Young Calves and water

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dcara

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I don't guess I've paid much attention to how much water young calves drink before since I figured mama took care of their needs. I have a few calves now that ranage in age from 2 weeks to 2 months. Only one of the 1 month olds ever go to the trough and drink water. What are ya'lls thoughts on when and how much youngsters should be drinking.
 
As much as they want. This time of year they'll probably use less then in the summer. But once they start eating more grass, especially of it's dry, they'll start hitting the water harder.

dun
 
First year I had cattle, it never occured to me the calves needed water. I had one group that had a waterer the calves couldn't reach for the first 2 months or so. The calves that had water did better, and ate at the bunks with the mamas more. My bottle calf this year had his 2 bottles, and about 4 gallons of water a day. That was summer time also tho.
 
:lol: I put free choice water in with the bottle calves when they are a week old. They seem to start drinking at about
2 weeks of age. I too give them "water bottles" :) The little
boogers will drink anything! :shock: I usually have 1 to 3
bottle calves ( beef) per season. The locals know that
I raise them up and so i get some that they do not want to fool with( the frozen, will not nurse, and half dead ones! :shock: )
 
Keep fresh water in with them from day one. If you teach them to drink their milk from a plain bucket or pan they will drink water almost immediately.
 
Since the youngsters are barely tall enough to get their head over the edge of the trough, and can't reach down very far into it for water, yesterday I mounded up a 18 inch high dirt ramp around the trough that stretches about 2 feet back from the trough. Hopefully, this will help the ones that might have felt it was to much trouble to get water.
 
Just fill up a 5 gallon bucket for them to drink from. It doesn't have to be fancy just clean.
 
I don't have an access controlled area for the calves set up (like a creep feeder) in which to place a small bucket. So I'm sure a small bucket would get knocked over or otherwise emptied since they are still with their mamas in the pasture and it may be a couple of days sometimes before I check on them.
 
When we have small calves in a pen with mamas we use a 1' high galvanized steel "goat tank" or a large round rubber tub for them to get water. Only problem is that the adult cows will often drink from the small lower tank first before using their 2' high tank. Guess it's a genetic thing...water is found at ground level in ponds, creeks.
 
wont to much water to small calves like bottle calves give them scours thats what i was always told i dont know
 
You don't want to give too much water in a bottle. Little ones will nurse for as long as you hold a bottle for them it seems. You can water log them. We give a bottle of milk, then refill it half full of water - 2x a day. We switch them to buckets as soon as possible. Feed milk in bucket then refill the whole bucket with water. They will drink the amount they want from a bucket. Sometimes sucking instinct is too strong so they will over drink from a bottle.
 

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