Orphan calf

[farmerjan]

Either cut her milk in half or cut out one bottle a day in the next couple weeks..... and then you can cut it out completely by the time she is 4 months. Pretty much keep feed in front of her. You will see what she will eat in 24 hours like you are seeing now. Most keep grain in front of them free choice until they hit 4 months or so and then feed a certain amount daily...
Sounds like she is getting along well for you.

 

[Tomcolvin]

Either cut her milk in half or cut out one bottle a day in the next couple weeks..... and then you can cut it out completely by the time she is 4 months. Pretty much keep feed in front of her. You will see what she will eat in 24 hours like you are seeing now. Most keep grain in front of them free choice until they hit 4 months or so and then feed a certain amount daily...
Sounds like she is getting along well for you.

 

[farmerjan]

If you have another that is close in size to her, and can keep them together; she will compete more for the feed and then consume more, and grow more... and get more exercise with someone to "run around and play with"....

 

[Tomcolvin]

She ate 3 pounds last night so I put another 3 pound in this morning and all was gone this evening so 3 more pounds went in the trough. If she keeps that up that 6 pounds in 24 hours. How much more does she need? She still getting her gallon of milk a day. When I finish feeding and start washing out the bottles and mopped, her and my dog run and play all over the pasture. The dog will run her a piece then she will run the dog for a while. They run back and to from pasture to coral, it comical to watch them. I will be moving some Calfs in with her but it will be after the New Year.

 

[farmerjan]

2-3% of body weight so I think she is right on target... I would cut her bottles in half or cut to one a day... whichever works better for you. She will not be happy with only one a day... but she will get over it. If you are moving some calves in with her, that is a good time to stop her bottles as they will not be getting bottles either...
Cute the way she and the dog are playmates... just be careful the dog doesn't run the calves you put in there and someone gets panicky and runs into a fence... you don't want them to run e very time they see a dog out of fear... and they all might play "tag" too....

 

[Nesikep]

I'm late to the show here, but I found calves learn by example, and having one lone calf is always going to be slow getting on solid food. When I have a good posse of calves a lot of them are nibbling on hay at a couple days old, and often chewing cud by 2 weeks, sometimes earlier. If you only have one, then well, there's not much you can do!