Tips to get a calf on the bottle

[Ashley]

I just got a calf yesterday. He is 3-4 days old. He is hungery but very stubborn. At this point I am trying 4 times a day to get him to drink some. I think this morning between what was on me, him and the floor was half a pint. He has the bunting down, but not so much the sucking, he would rather stick his tongue out the side and clean his nose. I have tried the traditional calf nipple and the smaller lamb nipple (he is a little calf with a little mouth) He does seem to do better on the lamb nipple.

Any tips? I am headed today to get more milk replacer and grain for him as I only have what was sent with him to get me by.

 

[chandab]

Ashley, they can be super stubborn about getting on the bottle, but once they realize what it is, they usually really go to town on the bottle.

I have 4 bum calves (had 5, but lost one night before last). To start, the lamb nipples are often easier, especially at that age (once you get him started, it'll only take a day or two of using the lamb nipple, then he'll probably take the regular nipple just fine). Will he suck your finger if you put it in his mouth? [kind of tickle the roof of his mouth with your finger.] If he'll easily suck your finger, he'll go onto the bottle quicker. He'll need to be on the bottle for at least a couple weeks, then you can move him to a bowl or bucket to drink out of; after 6 weeks he can move completely to creep feed (that would be after 6 weeks of age). [My four are drinking from a shared feeder, and I'm working on getting them onto their calf creep. Mine were all older when I got them (we raise cattle, and their moms had little to no milk, so were already weaning them at a very young age), so went right to a bucket.] At his age, he should be easily drinking a pint 4x daily (milk replacer directions say a whole lot more only 2x daily, but I always start out with smaller amount more frequently with the really young ones).

 

[cretahillsgal]

I have one bottle calf here that I am feeding right now. And she was a week old when her momma died. She was freaked out by humans and did not know what to do. We tried for 24 hours and how we finally got her nurse was to coat the nipple with karo syrup and stick it in the side of her mouth so that she was "tounging" it alot. We also used 2 of us, one to hold her in place and the other to hold the bottle. Once she figured out it tasted good, she nursed fine from then on.

 

[shorthorsemom]

If the calf won't suck your finger sometimes it helps to give them a little chip off of a cow asprin bolus, that will really perk them up if you have any available.... Some calves are moist or windy the first couple of days and have trouble sucking, we give them antibiotic if the aspirin doesn't straighten them out. Most calves will at least suck a finger even if they are not getting the hang of the bottle. We have tubed some calves that have very low suck reflex. If you don't know how to do this, you should get your vet to do it the tubing if you are worried the little baby is getting too hollow.

If the calf is just being stubborn, you will just keep working at it. IMO Milk replacer MUST be at perfect temperature or they will reject it, too cold or two hot they play "goldilocks". When I mix milk replacer I add the hot water first and melt the milk replacer, then I add cold to perfect temperature and pour into the bottle. Mixing in the bottle can cause clumping and some say "yuck". Make sure your milk replacer is strong enough too. I feed a whole cup full on new baby calves to a large two quart bottle. Small calves get less volume, (a quart), but quickly they want 2 quarts at a feeding. Same milk powder amount.. Your milk replacer should come with a cup, it is bigger than a kitchen cup. One cup per baby. Reduce as they begin creep feeding. Make sure your baby is pooping and not bound up, or loose for that matter...

Brown swiss calves are the most difficult to break to drink from a bucket and can be super stubborn about the bottle at times, just all bumping and no drinking. I don't think you said what breed the baby is.

If the calf seems winded after drinking don't ignore that, they will get weak and can get pneumonia. Some get moist sounding in the first week if the weather is crappy or they were born fast and not enough time in the canal to squeeze their lungs out. I feed lots of baby calves, we have a dairy and I am feeding milk replacer to 13 of them right now. We feed two times a day, that helps them be hungry when you come with the bottle and they train fast to a bucket too. More often is ok too, but dribble feeding them can wear you out. Good luck

 

[Ashley]

If the calf won't suck your finger sometimes it helps to give them a little chip off of a cow asprin bolus, that will really perk them up if you have any available.... Some calves are moist or windy the first couple of days and have trouble sucking, we give them antibiotic if the aspirin doesn't straighten them out. Most calves will at least suck a finger even if they are not getting the hang of the bottle. We have tubed some calves that have very low suck reflex. If you don't know how to do this, you should get your vet to do it the tubing if you are worried the little baby is getting too hollow.

