jersey bottle calf questions

[kirsten]

I don't have any experience with jerseys. This is my first one. I guess I just need to know how skinny should they appear?

He is 3 1/2 months. I got him when he was a month and he is still on a gallon of milk a day. I have only been really pushing the calf feed for 2 weeks and he does eat more than 3 pounds a day, maybe closer to 4-5 pounds. He also eats hay but I tried to wean him down to one bottle a day and he just looks so skinny. His ribs show and there are indentations before and after the butt bone. When I give him milk twice a day, the indentation before his butt bone is not there. All of that but he seems to have a large belly and he is very healthy.

I switched milk replacer on him and the new stuff is not anywhere near as good as the Kent stuff. I would probably have him weaned on the Kent stuff.

Anyway, how long are their ribs supposed to show too? I am used to lambs and our calves on our cows are not skinny.

Obviously, I am not a hard core feeder. I let him go with grass and milk mostly for a long time so that he could be with the cows. My current policy is to keep him in with grain at night and out by day with the cows or sheep.

Well, please, give me your opinions.


kirsten

[topside1]

Jerseys will look ribby and boney until around 6 months old then begin to fill out handsomely...This little steer is best guess 4 months old. Keep in mind we can never turn a Jersey into a thick muscled Angus...Topside

[susieM]

Is he too young to be wormed?

[springvalley]

Topside hit the nail on the head, they are boney for a few months, then they will take off. I do not like milk replacer, just saying, you gotta do what ya gotta do to feed calves. I am so lucky I can feed mine real milk. > Thanks Marc

[kirsten]

So you wean jerseys purely based upon grain consumption?
Alright, I feel better going down to a bottle a day then until the bag is gone.
Thank you.