Question: I have two new Holstein bottle calves. Took them straight from the dairy before they were 8 hours old. Both of them got their colostrum and a clostridium shot. They are healthy, happy little buggers with no problems...so far...I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop! My question is that I'm raising them on goat's milk. They are 5 days old now and approximately 80 - 90 pounds each, though one is obviously bigger than the other. I am giving them 1 1/2 quarts in the morning, 1 quart in the afternoon and 1 1/2 quarts in the evening, to total one gallon each. With goat's milk, is that enough? Obviously, like any calf, they think they're starving to death. But I understand that goat's milk is more easily digestible. Do they need more than the standard gallon a day or is that enough with goat's milk? So far they don't have anything else, but I was going to get them some calf starter and a water bucket later this week. Anything else I should be doing? No scours yet (first year trying goat's milk and I'm impressed with the lack of scours - last year it only took three days before I had them scouring and lost one, despite best efforts at treating). Thanks, Sarah
That is plenty!!! I only gave half as much to mine.. I have a old thread in the goat forum on how I did my calf search "calf goats milk"
You are feeding enough. Make sure that they are out of contact with each other, so if one gets sick it is not passed on. Keep water and starter feed in front of them all the time. Keep the amount of feed in their bucket low so it does not get old. You will want to teach them to eat the starter feed. After each bottle is done, take a small handfull of feed and put it in their mouth. After awhile they will figure out how to chew and eat it. I also keep a small (key word is small) amount of hay in front of them as well. You want to do this to develop their rumen. Search the internet for holstein beef calves and you will have more info than you ever dreamed of in the form of University studies, etc. Feel free to ask any questions you may have