When to start calves on grain

[JeffK-MN]

I just got 2 orphan beef calves.
They are only 1 week old I'm feeding them with a bucket.
When do I start feeding them some hay and grain.
Thanks Jeff

 

[LauraleesFarm]

Calves that young need a bottle twice a day. Drinking from a bucket does not place the milk/replacer in the correct area for the calves to digest. They must be bottle fed. The sucking action plus having the neck in position as nursing (with a curve in the neck and the nose up), also allows the milk to be placed in the correct stomach for a calf. What are you putting in the bucket? They need milk replacer. One bottle in the morning and one at night.

AFter you get that going for you, then you can leave out fresh water in a bucket, and a little sample of sweet feed or small calf plellets. They will need to be bottle fed for at least 6 weeks.

Definitely get with a good cattle vet.
Good luck. Orphan calves are fragile and risky.

 

[bigbull338]

as said they need milk replacer 2x a day.i wouldnt put feed in front of them till they are 3wks old.by then they should be ready to hunt for feed.

 

[KHereford]

I understand the thinking about calves not getting the milk in the right place drinking from a bucket and I would believe it but have raised hundreds of Holstein heifers on the bucket. Everyone always commented on how big and healthy they were for there age so I don't think there was a problem.

Put grain in front of them right away, I always started with a hand full of good sweet starter feed and made a little pile so that I could tell if the calf was really eating it.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Calves that young need a bottle twice a day. Drinking from a bucket does not place the milk/replacer in the correct area for the calves to digest. They must be bottle fed. The sucking action plus having the neck in position as nursing (with a curve in the neck and the nose up), also allows the milk to be placed in the correct stomach for a calf. What are you putting in the bucket? They need milk replacer. One bottle in the morning and one at night.

AFter you get that going for you, then you can leave out fresh water in a bucket, and a little sample of sweet feed or small calf plellets. They will need to be bottle fed for at least 6 weeks.

Definitely get with a good cattle vet.
Good luck. Orphan calves are fragile and risky.

I agree on the bottle. We tried the buckets back in the 70's. The calves lived. Heck of a difference tho.

 

[TexasBred]

Put a little high quality Calf Starter in front of the calf from day one. Probably won't eat any for a few days but has to discover waht it is and will eventually begin to nibble and eventually will eat aggressively.
Bottle or bucket will both work. Some have just not had good results with one or the other.

 

[Limomike]

Put a little high quality Calf Starter in front of the calf from day one. Probably won't eat any for a few days but has to discover waht it is and will eventually begin to nibble and eventually will eat aggressively.
Bottle or bucket will both work. Some have just not had good results with one or the other.

Good answer right there. Just make sure it is getting that milk replacer twice a day no matter how it is presented.

 

[salebarn junkie]

I always keep a little in front of them from day one.I also put a little in there mouth every time I give a bottle

 

[ChrisB]

Since you already have them on a bucket I would leave them on a bucket. I have done both bottle and bucket and haven't really noticed a difference myself.

You can leave feed in front of them now but odds are they won't eat any for a few weeks. Around 3-4 weeks I would start throwing a little feed in the bucket after they have drank all the milk just so they get the taste. And keep fresh feed in front of them at that time.

I wouldn't have any hay in front of them until they are weaned.

 

[Lucky_P]

Feed and fresh clean water in front of 'em from Day One. Cram some feed in their mouth every time you feed, or any time you pass by their pen, until they get the idea. Once they're eating 1-1.5# of calf starter/day, you can stop with the milk replacer and rapidly increase grain feeding 'til they're eating at least 4-5#/hd/day.
Most dairy heifer developers are not feeding calves hay until after 8 weeks of age - the grain ration is more influential in getting the rumen up and functioning than lower-quality forages.

bottle or bucket... it's the age-old argument. I always used a bottle, but there are millions of calves that have been raised drinking out of a bucket.
Truthfully, I don't know if one is better than the other.

 

[JeffK-MN]

Thanks for all the info.
Jeff

 

[dun]

Use a good quality calf starter type of grain, when you bumnp them up to 4-5 pounds a day you can gradually swich them over to a non-starter type