I am getting a jersey baby heifer today!

[deafgoatlady]

I am soo excited becuz it is my first time to own a baby cow.. My kids are really excited about it. Something to add to our farm. I have some questions to make sure that I am doing the right thing becuz my mind is coming too fast (excited).. And The baby cow is only 3 days old. They always sell them when they are 3 days old. And um. I am picking her up today. They are like about 45 mins away from my home.. Should I give her vit b complex when I bring her home ( to reduce shipping fever complex)... I am going to bottle feed her with my goats milk. But How much should I feed her since she is 3 days old.. I am going to buy the bottle from the feed store before i pick her up. I want to make sure i got it right thing.. Should I put small pinch of baking soda in the bottle (reduce to the bloat or scours) What should I do if she have scours? Let me know. Thank u so much. My mind is very scrambling.. So Please advice me.. Thanks..

[TSYORK]

Feed two quarts, twice a day, or if you can break it down into three feedings, that would be great. If she starts getting the scours, back off of the milk a little till her tummy gets used to it. Sometimes a scour bollus is necessary, and you can get those at the Feed store or TSC.

Good Luck and Congrats!

[Trisha in WA]

Yogurt is great to help prevent scours and helps as well if they already have scours...just a heaping spoon or 2 full in their milk. Also, someone here uses an egg in the milk...I did that along with the yogurt when my 2 boys started to get loose stools and it worked like a charm.
Good luck and have fun.

[Ernie]

Congratulations!

Last year I picked up a young Jersey heifer from a dairy. She was about 2 weeks old. Bringing her home she immediately got the scours, or may have had them already. At that point the shock of being removed from their only home and mother is going to severely weaken their immune system anyway.

I gave mine a shot of the Vitamin B, and then I mixed in some probiotics (essentially dried yogurt powder) with her calf formula for about a week. I put her on a three day course of antibiotics right away (out of excess fearfulness) which was delivered via the formula.

The number one thing I can tell you is that she's going to have no will to live after being taken away from her mother, and an animal without a will to live is prone to just fading away no matter what you do. The cure? Make her bond with YOU. Go out and love on her as often as you can. Make time to do it. Take her little treats like apple chips or sugar cubes and when you bottle feed her make sure you talk to her and rub her back. I know it sounds sort of silly, but if she bonds with you then it will give her that will to live and she'll be able to fight off almost any sort of illness. That will pull her through the tough "weaning" transition and it will also give you a very gentle, people-oriented cow to be milking later on.

Good luck!

[francismilker]

deafgoatlady,
What you're doing as a first timer will be quite an endeavor. I would highly recommend you read one of the stickys at the top of the cattle page on raising bottle or sale barn calves. There's a wealth of good information on this page. Just remember, a dehydrated calf could quickly become a dead calf. Don't over feed if she's a jersey don't feed the recommended 2qts. 2X per day. You will have to take several days/weeks to build up to that point. Once a calf gets latched on to a bottle they don't know when to quit. If you let them suck until they act full you'll see them scouring in a few hours. Start out with 1-1/2qts. per bottle and don't mix the stuff quite as stout as the package recommends at first. MR is pretty potent on a calf's stomach that's being switched over from milk. Good luck and keep the questions coming.

[TSYORK]

Someone told me this a while back, and I've never forgotten the saying. I try to live by it with my calves. "A hungry calf is a healthy calf." When they lose their appetite is when you have major problems, usually.

[haypoint]

Homesteading today is chock full of beginning "farmers" that have no idea how difficult it is to raise a calf. This section is often the place where people turn when they see that their calf is dying. Often it is too late. While there are a number of things that quickly kill calves, the most common is scours, brought on mostly by over feeding.
"A hungry calf is a healthy calf" is true, to a point. If you try to satisfy that hunger by regular feedings, you may unintentionally be taking the calf to an early death.
Have you studied the sticky thread that gives cautionary advice?

You may think I'm being harsh. I think you don't want to have a dead calf as a part of your learning curve. I was unprepared for my first calf and after a lot of effort and money, my Jersey heifer died in my arms. I know better now. Lots of folks her know better. Now, if people will focus on this wealth of information instead of becoming transfixed by those beautiful brown eyes.

Do you know about scours? Do you have a supply of electrolytes? What medication are you prepared to use to head off scours? Are you prepared to take the calf's temp? Has the calf been given colostrum?

[topside1]

Good points Haypoint...

[Madsaw]

My advice to ANYONE buying calves. If you are buying directly from the farmer. Ask if they could please keep the calf there till its atleast a week old if not 2 weeks old. Of course pay them extra for this too.
Why might you ask. The first 2 weeks can be the hardest to get a calf over. A good farmer will have some problems from time to time . But will recognize a sick calf way before a new farmer will. Hate to say it about us farmers that are lifers, its just second nature to us. I have said this before here. No matter how much a buyer begs a calf will not leave my place till its atleast a week old preferablly 2 weeks. It makes more work for me but its better for teh buyer in teh end.
I never heard of useing baking soda in the milk. I would not do it just because you will not know what the effects of it will have to the milk being digested. Also you should have asked for some milk from the farm at the least to slowly switch teh calf to goats milk with.
Ask alot of questions, try to have a farmer freind to call if you need fast advice.
Good luck
Bob

[Madsaw]

Forgot to add about jerseys. They will actually suck till they can no long walk they are so full. They are little gluts.
Bob

[deafgoatlady]

Hey you guys. Thanks for advice.. She is sooo HEALTHY looking calf.. Surprised that she took me right in like I am his momma. She loves me to death!! WOW.. It is amazing.. The lady who took care of the cows. She WANTS to get rid of the baby calves becuz she needs milk for her contract from pariere farms or whatever it is .. She got a broken knee too. I asked her a lot of questions to make sure. She said that she never left the babies on the mom. I asked her if she used the raw colostrum from the mom. she said yes.. And she said that dont feed her too much. I asked her how much. She said give her between 1 or 1 1/2 and She asked me if i am using milk replacer. I said no. I am using the goats milk. She said well it is good and better than milk replacer. I did ask her if I need to give her something to prevent to be sick. She said no and dont worry too much. I said i will try becuz I DO WORRY!

The baby hiefer is silly. She acts like so hungry. I told her no no I am not going to feel sorry for u becuz I do know better becuz I raise goats for years.. LOL.. She is so sweet and so cutie.. But I have another questions right now. I notice that she pooped and it wasnt runny but after she finished poop and i look at her butt and it looks like white mucus ( is that normal from coming out there???) That is all I need to know. Thanks..

[SkipOnStars]

The mucus is normal. It should stop tho' very soon. It may go yellow poop then change to the normal. Congrats! I want a jersey heifer too!