Weaning Question

[A6gal]

My bottle calf is 6 weeks old now and I'd like to start the weaning process but not sure how to go about it.

Should I just slowly start reducing the amount of milk replacer being fed or just cut him off altogether?

He stays with the herd day and night. I just go out to the pasture to feed him his bottle twice a day. I have not been able to get him to eat any starter feed. He will eat it out of my hand after his bottle because he's trying to find more milk but won't eat it from the trough. When he realizes he's not getting more milk he spits the feed out. He does graze with the cows.

 

[3MR]

This might help

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Livestoc ... tle_Calves

Talks about weaning them off the bottle toward the end of the article.

 

[Alice]

Myself, I wouldn't just wean him cold turkey.

What we've been doing that seems to work very well is to gradually reduce the amount of milk liquid they're getting by putting the full compliment of milk replacer into 3 pints of water rather than 4 pints. That way they're still getting the full amount of milk but feel less full. Do that for a few days, then put the full compliment of milk replacer into 2 pints of water.

When you notice the calf eating a decent amount of dry feed, reduce the amount cut out the night bottle. I'd still give him at least a full compliment of milk in 2 pints of water for a while yet. I'm always afraid that if the calves aren't eating at least 2 pound of dry feed a day, they open themselves up to respiratory problems. Maybe that's just superstition on my part, but I've seen calves taken off milk cold turkey or taken off milk when they're not eating 2 punds of dray feed daily, and danged if they didn't start to cough and act droopy. But, like I said, I might just be being over careful and those calves already had a problem.

Alice

Like I said, that's what we do.

 

[jersey lilly]

I'll bet he learns to steal milk from a mama that's out in the pasture. He may already be doin that. I'd cut him off slower since he's not goin on to a calf feed. Either that or pen him and get him on feed. but ya might wanna just go out and observe for a while , see if he's stealin milk. if he is, he'll probably do fine. I had some calves in the lot for about a week waitin on vet to bangs vac them , one of the mama's we sold I ferget what was wrong with her. Well the one that we sold her mama, went right back to suckin, only she sucked whoever she could.

 

[A6gal]

Thanks for the feedback.

I thought he'd try to steal milk too. Funny thing is the calf stays right with his momma and sister but I haven't seen him try to suck. Of course that doesn't mean he's not sneaking some during the day while I'm not around.

I think I'll try harder to get him eating feed. Hadn't thought about using same amount of milk in less water so he's still getting the nutrition but not being fed as much. Sounds like a good idea.

 

[A6gal]

This might help

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Livestoc ... tle_Calves

Talks about weaning them off the bottle toward the end of the article.

Thanks 3MR, this is a very informative article with some good advice.

 

[Herefordcross]

If you put a full load of milk replacer in half as much water it's like a calf trying to drink syrup. At least that's my experience. 6 weeks twice a day 2 weeks once a day, if they get sick extend their recieving milk by how ever long they are sick.

 

[Lammie]

If he isn't ruminating then he isn't ready to wean. Are you keeping feed in with him? Mine seem to start eating feed after about a week. I feed the bottle then put some calf starter in the trough, not much, and leave them in there with it. Then I go out later and open the gate out of the pen and let them out with the other calves. I don't wean mine until I have had them two months from the time I buy them. Once they are eating and ruminating I wean them cold turkey, increasing their calf starter once they wean to make up for the milk being gone.

 

[TheBullLady]

I wouldn't wean him until you can get him eating feed.. or you know for sure he is eating feed. Otherwise you'll end up with a nasty pot bellied looking calf. If you have to wean him in a pen with a feed trough to get him to eat, you may want to try that. I also get mine eating feed at about a week old. They learn pretty quickly if you'll "force feed" him some sweet feed when he's done with the bottle.

 

[CWT Angus]

I agree that it sounds like he isn't ready to wean. The tag on the milk replacer usually says that they should be eating a specific amount of calf starter before they are weaned. I just weaned my 2nd one in as many years. Mom died when he was 8 weeks old. We fed him 2X daily for another 6-7 weeks while they learned to use the creep feeder. Once they were eating several pounds a day of good medicated calf starter, then we started to wean him off. We usually cut down to half a bottle 2X daily for several days then go to once daily for several. They learn to adjust their eating very gradually. With this method they haven't been too upset, or had any scours & are still growing great. Good Luck to you.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

I cut them down to one bottle when I have about 7 to 10 bottles' worth left in the bag.

Of course I usually only have one or two a year and they are near the house (in the yard to be exact) where I can watch them and know they are eating hay and calf manna.

And since they are close to the house I cut off the morning bottle so I don't have to listen to "whining" at night, heh heh

 

[milkmaid]

I wouldn't wean him until you can get him eating feed.. or you know for sure he is eating feed. Otherwise you'll end up with a nasty pot bellied looking calf. If you have to wean him in a pen with a feed trough to get him to eat, you may want to try that.

Good advice. A6, I wouldn't even cut back his milk until you know he's at least eating SOME grain. Once he's eating some and liking it, then I've found it isn't a problem to cut out one feeding - which in turn increases the amount of grain they're eating.

You may have to separate him from the herd - sometimes if they're getting grass or hay they'll "fill up" on that and then not want their grain. I've had the occasional lone bottle calf that just didn't want to eat much, if any grain, but did better when he was with others that knew what grain was. Might try that too.

But if you have enough milk replacer to go 2 more weeks I'd wait until then before weaning him. I've weaned them earlier and it works, but it's not ideal.