Bottle calf, what do you think.

[holleegee]

We were given a bottle calf yesterday. We were not prepared, none of this was planned. She is 2 weeks old, her mother died. Thats all we know. The lady that owned her has several farms and doesn't have the time for a bottle calf. We are feeding her MFA milk replacer (milk based not soy) we are feeding her 2 quarts twice a day. She also has water, hay and grain. She will nibble on the hay and eat a tiny bit of grain out of our hands so I think that is good. She is a strong little calf and seems healthy. We haven't had a bottle calf before so I thought I would run everything by you guys and see if we are missing anything. I've been reading old posts on bottle babies and have learned a lot. Thanks for your help.

[darbyfamily]

I have no clue, but she is very pretty! best of luck with her!

[cow whisperer]

Seems to me you've got everything under control..... Just keep an eye out for scours..... other than that you should be ok....

She is a cutie..... keep us updated.....

[topside1]

Your right on track to having one healthy heifer...Don't overfeed and all will be rosy...Nice Calf

[valerie]

Sounds like you all are doing great with her. I guess she's accepted the bottle well to She'll be your new 'best' friend". She's a cutie!
Valerie

[holleegee]

we would like to halter train her. When should we start that? I don't want to stress her or anything.

[Horns Bach]

I'd say give her a few months to get strong and also to bond well with you, then start halter training, it's pretty easy with a bottle calf. I'd say halter training around 3-5 months old.

You can just put a halter on her and leave the lead rope hanging, let her walk around (in a safe area) for several hours, she'll step on the rope and learn to stop. Have someone help you from behind the calf when you start leading her at first and maybe tempt her to walk with you with a bucket of grain and she'll catch on pretty fast.

[Horns Bach]

I meant to add she's very cute and I love her smile!

-Horns Bach

[Fla Gal]

With the one calf I bottle raised I started her in a halter at about two weeks of age, maybe a few days sooner. She never minded the halter itself and she wasn't strong enough to drag me around so she learned early on not to fight the rope. She became very good at leading before she was a month old.

When it was time to clean her stall I would put her on a rope (I had no pasture) and tie her to the ball of the truck hitch. The truck wasn't too far from the stall but was far enough away she could run, jump and kick. I kept an eye on her as I was cleaning the stall, I was worried about her getting tangled. I had to unloop the rope from a foot from time to time but she did fine and learned about reaching the end of the rope without hurting herself. Most days I would sit a good while so she could frolic and the chickens could free range before being put up for the evening.

I believe the sooner you start halter breaking the better. They're easier to train when they're small enough that they don't take you for a walk. I don't think you'll be stressing the calf at all to start halter breaking now.

By the way, depending on the size of your calf, don't over estimate the size of the halter you need for her. My calf was 3/4 angus and 1/4 brahman. I bought a nylon foal halter (there were no rope ones available) and ended up needing a mini horse halter. It was still a bit large on her.

Congrats on getting the calf!

[Fla Gal]

Originally Posted by Horns Bach

I'd say give her a few months to get strong and also to bond well with you, then start halter training, it's pretty easy with a bottle calf. I'd say halter training around 3-5 months old.

Horns Bach has some very good ideas. Because I had my calf from a few hours old she didn't know her momma. She bonded with me from day one. She got colostrum and her first milk from a bottle. She thought I was her momma. She followed me, when she could, for the first month. She was easy to halter train.

Her suckling and butting, trying to get milk to drop from my knees and elbows was another story. I learned real quick to give her her bottle before I cleaned her stall.

This is going to be such a good learning experience for you. The good new is, you care so much that after this learning experience you'll be able to raise a calf with not too many worries or questions.

[travlnusa]

As said before, do not over feed. After you have finished the bottle, take a small handfull of grain and put it in her mouth.

Was she a twin?

Do you plan on keeping and breeding her?

[holleegee]

Originally Posted by travlnusa

As said before, do not over feed. After you have finished the bottle, take a small handfull of grain and put it in her mouth.

Was she a twin?

Do you plan on keeping and breeding her?

We are giving her a little grain out of our hands (letting her suck on our fingers and letting a bit of grain trickle into her mouth.) She has started eating a tiny amount of grain out of a bucket but not much. She is also starting to nibble grass and hay.

She wasn't a twin.

I plan on keeping her and breeding her to one of our neighbors bulls.

[holleegee]

[Cheribelle]

Oh That is a cute face!

[HomersGoatLady]

She is adorable. I raise bottle calves every year on my excess milk (both goat and cow). I have two Angus heifers on the bottle right now. A couple years ago I raised an Angus bull calf on a Saanen goat. Twice a day I would put her on the milk stand and he would come running and drink his fill. As far as he was concerned, that goat was his momma. For some reason, I don't think she felt the same way about him.

homersgoatlady