Question about a bottle calf

hiddensprings · #1 04/23/12, 10:55 AM

I have a 11 week old Angus Heifer that I have been bottle feeding since she was a week old. I got her from a friend who's momma cow decided she did not want the baby and he was tired of bottle feeding. Hannah has been doing awesome. I am raising her on goat's milk, two 1/2 gallon bottles per day. She is also starting to eat some grain and is grazing with the rest of the herd. In the last couple of days, she has figured out that the two momma cows in the pasture with her have FREE Milk if you can nurse while they are busy eating grain or if you sneak in while they are nursing their calves. Pearl, the one momma, will be weaning her steer calf in about 2 weeks. She doesn't seem to care if Hannah nurses on her. So, my question is: Do I continue to bottle feed Hannah or would she get enough from Pearl? I know overfeeding a calf is a problem so I just want to enough she is getting what she needs but not too much of a good thing

springvalley · #2 04/23/12, 01:23 PM

I would think your calf would get enough from the cow in the pasture, for sure when you wean the cows calf. I don`t think your going to over feed the calf, most beef calves drink as much milk as their mothers will provide, and then some. I always had calves that would sneak milk from other cows, not a big deal. > Thanks Marc

hiddensprings · #3 04/23/12, 03:07 PM

Thanks Marc, I appreciate you input.

topside1 · #4 04/23/12, 03:24 PM

I'm with Marc, plus the calf is way over 8 weeks old. Let the cow do her job, drop the bottle. Topside

genebo · #5 04/23/12, 03:49 PM

I wish that you and your nurse cow were close to me. I need to find a nurse cow for a young bull calf, less than a week old.

Genebo
Paradise Farm
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SCRancher · #6 04/23/12, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by genebo

I wish that you and your nurse cow were close to me. I need to find a nurse cow for a young bull calf, less than a week old.

Genebo
Paradise Farm
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Tell me about it - I'm having to drive 26 miles round trip twice a day to bottle feed a calf. Can't make veal out of it because my kids are attached - it will eventually have to be sold to someone as herd bull - probably my wife's uncle.

Calf is out in the pasture and I keep trying to get it to go nurse one one of the other mamma's - he went and tried a couple of times but keeps getting kicked off. I need to catch a mama when it's calf is nursing I guess.

Calf is 6 or 7 weeks old now and starting to graze with the herd some - but not enough yet.