Training a bottle calf to suck from a cow?

[farmergirl]

I have decided to find a baby calf to put with my jersey cow so she can raise two calves this year. I don't have time to milk everyday now, so having her raise two calves seems to be the best option. I have found some healthy bottle calves for a reasonable price, but am not sure about the logistics of getting them to suck from a real live cow again. Any thoughts? The jersey's calf is 6 weeks old now and the baby calves I found for sale are of similar age. The jersey is producing plenty of milk to raise two fat calves.

[Welshmom]

I would think the harder part would be getting mama to accept the new baby..?

[randiliana]

The best way I have found to get a bottle calf onto the cow is to start by feeding part of a bottle to it, and then when it is thinking about sucking (and really wants that bottle) you lead it to the cow (use your fingers) and slip the teat into his mouth. It may take a few tries but I have had it work on older bottle calves before.

[farmergirl]

Originally Posted by randiliana

The best way I have found to get a bottle calf onto the cow is to start by feeding part of a bottle to it, and then when it is thinking about sucking (and really wants that bottle) you lead it to the cow (use your fingers) and slip the teat into his mouth. It may take a few tries but I have had it work on older bottle calves before.

I was planning to pen up the mama and the new calf together in a small pen for several hours to get them used to each other. The cow is already gentle with our other cow's calf, so I expect she will be nurturing to the new baby as well.

Thanks for the reply!

[francismilker]

Get the calf near the udder first. They don't naturally take to the idea of eating from 14 inches high after being trained to a bottle. The next thing I do is stand behind them locking my knees into their back legs. Next, use one hand to push their neck down to teat level and the other hand to guide their mouth to the teat. It doesn't take but a couple of times for them to get a squirt of milk into their mouth to figure out where the food's coming from. If you don't stand behind them, good luck fighting their head down to that low level.

[farmergirl]

Thanks for the logistical advice! I can envision what you describe perfectly. Tomorrow we head to a local sale barn to **hopefully*** find a baby calf to bring home. If we can find one at the auction barn, it will most likely have been pulled straight off the mama cow, not bottle raised, so that would make things a lot easier with the transition to nursing from our Jersey Wish me luck!!! Will post photos if I bring one home.

[francismilker]

I might add too, with the hand that your guiding the calf's head toward the teat, it's best for me if I use the heel of my hand under the calf's mouth while using my extended fingers to get the teat placed in it's mouth. It's sometimes a small rodeo so it may be necessary to squirt a little milk at the calf's mouth in order for them to have a milk taste before the rodeo begins. It's also good to have another calf on the cow so she's good and let down while trying to graft a calf on. This helps to have mamas mind off of the rodeo and her head in a feed trough. BTW, a stanchion to lock the cow in during all of this has been a must for me. Good luck and let us know how it works out.