Does anyone bottle raise calves? I have questions lol

As cheap calves are showing up on CL again and I havnt had beef in over 3 years now I am once again tempted to try to raise up a bottle baby.

My main question is, how many gallons of milk does a calf drink per day? I am trying to find a chart to show me recomended milk amount by week but not having much luck.

Shall keep looking but any help would be great!

Hmm... no idea. But! The FaceBook page My Job Depends on Ag is full of friendly farmers who may be able to help!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/694281934016818/

Am reading this http://www.motherearthnews.com/homestea ... x?PageId=4 right now and its proving very interesting.

Good friends who have raised MANY bottle calves in the past told me that if at all poss. to use real milk, that their bottle calves all died with milk replacer but with real milk they all thrived. They use to get just out of date milk for their calves but they havnt done it in years.

Not having much luck myself getting hold of any out of date but still good milk I am trying to figure out how much milk a calf will drink per day so I can do a costing of buying the cheapest milk poss. and see if its a doable thing, $$$ wise.

My uncle - now sadly gone - use to do bottle calves as well but I cant tap his experience now that I want to. Isnt that the way life goes eh? I remember him saying once that he had to water down his jersey milk for his Holstein calves, it was too rich for them otherwise. <br /><br /> __________ Fri Feb 19, 2016 3:04 pm __________ <br /><br /> This seems to be what I was looking for!

Birth to two weeks: Two one-quart feedings of colostrum the first day, then one quart of milk replacer three times a day. (Keep fresh water and alfalfa before the calves.)

Two to eight weeks: Two quarts of milk replacer twice daily. Begin feeding calf pellets (the best you can buy). Put salt in pen and continue to make water and alfalfa available.

Eight to 12 weeks: Start mixing pellets with a ground feed made by combining ground corn, oats, and bran with a little powdered molasses. (Gradually increase the ratio of ground feed to pellets.) Feed two pounds of grain per day per calf, plus two quarts of milk replacer twice daily. Continue to offer salt, water, and alfalfa. (Good green pasture may be substituted for the alfalfa.)

12 to 16 weeks: Two quarts of milk replacer once a day. Offer access to good leafy forage or good grass. If you're raising the calf for beef, you may increase the allotment of grain (mentioned above) ... otherwise — if grass is very good — the calf can graze through the summer. (In summer, our calves get just pasture grass, iodized salt, free choice minerals, and water.)

We always used milk replacer and the amounts are on the bag. Just follow the directions. Seems to me we used to feed the new ones colostrum for a few days, and then one bottle morning and evening, and then upped it to a bottle and a half. We fed feed as well, as at two weeks they were well started on the feed as well.

If possible feed them on a calf cafe as you want them too get all the saliva from sucking. Bottle feeding doesn't work so well. Milk then goes into correct stomacks for hand rearing calves don't over feed calves as you run into problems. Directions on the packets if I remember correctly its 3l max a day I have a bag in the shed I can get a copy of it and post if you want. I reared 15 beef calves last year. <br /><br /> __________ Sat Feb 20, 2016 6:50 pm __________ <br /><br /> If possible feed them on a calf cafe as you want them too get all the saliva from sucking. Bottle feeding doesn't work so well. Milk then goes into correct stomacks for hand rearing calves don't over feed calves as you run into problems. Directions on the packets if I remember correctly its 3l max a day I have a bag in the shed I can get a copy of it and post if you want. I reared 15 beef calves last year.

Used milk replacer as well, pink n black bag from TSC after feeding colostrum if they were newborns or 3-4 days old. Fresh is better, better growth, but we could never keep a good supply. IF you do find fresh you may have to add water to it the first few days to weaken it down, a calf not used to strong milk will get diareaha which can lead to scours quick. After the first couple days, colostrum extra, doesn't really do them much good (or least the dozen or so helped dad raise). If I remember correctly they can't really absorb it after the first 24-48 hours, but since most of those mixes for colostrum also have vita boost it didn't seem to hurt. Gave them a chance to settle without worring about over feeding and causing diareaha. Most important thing is to clean the bottles, scalding boiling water before each feeding and after to get rid of bacteria that grows in them. Even the driest bottle can make sick. Then a schedule you can live with for the time you think you'll need to bottle, missed feeding or late ones can cause upset stomachs quick. Next, at the first sign of scours or sour stomach pink, either get the Kaolin for the animals (much cheaper) or in a pinch we've used human. Now Koalin stays on hand all the time if going to have calves. We keep gelling probiotic powder on hand in case the pink doesn't work. Its just like with rabbits, hours can kill. Calves should be standing, not laying down when nursing. Dad always offered grain and hay from start with fresh water changed at every bottle with calves even a couple days old (just the water, grain was changed once a day, hay as needed as they can make a big potty mess of it all lol). He'd sit and mess with the hay n grain, even water when he saw them watching close. Pneomonia is second biggest killer to scours, but this time of year with bottles here it was always an issue with pneumonia over scours. It'd be cold and wet with a warm day or two in between OR he took pity on a long shot that was purchased sick...some times it works some times it don't. Pen G daily and extra vit boost in water with sick calves is what he did.

