How long do calves need to be bottle fed

If the calf is a male, has it been castrated or banded yet? Try and purchase intact bull calves; banding or castrating early can invite infection, and leaving your calf intact for a few months will not cause them to develop bull-like characteristics or behavior. Healthy calves will be active, have bright eyes, be eager to eat, head-butt the bottle and wag their tails while they eat. Sick calves will not want to get up; they will be uninterested in the bottle, be lethargic, and have droopy ears and dull eyes.

They grow much better if they have a companion to compete with. Keeping your calves on the same milk replacer and feeding schedule right when you purchase them will also minimize stress and the possibility of illness. You can make changes, but make them gradually, over the course of a week. Beyond the Bottle In addition to bottle-feeding a calf, be sure to provide free-choice water, calf starter and grass hay.

Calf starter is a specifically formulated grain mix balanced for calves. Feeding calf starter right away helps the rumen develop correctly. Hay also helps rumen development, specifically rumen size. Both of these are important for the future feed efficiency of the animal, which matters a great deal for producing meat or milk. On-Hand Supplies You need to purchase a few supplies before your calves arrive, such as bottles, a mixing container, milk replacer and more.

Calf Bottles are usually of a common size; providing 2 quarts per feeding is typical on a twice-a-day schedule, which is the most common. Calves can also be fed three times a day; your schedule might vary. Just keep the feeding times and amounts consistent. A Graduated Mixing Container with a spout can make measuring water accurate and pouring the mixed milk into the bottle easy.

Accuracy when mixing milk replacer is important, and because you will do it often, making it convenient is a good idea. Measurements listed on the bottle, mixing vessel and replacer bag will probably all be different. To simplify, use these conversions: 2 quarts equals one-half gallon equals 64 ounces. Alli Kelley The Milk Replacer contains instructions for how to make the correct mix based on the nutrients.

Make sure you mix it correctly. Making a mistake on the math when mixing milk replacer could make your calves sick. Feed-supply stores often have several options for milk replacer. None is cheap. The calf needs to have water available , of course, but in a bucket to drink whenever he wants it.

He needs time to learn to drink from a bucket. The one exception here is if you need to give your calf an electrolyte solution, usually to help with scours, then you will need to use the bottle. This is natural. Give him time to figure it out. The best way we know of to get a calf to nurse from a bottle is to straddle the calf , like you are sitting on a horse, and pry his mouth open with your fingers and quickly stuff in the bottle. You might even have to gently squeeze his mouth shut, then release and repeat to make some milk come out of the bottle.

For most calves you will only need to grab them a few times then they will come to you for the bottle. If your calf has been drinking well and all of a sudden stops wanting the bottle, you have a problem. A big problem. Even if your calf feels a bit less zippy than normal, he will still drink his bottle.

He has to be really sick to not want to drink. This is vet territory. Call sooner rather than later, timely treatment is more likely to work. But remember, they are babies and sometimes need a little TLC.

You need to have the bull calves castrated. It is a little thick green rubber band that goes around the scrotum, the sack the testicles are in, and cuts off the circulation causing it to dry up and fall off. Putting on the band is fast and easy. Just make sure you have both testicles in the sack before you release the band off of the applicator.

The bands and the applicator it looks like a pair of weird pliers , are easily found at any farm store. Have a friend show you how to do it. Why go to all of this trouble? The calf will be vulnerable to diseases like coccidiosis and calf scours. For more information, contact Wendie Powell, Livestock Production Agent, , wendiepowell ksu.

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Make sure bottles and nipples are very clean. Wash them in hot water immediately after every use. When calves are young, they need to be fed smaller amounts more often every eight hours.

If you are using milk replacer for calves read the label and find the daily recommended amount for the size and age of the calf, and divide it into the proper number of feedings. Always mix each feeding fresh. After the calf is a little older you can go to every 12 hours for a calf. Since you are the food source, you become the substitute mom when raising bottle calves; the calf eagerly looks forward to dinnertime and wants to suck the bottle.

Cows occasionally die from any number of diseases, accidents or freak things—getting on their back in a ditch, plant poisoning or bloat, killed by predators, or some other misfortune. This leaves you with an orphan that might be a little wild not ready to accept you as a mom but too young to go without milk. You will probably need help to quietly corner the calf in a corral or barn stall and get your hands on him.

Then back the calf into the corner, put his head between your legs so you can hold him still, and get the nipple into his mouth. If the calf is hungry he may start sucking as soon as he gets a taste of the milk, and it will become easier with each feeding.

If he is too scared to suck a bottle the first time, however, you may wonder how to tube feed the calf.