Feeding Bottle Calves

This investment needs to be protected.

Feeding bottle calves. When you first arrive in the pen to feed the calves they circle around you bump you in the legs or hips or bottom depending on your height as it relates to the calf and start sucking on your jacket. Pour the milk replacer into the bottle and snap on the nipple. I think word has gotten around that were serving warm vanilla steamers every hour on the hour or something. 2 gallon bucket in which to mix milk replacer clean hot water thermometer to measure water temperature stainless steel.

It is a pretty simple process. Some farmers have adopted the method of bottle feeding young calves once per day. Weve got three bottle calves at the barn right now. Warm water is important in dissolving the.

You will need a separate pail or bucket for each calf. Johns and sharon franklin as the future productive units of a dairy herd heif ers represent a substantial financial investment in feed and labor. Watch for scours more on that in a minute provide pasture water forage after weaning is most typical good quality hay and a clean. On occasion when raising bottle calves you may be bottle feeding several calves at once if you are bottle raising the calves from your dairy cows or if you purchase day old dairy calves.

Calves fed concentrated formula consume 2 to 3 liters per day compared to 6 or more liters with standard milk replacer. When your calf gets it is just as important as how much. Bottle feeding steps begin with clean hands clean bottles and clean mixing vessels. Didnt want to.

A concentrated milk replacement formula provides less volume but is nutrient dense. They will only need 2 bottles a day if heshe is healthy and the weather is nice. Its not difficult to hold two bottles but if you have very many calves in the chow line it helps to use bottle holders that you can simply hang on a fence or gate at feeding time. He has had slight scours from day one have given him scour pills and other electrolites.

Supplies you may need for bottle feeding calves include. Have a calf ive been feeding for five weeks on milk replacer sav a calf two bottles a day. Mix the milk replacer with warm water according to the brand instructions. Adequate colostrum intake sets the stage for your calfs lifelong health.

Colostrum contains immunoglobulins g providing calves with immunity to fight infectionsa calfs ability to absorb these critical antibodies decreases after her first six hours of life and typically ends 24 hours post birth. Feeding and managing baby calves from birth to 3 months of age donna m.