Friends of ours came home from the auction with a Jersey calf. She was with mom til the age of two week. Sold at the auction as the mother died. Anyhow they are now living with a calf in the condo. The calf will be moving over to my place ASAP! WHat do you do with a calf??? I have raised colts before but everyone is telling me how hard it is to raise orphaned jerseys....
Dear Lord whatever have I done LOL
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For immediately go to the supermarket and buy a couple of gallons of whole milk. If you have a rubber glove fill it with the milk, cut a hole (X) in the end of one finger and let the calf suckle.
Tomorrow morning go to the local feedstore and buy a 50-lb bag of milk (NOT SOYBEAN) based medicated milk replacer and a calf milk bottle. Feed at the rate suggested on the bag for weight. Be careful to not overfeed. With the stool (solid or runny): brown is fine, yellow indicates overfeeding, white means to call your vet ASAP as that calf if fixing to die on you.
Some, like me, like to include two raw eggs in the bottle. Extra protein plus it is suppose to help firm up stool.
Check to see if the feedstore sells tube feeders. Essentially a plastic bag with a tube and knob on the end. You may have to tube feed the calf a time or two as it was on the cow for longer than normal for a bottle calf. To use hold calf's neck between your thighs. Insert tube trying to keep it to the top of the mouth and throat. May take a couple of tries to get it down. If the calf sucks on it, you are fine. However, putting it into the lungs means death within a couple of minutes. Been there, done that trying to force feed a bottle.
If the calf isn't bawling when it hears you coming with the bottle after about three days it is going to die on you.
If it is sucking aggressively after a couple of bottle feedings then get back to us for further suggestions on water and calf grower suggestions.
Tomorrow morning go to the local feedstore and buy a 50-lb bag of milk (NOT SOYBEAN) based medicated milk replacer and a calf milk bottle. Feed at the rate suggested on the bag for weight. Be careful to not overfeed. With the stool (solid or runny): brown is fine, yellow indicates overfeeding, white means to call your vet ASAP as that calf if fixing to die on you.
Some, like me, like to include two raw eggs in the bottle. Extra protein plus it is suppose to help firm up stool.
Check to see if the feedstore sells tube feeders. Essentially a plastic bag with a tube and knob on the end. You may have to tube feed the calf a time or two as it was on the cow for longer than normal for a bottle calf. To use hold calf's neck between your thighs. Insert tube trying to keep it to the top of the mouth and throat. May take a couple of tries to get it down. If the calf sucks on it, you are fine. However, putting it into the lungs means death within a couple of minutes. Been there, done that trying to force feed a bottle.
If the calf isn't bawling when it hears you coming with the bottle after about three days it is going to die on you.
If it is sucking aggressively after a couple of bottle feedings then get back to us for further suggestions on water and calf grower suggestions.
thanks Ken, I appreciate your help. Everyone keeps telling me Jerseys are really frail and they scour very easily!
Good advice from Ken.
The biggest cause of scours with any bottle calf, jersey or otherwise, is overfeeding, escpecially when it's a novice. Usually when you've given the calf the bottle she will act like she's still starving and wanting more. Resist the urge to feed more! It's is much better to underfeed a little than to overfeed.
Also, it may take a little persistence on your part to get the calf to take the bottle, but keep at it. She'll get the hang of it.
The biggest cause of scours with any bottle calf, jersey or otherwise, is overfeeding, escpecially when it's a novice. Usually when you've given the calf the bottle she will act like she's still starving and wanting more. Resist the urge to feed more! It's is much better to underfeed a little than to overfeed.
Also, it may take a little persistence on your part to get the calf to take the bottle, but keep at it. She'll get the hang of it.
Not sure if it was JimS or not, but I believe he said for me to feed LESS to Jerseys than the directions on the bag of replacer...the one I used had a measuring cup to mix with the water to make a full bottle; I believe I used about 1/2 that but still with water filled all the way to the top...it worked beautifully...I eventually moved up to the full amount of replacer but not until they were about 5 or 6 weeks old, I think...when I started and used the full amount, one of my Jersey calves scoured. I am soooooooo jealous, congrats on a heifer. If you've raised colts, you are going to excel as a cow mom/dad.
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On some calves who were still agressively hungry after the milk bottle I woud give them warm, slightly sugared water. Filled them up with liquid.
Had one bull calf. After one feeding I went in to make the sugar water. Calf followed me up the steps into the trailer.
You can start bottle feeding like tubing. Put calf's head between your thighs and then present the bottom to them. May have to force it in mouth initially. Generally they get the idea fairly quickly and will come to you when they know it is feeding time.
Had one bull calf. After one feeding I went in to make the sugar water. Calf followed me up the steps into the trailer.
You can start bottle feeding like tubing. Put calf's head between your thighs and then present the bottom to them. May have to force it in mouth initially. Generally they get the idea fairly quickly and will come to you when they know it is feeding time.
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