Help with newborn calf

[Longlivecowgirls]

Howdy! I live on a beef farm and I have been bottle feeding a calf for less than a week because mama died right after giving birth. The calf is big for a newborn and thriving but this is my first rodeo with bottle feeding, so I have a few questions. 1.) He is always hungry. I feed him a bottle with milk replacer 3x per day. So that is about 12 pints a day, is that appropriate? 2.) what is the best approach to keep him from head butting me? I'm about 120 lbs and he is a big calf. 3.) is it a bad idea to put him out with my horse? 4.) when should I let him out with the herd & will he grow up to be like the other cows? Any feedback you can provide would make my day! Thank you!

 

[jodywy]

we used a wire bottle holder and put it on a gate or fence with the calf on the other side. Usually 45 day at the minimum, usually the calf eating some grain mix by then.
Never know might lose a calf, then you get to graft it to that cow.

 

[leanin' H]

1- Follow the instructions on the milk replacer to a tee. Too much is as bad as not enough.

2- calves butt their mothers bag to stimulate them to let down their milk. As they get older it's a good idea to stay outside the pen and feed like Jody said.

3- Don't put him in with the horse. I'd keep him separate until he is old/big enough to be weaned from milk

4- If he is eating hay and doing well, turning him out is ok. But if he can't compete with the bigger cattle he will quickly fall off. I'd wait til spring and he's at least 200-300 lbs before turning him out. That way you can make sure his nutritional needs are being met. Example- grain him with the herd and the cows will run him off and steal his feed.

Good luck to ya and welcome to ranchers.

 

[Faster horses]

Jody and Leanin H have given you good advice.
All I would add is make sure you are feeding whole milk milk replacer, not soy based.
Go through 2 bags of replacer before you stop feeding him.
Good luck!! And be careful.

 

[Mountain Cowgirl]

First, start with a milk replacer for colostrum. Follow the instructions. Switch to regular replacer when instructions advise. Never use a bottle, use a nipple bucket and in a few days or a week teach it to drink straight out of the bucket, no nipple. Feed it where it has to stick its head through rails or some set up like a feeder.

I use to feed up to 10-40 calves using this method twice a day. The quicker off the nipple bucket, the lesser chance of scours. It is also a lot less work washing out buckets than cleaning bottles and nipples.

The way you train to the bucket is to dip a nipple in the milk hold it over the bucket, get it sucking on it and then get its head further in the bucket and lower the nipple until it is no longer in its mouth and it is sucking the milk direct from the bucket.

 

[Longlivecowgirls]

Thank you so much to all of you that have chimed in! I can use all the tips possible. It's been a learning curve. I may have additional questions down the road.

 

[Mountain Cowgirl]

Thank you so much to all of you that have chimed in! I can use all the tips possible. It's been a learning curve. I may have additional questions down the road.

Can you tell us in general where you live? Also more about your ranch or farm operation.