Proper Bottle feeding Position

[TheDunSpunk]

Hey everyone.
I bought my first bottle-baby approximately one week ago. He was 4 days old when we bought him from the dairy and his breeder banded him for us while we were there. He is a HolsteinxJersey. Today, and I think last night, he began making a kind if nasally sound when breathing, but it is on and off with an occasional mucus-sounding cough. Mostly he does it when I have his bottle out. I've been feeding him with his head down and chin slightly above his back, as I read in a book for bottle raising calves. I'm worried that maybe I got milk in his nasal passages??? He's playing around and feels spunky... Doesn't look sickly at all. He's still pooping mustard colored cow patties.

Today, while looking on Google for why he would be making his nasally sounds, and occasionally coughing, I read that Jerseys should be bottle fed by the feeders knees, and Holsteins below the feeder'a belt loop.

Have I been doing it all wrong??? What is the proper position for a HolsteinxJersey steer?? And what could be wrong with him?

[Hoosier23]

The coughing is nothing to be that scared about, it sounds like he is getting to much air when he feeds because of the way you have the bottle. Keep it above his head so he has to reach up a little bit and be sure to take the bottle away as soon as it's empty because that is sure to cause coughing after. Hope that helps

[topside1]

Think about the height of mama cows udder and teats, and there lays your answer. I feed way below my beltline.

[TheDunSpunk]

Can y'all tell I was a bit panicky when writing this thread? Lol.
One person says feed him a little higher, another says go lower.....
I talked to the calf's breeder and they said everything was okay and how I was feeding him was fine-- But is it the CORRECT way to feed him? His mom is a big ole Holstein.

[TheDunSpunk]

I should add that I stand 5'8 and feed around my belt loops (maybe even a little higher then my belt loops), so that the calf's chin is just above his back..

[topside1]

I feed kneecap high. Raised over 100 calves only lost two.

[sammyd]

there really isn't any best way. The esophageal groove closes from factors other than position of the neck.

[njenner]

My bottle baby does the same thing. I've tried changing positions and it stays the same so I quit worrying about it. Just started cutting back on the bottle (one half bottle 2x day) so by the end of next week he'll be weaned anyway.