Warmth of water for bottle calf

[FarmboyBill]

Is there a general temp that must be maintained?

Does that temp change due to severity of winter?
I had bottle calves over 40yrs ago, and I know that we had to carry the hot water out to the barn from the house. I don't know if she got the water warm individually in the house, or that she brought it out hot and I poured it into cold water to make several feedings. We had 10 calves.

I am going to go to a sale today looking for Jersey bottle heifer calves for a friend of the family. Shes never raised them before, and the above subject came up, in my mind, as I was trying to throw out all the things possible for her to look at.

Id LOVE to have them, and intend to do so when I get a place that has a barn and running water on it.

[gone-a-milkin]

You want to make the milk replacer bottles about body temperature.
Think about how warm the milk is fresh from the cow; that is what you are aiming for.

[jwal10]

Same as human baby, don't want to scald their mouth. Pour a little on your wrist, just feels warm....James

[coolrunnin]

Long as it wasn't solid I never really worried about the water. Same as my calves fed by momma, they will drink the water.

[FarmboyBill]

Yeah James, My X and I remembered that last night, BUT I don't know if, after 40yrs my wrist isn't as tender and sensitive to feeling as it was when I was in my early 20s.

Yeay CR, But yes, mama drinks cold water, but she warms it up before she feeds it to her calves lol

[coolrunnin]

My calves drink water as well as milk.

When we dairied we raised 50+ calves at any one time never heated the drinking water we did of course warm the milk replacer.

But as always one should do what they feel is best.

[FarmboyBill]

CR I see what your saying. I was talking about the water to mix in the CM

[FarmboyBill]

Since Im retired, I had intended to feed them CM morning and night, and water in the nipple bucket at noon. Whaddia think?
ALSO, Whaddia you think about putting some vinegar in the water. Would it be that beneficial? I would think it would be far enough from the other 2 feedings that it wouldn't curdle the CM.

[sammyd]

Fresh water should be available free choice by at least the second week. A good high protein calf starter grain should be available as well. Temp of the water is not too much of an issue as long as is still liquid..I personally have never used vinegar in calf water if I did I wouldn't worry about the milk curdling, that occurs naturally and why rennet from cslves stomachs is used in cheese making.

[mary,tx]

I'd think between 90 and 100 degrees if you want to stick a probe thermometer in it.

[Yvonne's hubby]

I always mixed the MR in cold water (it dissolves much better) then added hot water. 103 is your target temp. a bit cooler or warmer is ok, just be careful not to scald the lil buggers, and they dont like it as well cold as they do warm.