Calf Sitting

[Miniv]

Our now grown foster daughter, Jessica, took in a Jersey Calf (male) from an organic dairy she was working for, to bottle feed. The mother died when the calf, "Dude" was only a few days old. She had him for 2 weeks and then asked us to take him while her landlord was in town.....So, I've been bottle feeding him for the last 2 weeks.

She gave us instructions, the bottle, and the powdered milk replacer.....Came and visited him once and when I asked if we should increase his food, she said No. That was a week ago.

Does anyone know about bottle feeding a calf? How much should he be getting at a month old? And when and how do I introduce hay? I just put down a handful of hay this morning and since he doesn't have a mom to mimic he didn't understand!

Would LOVE some input!

 

[Magic Marker Miniatures]

When we had a jersey calf we fed twice a day.

Also leave hay in front of it at all times. He should be eating hay now and depending on bottle less.

Do you have a small friendly animal you can put in with him or near him to help learn how to eat hay. We had ours with the goats.

 

[Miniv]

Thank you! With it being so darn cold, he's only gone out with our youngster minis once. But yes, that's been the plan.

 

[chandab]

What are the directions on the milk replacer for how much?

At a month old I feed our beef calf bottle bums a 2-quart bottle 2x daily (for normal, healthy calves; sickly ones I feed smaller bottles 3x daily).

We leave hay available at all times, but at a month they usually just pick. If you have Calf Manna, you could try introducing a small amount (which usually involves stuffing some in their mouth so they'll taste it). [i introduce mine to calf creep around a month old (there are medicated creep feeds that keep them from overeating; I buy non-medicated, since I give them regulated amounts, rather than free choice), but each calf is different in their needs and ease of introduction to solid feeds.]

 

[Miniv]

Chanda, I just upped his milk replacer to two 4 pint bottles twice a day. He was getting 1 and a half bottles 2x a day. I also introduced hay to him this morning. He didn't understand....As our weather improves (supposed to in a few days) we'll let him spend his days with our young mini group. Maybe he'll learn from them about the hay.

 

[amysue]

Jerseys can be tough, as they are born with little body fat and are so much smaller than other dairy and beef breeds. They should gain about 2 pounds per day during the first two months of life. What is the value of the milk replacer? Jerseys should be on something like 28% protein and at least 25% fat. They are more prone to nutritional scours and dehydration, so that may be why your daughter does not want it adjusted, because of the risk of scours. They burn more calories in the cold staying warm, and they will dehydrate quicker, and lose condition quicker if they scour in the cold. At a month old, he should be learning to drink the milk out of a pail, rather than nurse a bottle, that should encourage him to eat solids and drink water. As suggested, slowly introducing grain and hay is safest, as it is not until the rumen develops, that he will be able to live on just that. I put grain in my fingers and let them suck it off until they get used to eating it. They are curious lil beggers, so with good hay and grain available, they will learn to eat it fast enough out of curiosity. As for quantity. ..I feed my youngsters one bottle 2-3x day to start, then increase to two bottles at the morning and evening feeding and 1 at lunch until about 1 month old, then taper off to one bottle (in a bucket) 2x day while feeding 2 flakes of second cut a day and a pound of grain a day until they get on silage and haylage. This slightly varies according to the size of the calf. We raise a lot of replacement calves. This is what works for our operation, every calf is different, do what works for you. Introduce change slowly so as not to stress him out, Jerseys stress more than other breeds in my opinion, you may want to vaccinate him with enforce 3 or some other respiratory virus vaccine to protect him during weaning, as this is a stressful time, especially for Jerseys and since he got off to a rough start, he may need a boost. They are a lot of fun though, I get very attached to each and every one that I raise.

 

[chandab]

I get pretty attached to my bottle bums too, but they rarely stick around past fall. We kept one bottle heifer, she didn't realize she was a cow, so ended up getting hurt by a cow when she was 2 or 3 years old, and like so many bottle raised foals, ended up to be obnoxious, so she wasn't safe to be around (totally my fault as she was one of my first bums I ever raised, so she was spoiled). [since we have beef cattle, if we can, we try to graft them onto a cow, so much easier all around.]

