04/21/05, 11:41 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Enumclaw, WA
Posts: 31
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I just read your other post about how much to feed the calf. You should feed it a pint of milk for each 10 lbs of body weight of the calf. If it weighs 50 lbs, it should get 5 pints which = 1/2 gal + 1pt. If it weighs 70 lbs, then it should be 7 pts. Divide the milk between the number of feedings per day. If the calf is a month old, it should be able to handle being fed milk 2 times a day. You don't have to go weigh the calf, just have a pretty good idea of how much it weighs. I would not dilute the milk with water. Have fresh water available at all times in a different container.
I feed my calves 6 times a day for the 1st 3 days (colostrum) and keep a good watch on them. If they do well after 3 days, I give them the same amount of milk, but cut back to 5 feedings for a couple days and then back to 4 and by the end of the second week they are at 3. Usually by the end of the first week they have gained some weight and I up the milk ration by about a pint. As they grow and start eating other feed, I make a dertermination to cut the milk feeding down to 2 times a day. It is still the same amount, but just at 12 hour intervals (right after milking the mom). By the time we wean at 2.5 months, the calf (Jersey) is usually about 120lbs or more and drinking 1.5 gal of milk/day.
Darlene
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