another bottle calf question

[holleegee]

My little heifer calf is almost 5 weeks old. I don't have any experience with cows at all, I'd never touched a cow until I got her. I raised a bottle goat kid once and she is a total brat, jumps up on us, pushes us over...a brat. I want to make sure I don't raise a bratty pushy cow. What should I do or shouldn't do to make sure my little cow doesn't turn out to be a dangerous cow.

(I've already learned the hard way...you shouldn't feed a bottle calf while wearing sandals. Yep a broken toe, I think my toenail is going to fall off! She "bumped" the bottle and landed on my toe. But you can't get mad at something so cute! Lesson learned!)

[topside1]

If I were you I would shift over to bucket feeding. While feeding with bucket or bottle have the calf stick its head through something like the bars of a gate and then feed. Once the feed is over and the suck fest begins you won't be a target. If you do shift to the bucket and just feed in a pen or wherever, be aware that if you are holding the bucket the calf could easily raise it's head it could easily knock you unconscious and guess what you will still fall victim to a suck fest, knocked out....enjoy your calf, un-likely that she will be dangerous....

[mpillow]

My 12yo daughter does the bottle feeding and has ridden every bull calf that came to our place....she starts by feeding the bottle while the calf is between her legs as it grows it gets more wt. Course she only weighs 82# but then if she catches them laying down she lays down on them as long as they'll stand it. She sits on the biggest one while he eats supper...he's almost a year old. When they are naughty(butting your behind for milk) kick them like another cow would and say no.....right under the chin gets good attn.
Tie her up to eat and brush her and feel her all over + tell her she is good and pretty and dont give in to her naughtiness ever....as for the goat....get a spray bottle w/ water spray and say no firmly. You are the boss first and foremost.

[celticfarmgal]

Originally Posted by mpillow

My 12yo daughter does the bottle feeding and has ridden every bull calf that came to our place....she starts by feeding the bottle while the calf is between her legs as it grows it gets more wt. Course she only weighs 82# but then if she catches them laying down she lays down on them as long as they'll stand it. She sits on the biggest one while he eats supper...he's almost a year old. When they are naughty(butting your behind for milk) kick them like another cow would and say no.....right under the chin gets good attn.
Tie her up to eat and brush her and feel her all over + tell her she is good and pretty and dont give in to her naughtiness ever....as for the goat....get a spray bottle w/ water spray and say no firmly. You are the boss first and foremost.

I totally agree youngsters need manners my friend and his 6 wk old filly reminded me of that recently my friend kept assuring me that she doesn't kick. I moved forward to try and get her to go into the trailer and POW right in the thigh. I now have a hoof shaped bruise reminder to trust my instincts for one and 2 to be extra careful around young animals that haven't learned how to behave yet . Good luck with your calf and enjoy her because oonce trained I am sure you will love her even more

[FannyMay]

First of all NEVER, NEVER wear sandals in the barn. It is just to easy to get a toe broken or worse. I don't even like for my children to wear tennis shoes, because if they do get stepped on it is harder for the cow or horse to get off. A boot works much better and is a lot tougher to stand the pressure. Just like everyone else has said make sure that they know that you are the boss. They are heard animals and they will respect you if they think you are the leader. Don't ever let them rub their heads on you or shove you a little. It may be cute when they are little, but when they weigh 1200 pounds that can be dangerous. Good luck with the calf!