 

[amysue]

I do agree with you Chanda, some of my Holstein steers who were bottle raised are too friendly. My husbsnd hates it. He yells at me "cows are supposed to run away from you! Not run to you and lick you all over!" They get too pushy too, I do not go into the steer's yard without a crop or bat to "remind" them about manners.

 

[Miniv]

Thanks for that, Amysue....He has a blanket on him and a heat lamp in his stall.....which is bedded with straw. My daughter approved of my upping his bottle amount and introducing the hay. I am SO looking forward to things warming up so he can leave the barn, at least during the day!

 

[amysue]

Cows are okay in the cold as long as they are not sickly or under weight. They actually handle the cold better than the heat. I let my little guys, (still on bottles) that get stalled at night, play outside during the day in good weather. They wear blankets in the extreme cold, we also bed with straw as we cannot afford shavings. They do better if they can get some fresh air and sun to help them synthesize vitamin D. Glad he is doing well. Any pics? They're unbelievably cute at this age.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

My sister recently had two orphans. One successfully was accepted by a nurse cow. The other is being bottle fed; it is a twin and the mother rejected it. I thought of offering to take him but wasn't sure I could commit; and she rather enjoys the little guys. She had one last spring. Had lots of trouble with it; took it to the vet several times when he collapsed. He finally seemed to be thriving. He was so friendly! He would run along the fence to meet school children at the gate and just about swallow their hands sucking. She turned him out into the pasture at about six months and he did great. He seemed to mix in fine with the herd. He would come running up when anyone came to check on the cows to get his treat. Then about a month ago they found him hidden behind some equipment. He wouldn't get up. They carried feed to him, made a sling for him. Tried several things. But he wouldn't get up. Vet did not know if he had been injured, or if he had something wrong internally and just wasn't "meant to be". RIP Milo.

 

[Debby - LB]

aww, poor Milo I am so sorry. This is such a beautiful heart warming photo, I kind of hated to click the like on your post but the sweet story and the photo caused me to. RIP little fella.

 

[amysue]

So sorry to hear about Milo. That is sad, sometimes these things just happen. Very sweet photo.

 

[Miniv]

I'm so sorry about Milo.....I bet the kids missed him too.

 

[Miniv]

Update on "Dude"........He is now eating hay and grain, although he still prefers his bottles....I've cut him back to 1 and a half bottles 2x a day....which he hates.

No blanketing and no heat lamp and he's been going out every day.

Tomorrow he goes to a new home to keep some goats and young horses company.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Thanks for the update! It's a commitment, but you may miss him for a little while.

 

[amysue]

Glad he is doing well. They grow up so fast don't they?

 

[Miniv]

Another UPDATE..........."Dude" is still with us.......Last week our weather took a nose dive again for a few days and since the little guy was going to a place where he wouldn't be stalled at night, it was agreed that he stay a little longer.

In the meantime our grown foster daughter, Jess, who actually owns him, is coming over to Band him. She says it's the best way to castrate a Jersey. And since she used to manage an organic dairy farm with Jersey cows, she must know. Right?

This morning I thought I'd try to introduce the idea of him drinking his milk replacer from a dish........I put a small portion into a feed dish and tried two things --- 1. I lowered the nipple of his bottle down into the dish while holding it at the level he's used to.....Nope. 2. I covered my fingers with formula (which he went for) and lowered them into the dish. Nope...........So of course, he still got his bottle(s). I'll try again tonight. He's out with the minis eating some hay for the day.

If anyone has any ideas about getting to take to a feed dish, please chime in!!! Or should I not bother? (I thought it may help the future owner when she gets him.)

 

[chandab]

Sometimes the bottle is just easier, but with time I've had the best luck with dipping fingers and getting the calf to suck on the fingers, then dipping in the bowl or bucket, if you can keep them sucking on your fingers when you dip into the bucket, they'll usually suck some from the bowl and many then get it fairly quickly.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

My sister bands her bottle calves successfully.