the gate to get her milk bottles, she headed to trough to check it out. She ate a mouthful but when the bottles appeared in the lot she came running. It was getting dark so after milk feeding I just left her. When I went out gate she went back to trough. I can tell in the morning if she ate any as she is in pen by herself
SBMF 2015
Well-known member
redcowsrule33
Well-known member
Kent feeds makes a calf starter called Sweet Flakes that is exceptional.
sassafras manor
Well-known member
In the past I've had good success sprinkling some of the dry milk replacer powder on the calf pellets. I feel the calf recognizes the smell of the milk replacer and it encourages it to nibble on the feed.
Lucky_P
Well-known member
When we've raised bottle calves, I kept fresh clean calf starter out for them from about Day 3. Every time we fed a bottle, or just passed by the calf pen, I'd cram a handful of feed into the calf's mouth until they got with the program and started eating it on their own. Most would be eating 1.5-2lbs of calf starter per day by the time they were 4-6 weeks old, and we'd just stop the bottle and increase their grain ration accordingly.
A word of caution... I'd recommend feeding a starter/grower ration formulated for growing calves. The 'All-Stock' feeds, and most 'sweet feeds' intended for mature horses are not adequate. Not sure that I'd chance one that says, "Good for all stages of life.", or similar claim.
I still remember a local family who was raising Holstein bottle calves, but the next-door neighbor told them, "You don't need to buy that expensive calf starter/grower stuff, they'll do just fine on 10% Horse & Mule feed." And... they did do OK, I guess, until they got up to about 300 lbs and started having femoral, pelvic, and spinal fractures.
A word of caution... I'd recommend feeding a starter/grower ration formulated for growing calves. The 'All-Stock' feeds, and most 'sweet feeds' intended for mature horses are not adequate. Not sure that I'd chance one that says, "Good for all stages of life.", or similar claim.
I still remember a local family who was raising Holstein bottle calves, but the next-door neighbor told them, "You don't need to buy that expensive calf starter/grower stuff, they'll do just fine on 10% Horse & Mule feed." And... they did do OK, I guess, until they got up to about 300 lbs and started having femoral, pelvic, and spinal fractures.
TexasJerseyMilker
Well-known member
I use Purina Amplicalf. It is 22% protien,a starter scientifically formulated for their age and certainly amplifies their growth. They do need that much protien. Right after a bottle a calf is still desparate to suck and is very mouthy. Thats the time to put a few handfulls of fresh feed into a container next to where they got the bottle. Also, pouring some milk on the feed will get them going. You can get Amplicalf wherever they sell Purina Feeds. You also need to keep fresh water in front of them. Later they can go to an 18% protien feed, then a 14% protien stocker grower once they are older and eating hay. A young calf's rumen is not developed yet. If they fill up on hay they get pot bellied.
Thanks for the pictures. I'll look for this when I go back to Tractor Supply.
I have searched Tractor Supply and any other that might be within 50 miles of me for the Purina Amplicalf with 0 results. It always comes up with Horse feed. Where do you find this?
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Don't feel bad. No one around here carries it either. I've been feeding Purina Precon and it seems to be doing well. The protein is not as high. 14 or 16% I think. But my lil heifer is doing OK on it!
In the past I've used a high grain sweet feed (NOT REGULAR SWEET FEED, more like a calf grower feed) and supplemented with calf mana. They always seem to eat it very well!!
Just get some oats...rolled or crimped is best.... and feed it with the amount of calf manna suggested on the bag. You can mix molasses with it, or I have used applesauce before. I'd get those big cans, like lunchroom size, and use it to sweeten it up some.
Thanks for the suggestions. I left her last night with a goat through with about a pound of Sweetmix (not the real name) in it. I hand fed her a bit of it and dropped a few drops of the milk in it. This morning it was scattered in the through and more than half of it was gone. She was penned by herself in what I call a nursery pasture with a shedded cover to get under. Unless some wild animal helped her out she must have ate it herself.
Went to feed milk this morning and the feed mix I left in trough was gone. So I fed the milk and added about the same amount of feed with the milk powder sprinkled over it. Went back this evening to feed milk and all the grain mix was gone. She is in a pen by herself so I'm thinking she must be eating it. I have been feeding 2 qts morning and evening. Do you think I should cut back to 1-1/2 qts morning and evening and watch feed in take? I don't think any wild animal would have come in to trough during the daylight.
SBMF 2015
Well-known member
No reason to cut back on milk until you're ready to wean her.