Having 2 bottles per calf came in handy, want each calf to have own bottle set. Dry and out of drafts, if they have issue with holding body temp can blanket them like ponies. Sweaters do wonders for the smaller ones, but pony blankets work for bigger ones too if have. We've used a hair dryer a couple times when one got too spring happy and soaked themselves and stall mate in water too. He always tried to get pairs, they don't seem to do as well alone and can be slower on the up take with feed/bottle. We always used the hand bottle, not the bucket or the tube. It can be hard to get in rhythm with them, but once you get going easy peasy. Since you've had them before, I bet just a few days and you'll be back just like before.

Don't know if that'll be much help, but least what I remember and what dad could remember. We've not had any babies for about 5 years now. He brought up several holstien, jersey, and jersey/? crosses. Most were stock sale tosses that were skinny or were coughing at the sale that didn't bring any thing. I'd hate to figure up the cost of the calves now, but usually wasn't over 200 then (been a few years back lol). He liked it cause they didn't suffer so much and the ones we used for beef were ones we knew got fed and cared for as well as possible with out extra junk in their systems.

__________ Sat Feb 20, 2016 1:56 am __________
Deleted double post... :gnight:

milk, calf starter and hay. that's what you need to keep calves alive.

access to water is important as well.

Grew up on a farm... fed lots of calves.

They NEED more than two quarts a day. Even our tiniest calves got a gallon milk in the morning and again at night. Don't skimp on the milk you give them.

http://www.vigortone.com/tech_library/n ... _rates.htm

ladysown":2a6k0b5i said:

milk, calf starter and hay. that's what you need to keep calves alive.

access to water is important as well.

Grew up on a farm... fed lots of calves.

They NEED more than two quarts a day. Even our tiniest calves got a gallon milk in the morning and again at night. Don't skimp on the milk you give them.

http://www.vigortone.com/tech_library/n ... _rates.htm

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I liked the bit when it said she didnt die and was only sick three days! :lol:

Just spend the money and get a weaned calf 500lbs or so. With buying a bottle calf plus milk replacer plus all your time :x . I gave a twin calf to my niece last year she wants to keep her for cow don't think it is cow material. Some people love to care for a bottle calf. I like it when my cows do most of the work . I'm sure when my kids get a little older they will want to do the bottle calf thing and I will be kicking and screaming the whole way uppet: :lol: :lol:

I have raised a lot of calves, - like mentioned above- start with colostrum supplement [if no colostrum milk is available] after the colostrum, then follow instruction on the bag of milk replacer. Calves need to be kept in a dry, and draft free area, away from any old manure. the area needs to be kept very clean for the first month. [so they don't eat any poop, or contaminated dirt] -Water buckets should be washed with bleach-water at least 3 x a week. and bottles and nipples should be scrubbed between feedings and let soak in bleach water. Before feeding, the bottles should be rinsed in clean water [as bleach kills good bacteria also]. Each time you feed [2 or 3 times/day depending on preference] a careful look at the pen, and butt of each calf is important, as well as paying attention to smells, at the first sign of scours, or the smell of it, -scours medication, and a reduction in milk replacer is important. - if scours do not clear up by the next feeding or in 12 hours, Corid or some other coccidiostat should be given immediately . [I give CORID at the first sign of trouble].
I start offering a good alfalfa hay, and a little grain [starting with a handful each day for a week] after week #2, in a clean feeder set at about chest height [so they are unlikely to poop in it]. -clean up uneaten grain each day [toss it to the chickens].
Buy only bright-eyed, head up, clean calves, always look at the butt before buying -never buy a calf with a wet butt [it is already getting sick]
I have raised a lot of calves, I had a 90% survival rate when buying new-born "drop calves" [some still died]

Dwc77":37vtkr0j said:

Just spend the money and get a weaned calf 500lbs or so. With buying a bottle calf plus milk replacer plus all your time :x . I gave a twin calf to my niece last year she wants to keep her for cow don't think it is cow material. Some people love to care for a bottle calf. I like it when my cows do most of the work . I'm sure when my kids get a little older they will want to do the bottle calf thing and I will be kicking and screaming the whole way uppet: :lol: :lol:

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I love your just! :lol:

The reason to go bottle is to be able to afford one, would LOVE to just buy one oven ready, as it were.