If the calf is just being stubborn, you will just keep working at it. IMO Milk replacer MUST be at perfect temperature or they will reject it, too cold or two hot they play "goldilocks". When I mix milk replacer I add the hot water first and melt the milk replacer, then I add cold to perfect temperature and pour into the bottle. Mixing in the bottle can cause clumping and some say "yuck". Make sure your milk replacer is strong enough too. I feed a whole cup full on new baby calves to a large two quart bottle. Small calves get less volume, (a quart), but quickly they want 2 quarts at a feeding. Same milk powder amount.. Your milk replacer should come with a cup, it is bigger than a kitchen cup. One cup per baby. Reduce as they begin creep feeding. Make sure your baby is pooping and not bound up, or loose for that matter...

Brown swiss calves are the most difficult to break to drink from a bucket and can be super stubborn about the bottle at times, just all bumping and no drinking. I don't think you said what breed the baby is.

If the calf seems winded after drinking don't ignore that, they will get weak and can get pneumonia. Some get moist sounding in the first week if the weather is crappy or they were born fast and not enough time in the canal to squeeze their lungs out. I feed lots of baby calves, we have a dairy and I am feeding milk replacer to 13 of them right now. We feed two times a day, that helps them be hungry when you come with the bottle and they train fast to a bucket too. More often is ok too, but dribble feeding them can wear you out. Good luck

He isnt a normal dairy breed. HE is a watusi. They are a pretty small calf compared to dairy cattle. I got maybe a pint and a half in him today. He sucks fine on my fingers, and dose suck a bit on the bottle. I cant stand over him like I normally would so have to hold him in other ways so its a bit weird for me at this point as well. Today I did 4 times today, but think I am going to go back down to 2 hoping he is more hungery. He has a voice and has used it all day. He was my alarm at 5 am this morning.

The milk is mixed 1 cup to 2 pints. I have helped feed calves in the past and start a few but its been awhile. I guess I am worried about him not getting enough, but also have to realize he has only been off the cow for about 36 hours.

He is bright eyed, active and stubborn so is doing ok so far. He was on the cow for 3-4 days. He is maybe a max of 50 pounds. I spend at least a half an hour with him so I know I am giving him plenty of time to eat.

He has the neighbors wondering where the heck the noise is coming from, and the horses will NOT go near the barn. They skipped dinner tonight just to avoid the barn.

Temp on the milk is good. I mix it in a different container then put it in the bottle, no lumps.

 

[shorthorsemom]

He sounds cute. I am sure he will calm down. Our Jersey calves are born really tiny , probably pretty close in size. If he sucked his mom, he misses her and he misses her teats and how they feel. You are doing a three day weaning of sorts, that is why he is yelling. He misses his mom and he probably thinks the nipple feels weird. If they start out on a bottle it is easier, one drink from mom and you might have a little bit of work to do to convince him that the nipple is ok. Sometimes I just put half the nipple in the mouth. You can also block the air vent hole in the nipple until he latches on and then let go when he is sucking. You will have lots less milk on the ground.

We occasionally let a calf suck the mother and when we take them away, they yell alot and they hate the bottle at first. You can hardly stand the barn when we wean a baby, they get whooping until they lose their voice sometimes. Unless he looks really sucked in on the sides I wouldn't worry too much. You can also reduce the water amount so you are feeding less of a concentrated milk so you know he is getting his nutrients.. If you can stroke his head before you try to offer him the bottle like mom does when she licks their face he might get stimulated that way. I cup one hand under the chin while I offer the nipple and keep it there while they drink.

Really listen to him for any coughing or wheezing or increased respiration. If he is stressed he can get moist lungs easily. You are doing a great job. I hope he catches on soon.

 

[Ashley]

Here is Hamburger...

Not a good pic as I took it this morning when he decided to poop in the middle of it, and its a bit chilly here today so had the barn closed up to keep the wind out. Its also taken with my cell, so could be better.

 

[chandab]

He's pretty cute. Don't think we've ever named one Hamburger... We've had butcher steers named: Chocolate, Turkey (he was white), Red and I don't remember the others (we don't name them too often). And, I mostly name bums after vacuum brands, as they can really suck up their milk, so: Hoover, Dysan, and Kirby (names often repeated).

Speaking of Kirby, here's a pic of my last bum (before the new ones this year):

 

[shorthorsemom]

Very cute, thanks for the photo. He is also very thin so he does need more of something.. I would consider having a vet come out and hose some milk into him to stretch his stomach and get him filled up until you can get him eating well from a bottle. Good luck.