Sounds like you've got her on the right track.
farmerjan
Well-known member
If I read the post correctly this calf is now only 5 weeks old.... NO.... do not decrease her milk. She would be getting the most milk from the cow about now... cows will come into the greatest amount of production after 30 days.... most dairy cattle peak at 45-125 days... Look at calves on cows... they get chubby fat after 6 to 8 weeks... because they are getting what they need and are putting on good body condition... They are growing.
I would not increase her milk as this limited amount is encouraging her to try and eat the feed you are providing. I would start to increase the amount of feed after a week of cleaning it up.... and I would stop sprinkling the milk replacer on it so she will get just the taste of the feed.
There are lots of thoughts on milk feeding/ bottles for calves. It used to be strictly a 2 qt bottle 2 x a day was plenty... There are alot of dairies that are now feeding 3 qts a feeding... and getting impressive growth of their heifers. If you have waste milk on the farm... treated or high cell count milk that a farmer will keep out of the tank... then 3 qts is fine. Buying milk replacer is expensive, 2 qts is adequate with the calf starting to eat. Some dairies have weaned calves at 6 weeks but it takes alot more feed to get them to continue to gain.... just not worth it if you want the calf to grow at a decent rate.
I feed bottles for 8-12 weeks... depending on the calf... 12 weeks is better... more like NATURE...but can be very expensive...
The "true milk stomach, section" will shrink as they eat more... but think about calves on beef cows... most are not weaned until 5-8 months... and they are still getting some milk all along. The better the cow milks, up to a point, where it will damage the udder because the calf cannot use all the milk..... the nicer/fatter the calf is and the better it grows...
Don't short change the calf now that it is starting to eat.... at 7-8 weeks, you can cut the milk back... and take 3-4 weeks to cut back more as you wean it off...
I would not increase her milk as this limited amount is encouraging her to try and eat the feed you are providing. I would start to increase the amount of feed after a week of cleaning it up.... and I would stop sprinkling the milk replacer on it so she will get just the taste of the feed.
There are lots of thoughts on milk feeding/ bottles for calves. It used to be strictly a 2 qt bottle 2 x a day was plenty... There are alot of dairies that are now feeding 3 qts a feeding... and getting impressive growth of their heifers. If you have waste milk on the farm... treated or high cell count milk that a farmer will keep out of the tank... then 3 qts is fine. Buying milk replacer is expensive, 2 qts is adequate with the calf starting to eat. Some dairies have weaned calves at 6 weeks but it takes alot more feed to get them to continue to gain.... just not worth it if you want the calf to grow at a decent rate.
I feed bottles for 8-12 weeks... depending on the calf... 12 weeks is better... more like NATURE...but can be very expensive...
The "true milk stomach, section" will shrink as they eat more... but think about calves on beef cows... most are not weaned until 5-8 months... and they are still getting some milk all along. The better the cow milks, up to a point, where it will damage the udder because the calf cannot use all the milk..... the nicer/fatter the calf is and the better it grows...
Don't short change the calf now that it is starting to eat.... at 7-8 weeks, you can cut the milk back... and take 3-4 weeks to cut back more as you wean it off...
Thanks, I'll follow this protocol. She didn't eat much at all last night so I just grouped it back into a pile so I can tell if she moves it around and also see how much she ate. She gobbled up the two quarts of milk this morning. I figure since she ate the feed yesterday like she did she probably didn't want anymore last night. I'll check her this evening when I get home. See pic attached. I think she is well over a 100 pounds now, maybe 125lb?
Attachments
wbvs58
Well-known member
She is looking good Tom.
Ken
Ken
Thanks, she had ate all her feed this morning so I added about the same amount. Thi evening she had eaten only half of it. I regrouped it into a pile with a little more milk replacer sprinkled on it. She gobbled her two quarts morning and evening. I did see her use the bathroom and it was solid and colored like a grown cow. She must be the one eating her grain because I don't think her stool would look like that.
She is still getting her milk morning and evening. She is eating about 3 lbs a day now. I put 3lb out in the evenings and about half will be gone at feed time in the morning when I feed the milk. I just leave it until about 5:00 pm when I go back to milk feed and all the grain pellets will be gone. I add 3 more pounds and repeat same scenario. She is about a good 150+ pounds now and is about 9-1/2 weeks old now. She will be 3 months old Jan 10, 2025. I believe she will be 200+ pounds by then. How long do I stick with the milk. She still getting a gallon a day. I thought maybe when she hits 3-1/2 to 4 months maybe to cut her to 1 quart each feeding and more grain?
