Milk Replacer Question

Bay Mare · #1 02/08/13, 03:57 PM

Hi Everyone - I am new to this section of the board!

I am getting my first bottle calf to raise for the freezer. This is a Jersey bull calf from a friend that only has one milk cow. I am sure that I will have lots of questions in the coming days but here is the first one.

I can get either a 22%protein all milk based (whey) replacer or a 26%protein that has some soy in it (the first 5 ingredients are milk/whey). Both are 20% fat.

Which would be better?

topside1 · #2 02/08/13, 04:43 PM

Buy the 22% version. Avoid soy of any kind, don't let the 26% fool you into buying this product. Soy products are not natural to a calfs stomach, buying 100% milk only makes sense...Topside

topside1 · #3 02/08/13, 04:49 PM

Here's another free tip, feed your new Jersey 2 pints twice a day 12 hours apart. Not 10 hours, then 14 hours apart, calves need routine. Begin boosting up the milk amount slightly around week three and be feeding 3 pints by week 5 everything in moderation....Of course this is just what I do, take it for what it's worth....Topside

springvalley · #4 02/08/13, 07:04 PM

Top is dead on, same here. > Marc

Bay Mare · #5 02/08/13, 08:40 PM

Ok, I think I can get a 26% protein all milk based no soy replacer. I just have to drive further and pay more. Is the higher protein better or is 22% enough?

Thanks for the advice and tips so far!

topside1 · #6 02/08/13, 09:06 PM

I buy 20/20 never a problem. Meaning 20% protein, 20% fat. The choice is yours, just avoid soy, as was previously mentioned. Topside

sammyd · #7 02/08/13, 09:59 PM

we also avoid soy. Bought a bag for our first calves and even after 2 days they would not drink a single drop of it.

goodhors · #8 02/08/13, 10:33 PM

We fed our calves 3 times a day, according to Vet recommendations. Used the calf bottle from TSC, not sure what it held, but every feeding was a full bottle for each calf. We fed at 6A, because daughter who was "calf mother" could feed before school. I fed at noon, with third feeding at 6P. We stuck to that schedule as much as was possible, which made the calves happy. We had no issues with loose stools or not being able to poop, which I put to feeding to a schedule and keeping the stalls cleaned daily.

Bottle was scrubbed with hot water, nipple also after each feeding, and dried between feedings. Keeping stuff clean helps keep calves healthy.

We used the medicated milk replacer, because new baby calves are rather fragile, have lowered immune systems with stress of moving, easy to get sick. Cost more but I felt the formula helped keep them healthy with meds in it. After some mistakes with the first calf, had to go to the Vet, we then followed Vet advice and didn't have any other calf illness to deal with on later animals we raised. They were 4-H projects for daughter to show and sell.

Vet was pretty emphatic that calves got fed 3 times a day. Said they got more inside calf in volume with 3 feedings, kept them better hydrated and spaced closer together so they were not stressed waiting for more to drink. Dehydration in cold weather was the worst problem he saw in ailing calves, often died of it when not fixed with IVs done in time.

springvalley · #9 02/08/13, 10:48 PM

Goodhors, what kind of calves were you feeding, sure couldn`t be jersey`s, you would have killed them for sure. Cleaning equipment makes a big difference, calves don`t like bacteria. Sounds like you do a great job. I feed whole raw milk to my calves, and never have a problem with them. > Thanks Marc

arabian knight · #10 02/08/13, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by springvalley

Goodhors, what kind of calves were you feeding, sure couldn`t be jersey`s, you would have killed them for sure. Cleaning equipment makes a big difference, calves don`t like bacteria. Sounds like you do a great job. I feed whole raw milk to my calves, and never have a problem with them. > Thanks Marc

So very true. Jerseys take way less then that amount. Those nipple bottles are 2 Quarts.
Half that amount for starting out Jersey calves. As I have raised Jersey calves now for the last 30 years. Get them at about a week old and about a year and a half later that steer is in my freezer. And being I only raise one at a time, and one 50# milk replacer I just keep it up till the bag is gone.
Then I may get some non-medicated milk replacer and mix up some milk for the steer just for a "treat" once in awhile. LOL

bigmudder77 · #11 02/09/13, 03:39 AM

I've always feed the jerseys 2qts twice a day then when there on the bucket its more and Iusually try to get them on the bucket by 2 weeks

But I'm using dump cow milk which has been treated or from a new mom stuff that can't go in to the milk tank and I do pretty good with the calves