Starting older calf on bottle

[aplusmnt]

I have a cow with a calf that is around 5 weeks old. The cow is just in terrible shape, the calf is draining her down terrible. I even put the cow in with a show calf and am feeding her good. I know the cow has to leave because she has a history of this.

But what I am wondering is how hard would it be to pull the calf off and bottle feed it for a month and let the mother put on some weight and possibly get bred before I take her to the sale barn.

Any tips on how to get the bottle calf started would be appreciated. If I can do this I may also let my daughter show the calf in the bucket class at the fair, since she would be the one doing the bottle feeding.

 

[KNERSIE]

At 5 weeks I doubt your going to get the calf to take the bottle, it would probably be better to start the calf on a high proteien creep feed as soon as possible and once he eats it good take him away from the cow and only let him suckle once a day to take pressure of the cow. As soon as he eats about 4lbs of feed per day wean him and fatten the cow.

 

[angie1]

if your cow has a history of losing condition to the point of where she cannot maintain, let alone gain, on a fair calf ration when raising a calf ~ why would you rebreed her and sell her to someone else? I am not asking to be smart, i am asking because i want to know.

As to the calf, I cannot add anything to what Knersie has said.

 

[bigbull338]

at 5weeks old youll never bottle break that calf.he is done to old for bottle breaking.the best thing you can do is get it on feed good.an then sell the momma.or feed a keep her for a month or so.since your going to cull her.id pour the feed to her.prolly 10 to 15lbs a day.

 

[rockridgecattle]

if your cow has a history of losing condition to the point of where she cannot maintain, let alone gain, on a fair calf ration when raising a calf ~ why would you rebreed her and sell her to someone else? I am not asking to be smart, i am asking because i want to know.

As to the calf, I cannot add anything to what Knersie has said.

I want to know the answer to that to :shock:

 

[milkmaid]

Separate them for 24 hours and give it a try, aplus.

As long as the calf isn't too flighty or scared of you, it may work just fine. Long story short, I've had 8 week old calves that had always been on a cow, and once they figured out the bottle held milk they really went to town. I'd at least give it a try. Lot more expensive to feed a lactating cow than to just feed the calf.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

aplus, contrary to what some have stated (based on their experiences) it can be done (based on my experience). I've done it ,amy times , very successfully. Most recently with my nurse-cow's calf. The nurse cow died with a 4 week old calf at her side. I've also done the bottle thing with 3 at work that were 5 and 6 week olds amongst many others over the years.

The most challenging was the nurse-cow's calf. Generally what I have done, to make it easier on me, is to get a halter on the calf with a lead to make it easier to catch. Of course I've gotten the calf penned up in a small lot with a shelter. Depending on how strong/large the calf I get it backed into a corner and straddle the little bugger with its head and neck between my knees like a head-gate. Take the bottle and with my fingers work the nipple of the bottle into the calf's mouth. Intially there will be some resistance as they are used to momma's teat and (in my opinion) the flavor and exact temperature of the replacer isn't exactly like mom's. A 6 week old that I had broken to bottle took to it as if it had been bottle-fed its whole life. The others took about 2 days to fully 'get it' and I imagine, as milkmaid posted, they got hungry enough to eat/drink it all.

That calf is not a lost cause. You and your daughter can do it.

Go for it!

Katherine

 

[hillsdown]

It can be done, but the biggest obstacle you are going to face is that your calf is used to real milk and not replacer and once they get a taste of the good stuff they are quite fickle , unless you are going to use real milk.

The cow I wouldn't waste time on her unless you can supplement the calf with a bottle twice a day and let it still drink from the cow.I did that last year with a calf and then sent the old cow down the road (cull) no point passing your nightmares onto some unsuspecting buyer. If the cow has no use to you now cull her as soon as she is in better condition .

Hope you can get it to take a "bottle" sounds like a good entry for your daughter. Good luck.

 

[grubbie]

Have done it many times with calves older than that. I do it exactly how Workinonit said. Last year I brought in a calf who was without momma for a day and a half. I stuck the nipple in her mouth and she drank two bottles without coaxing. She was 8 weeks old.

 

[aplusmnt]

if your cow has a history of losing condition to the point of where she cannot maintain, let alone gain, on a fair calf ration when raising a calf ~ why would you rebreed her and sell her to someone else? I am not asking to be smart, i am asking because i want to know.

As to the calf, I cannot add anything to what Knersie has said.

Figured she may work with someone else. I probably let her get in to bad of condition before calving, this winter has had some pretty bad ice storms and she needed more supplement than I give. I been culling for easy keeping the last two years. My cows get no cubes, no sack feed and the last two years only lower quality fescue hay. I had two out of 20 that had to leave one was open but she was plum fat and then this one that is in bad condition but breeds every 11 months and raises a good calf.

Someone that fed a better quality hay and put out cubes in the winter would probably do ok with her. She would get knocked down but bounce back. I know she did not get like this 3 winters ago when I was feeding Bermuda hay.

I just do not want a cow that does not keep a good condition, someone else may do ok with her, I will not wait to long to take her to the sale, she will be what she is and the buyer will be able to tell. But I know her and running with the bull she will be preg, she has been every eleven to twelve months since a heifer.

 

[backhoeboogie]

You may have to force feed him the first time. Build a small box chute and back the calf into it. It is not easy. Splits from the sale barn get used to this all the time. Keep him in a fairly small pen with feed and hay. A week later you can put him in the pasture and hang the bottle in a bottle rack on the fence.