Weaning bottle calf

[mcdowedd]

When weaning a bottle calf from the bottle, do you do it cold-turkey one day after they're eating enough grain, or do you gradually decrease the amount of replacer over time?

 

[Alice]

When weaning a bottle calf from the bottle, do you do it cold-turkey one day after they're eating enough grain, or do you gradually decrease the amount of replacer over time?

I gradually decrease the amount...like a half bottle in the a.m. and a half bottle in the p.m. After about a week, I cut out one of the feedings...then after that week, he's done with the bottle. During that time you should see an increase in the amount of dry feed he's eating...

Now, that's just how I do it...for me, it's easier on both of us that way. The incessant bawling of "cold turkey" about drives me nuts.

Alice

 

[Chris H]

When weaning a bottle calf from the bottle, do you do it cold-turkey one day after they're eating enough grain, or do you gradually decrease the amount of replacer over time?

Cold turkey, when they're eating enough grain and a minimum of 8 weeks, we'll wean as soon as the bag of replacer is used up.

 

[warpaint]

Been a very long time since I messed with a bottle calf, but if I remember right, I did them just like the others and took it away completely.

 

[bigbull338]

i just weaned a calf here a while back.an i cut him to 1 bottle of milk a day till i ran out of milk.when i weaned him he was eating 4 coffee cans of feed a day.now he is eating 8 coffee cans of feed a day.wean when he eats 2 or 3 cans of feed a day.but ill wean then cold turkey most of the time.

 

[msscamp]

When weaning a bottle calf from the bottle, do you do it cold-turkey one day after they're eating enough grain, or do you gradually decrease the amount of replacer over time?

I cut out one bottle at a time and give the calf several days to adjust, then cut out another, etc. But I don't subscribe to the 2 bottles/day, 12 hours apart theory either.