Hamburger... oh my.

I am a total wimp and can't raise anything and eat it, but I did start calling one of our cows "McDonalds" after she head butted me when I was hooking her up.

 

[Ashley]

Very cute, thanks for the photo. He is also very thin so he does need more of something.. I would consider having a vet come out and hose some milk into him to stretch his stomach and get him filled up until you can get him eating well from a bottle. Good luck.

Hamburger... oh my.

I am a total wimp and can't raise anything and eat it, but I did start calling one of our cows "McDonalds" after she head butted me when I was hooking her up.

They are thin like that for a long time. They are not a stocky cattle, and dont really fill out until pushing a year. I am not worried about that as I know the type of calf and what they look like and mature like. They mature alot slower then the typical cattle. For anybody that dont know what they are, they are like longhorn but much bigger horns. He is eatting about half a pint a feeding, still very active, alert and LOUD. Theres a group of cows around here somewhere that he seems to be talking to.

Here are some pics of what they look like as adults.

My link

here is some general breed info on them......I would say he is somewhere around 35-40 pounds if that as I can lift him pretty easy.

The Ankole-Watusi is medium in size, with cows weighing 900–1,200 pounds (410–540 kg) and bulls weighing 1,200–1,600 pounds (540–730 kg). Newborn calves weigh just 30–50 pounds (14–23 kg) and remain small for several months. This low birth-weight makes Ankole-Watusi bulls useful for breeding to first-calf-heifers of other breeds. During the day, the calves sleep together, with an "auntie" cow nearby for protection. At night, the herd-members sleep together, with the calves in the center of the group for protection. The horns of the adults serve as formidable weapons against any intruders.

This is mom...... sire is solid red. Mom is a pretty small cow.

These are calves at a few months of age. You can see on the red that they are slow to fill out.

 

[Ashley]

He must have decided tonight was the night as he took in almost a full pint and sucked it all down with out issue and only a little playing.

 

[Mickey & Mouse]

I just got a calf on Friday as well. He is 2 months old and we have a big problem. He is so cute and he follows me everywhere. How do you manage to use them as beef?? My folks have told me that it will probably end up pulling a cart instead of going in my freezer.

 

[chandab]

I just got a calf on Friday as well. He is 2 months old and we have a big problem. He is so cute and he follows me everywhere. How do you manage to use them as beef?? My folks have told me that it will probably end up pulling a cart instead of going in my freezer.

When they get over a year of age, weigh over 600#, and they head butt you, knocking you on your butt; then you don't feel so bad turning them into hamburger.

[i guess I don't get so attached, as we raise beef cattle, so almost all the calves are sold every fall (just replacement heifers and one butcher steer kept), rarely keep the bottle babies, they sell in the fall too). I tried to keep one bottle raised heifer as a replacement heifer and she became dangerous, she didn't realize just how big she was and would walk all over you; then when added to the herd, she didn't realize she was a cow and didn't know herd rules so got hurt.]

 

[Ashley]

Holy crap the light bulb went off in his head tonight! The last few feedings he has been eatting but playing alot and thowing his head around. Tonight about half way through he grab on, sucked way, collapsed the bottle and I had to run out of there to escape the mad hungery calf that was chaseing me trying to bunt for more!

 

[chandab]

Holy crap the light bulb went off in his head tonight! The last few feedings he has been eatting but playing alot and thowing his head around. Tonight about half way through he grab on, sucked way, collapsed the bottle and I had to run out of there to escape the mad hungery calf that was chaseing me trying to bunt for more!

Sounds like its time to give him a little more per feeding, so he's satisfied.

 

[Ashley]

Sounds like its time to give him a little more per feeding, so he's satisfied.

I did up it a half a pint compaired to what he was taking in. However want to go slow so he dont get lose.

 

[Mickey & Mouse]

Here is picture of me and Chuck, I know that he will get ugly soon, thank goodness

 

[Ashley]

HEres a couple of pics of Hamburger/Tbone outside tonight.

 

[Mickey & Mouse]

Ashley, I think that we are both in trouble

 

[Ashley]

I dont think I will have an issue. I was born and raise in the mannor of raising calves to eat. However, now the others in the house might have a problem. Already said I will haul them to the slaughter house when they are all gone so they wont know. I also said when I bring the Head back to sell the skull I would keep it hid so nobody sees it.