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Pot Bellied Bottle Calves
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<blockquote data-quote="rocfarm" data-source="post: 1763913" data-attributes="member: 42715"><p>Usually, the limiting factors for cattle to thrive are protein, vitamins, and minerals. Calves need a higher average amount of protein, and they usually get that from their mother's milk. With bottle calves, you provide what nature doesn't in the form of some kind of feed. The problem is making it cost effective. That's usually hard to do with bottle calves. Also, with the not so great start to life that they receive, they might not make the best momma cows IMO.</p><p></p><p>That said, the cheapest way to provide extra protein, vitamins and minerals seems to be from liquid feed. Usually a molasses mixed with other vitamins and minerals. That's followed by cubing your cattle regularly. If you don't have time for the hassle, bring a good cooked protein tub (needs to be cooked to limit intake) and putting it out for the cattle to lick in one every day or so is a great way to go if their is plentiful forage. I had one calf weaned at 6 weeks or so that looked terrible on only grass, but 2 months after putting the protein tub out and adequate grass, the calf slicked off and her pot belly went away.</p><p></p><p>However, still don't know if the bad start to life will affect her productivity/fertility. We'll see. But a cow that doesn't have a calf every 12 to 13 months is usually a money-loser.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="rocfarm, post: 1763913, member: 42715"] Usually, the limiting factors for cattle to thrive are protein, vitamins, and minerals. Calves need a higher average amount of protein, and they usually get that from their mother’s milk. With bottle calves, you provide what nature doesn’t in the form of some kind of feed. The problem is making it cost effective. That’s usually hard to do with bottle calves. Also, with the not so great start to life that they receive, they might not make the best momma cows IMO. That said, the cheapest way to provide extra protein, vitamins and minerals seems to be from liquid feed. Usually a molasses mixed with other vitamins and minerals. That’s followed by cubing your cattle regularly. If you don’t have time for the hassle, bring a good cooked protein tub (needs to be cooked to limit intake) and putting it out for the cattle to lick in one every day or so is a great way to go if their is plentiful forage. I had one calf weaned at 6 weeks or so that looked terrible on only grass, but 2 months after putting the protein tub out and adequate grass, the calf slicked off and her pot belly went away. However, still don’t know if the bad start to life will affect her productivity/fertility. We’ll see. But a cow that doesn’t have a calf every 12 to 13 months is usually a money-loser. [/QUOTE]
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