# What am I getting into



## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

I may be getting 2 calf's, both are 1 1/2 weeks old bottle babies.. A friend of mine has them, they both are were twins from different cows and both cows wouldn't take them so he is bottle feeding them..

I have a 2 yr old calf now that thinks she is a horse as she has been raised with my 3 boys...

I haven't raised a bottle baby in a long long time, remind me just what I'm likely getting into...

one is angus/Santa Gertrudis mix, the other is simental angus mom/ Santa Gertrudis / angus father

He said they are eating feed also and 2 bottles a day..

I think the price is reasonable, he is asking 250$ each, I may be able to get both cheaper beings he is a friend..

Please inform me as to what I'm getting into here, it's been a while for me in this area, I do have a day job but I can get up earlier to feed them, 4am vs 5am wouldn't hurt me...

What else am I forgetting here...

Thanks, Chris


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

You will spend more on milk replacer than they will be worth, more than likely.
On the positive side, the price is right.
Other than that, piece of cake.


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

Well their both males, starting plan is one will be for the freezer and one will be property bull one day...

My friend has 100$ worth of milk replacer & 2 bottles that go with them, and we agreed to 400$ for the package..

Got to start somewhere me thinks... and I have been looking at calf prices around here and they are higher than these are even for bottle babies... we will see, going to pick them up this weekend...

Found out one is 1 1/2 months, the other is 1 1/2 weeks and they both was on mamma for a couple days and they both are healthy..


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## Smoothy (Apr 26, 2015)

That doesn't sound so bad the first one could realistically be starting to wean off 6-8 weeks has worked well for us. Not a bad price either. Try to stay consistent on feeding times 12 hours apart some do three times a day but that doesn't work for most and above all have fun and good luck!


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Good luck!


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

Use Southern States CalfMaker, it will say MP on the bag for Milk Protein/Whey. DO NOT use a soy based milk replacer like Dumor, you are asking for trouble. 2 feedings, 3 is better with at least 2 quarts at a time.

As far as making one a herd sire.... I'd 'steer' from it unless he has power.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

If you take the time and get them to drink out of a bucket it will cut down on your feeding time. Are you keeping them tied up or in separate pens? If you can do that, may prevent one from getting sick if the other one does. Have fun with them.

Wife just got her next Jersey steer and enjoying him. We don't take him til he is 2 months so we don't have to deal with milk and the possibility of him getting sick from the move.


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## DLCC2 (Jul 12, 2016)

I just weaned the first bottle calf out of my own stock. When I was working on another operation I always started the calf then turned it over to the owners wife once it was used to a bottle.

I second IH though, my grandfather ( 85 years young) told me to teach it to drink from a bucket and with him supervising I trained her to a bucket and it was golden from there. He grew up rough and said when he was a kid he could buy day old calves from local dairy for a dollar then fed them up to help feed the family. Hard to believe that not so long ago what typically sells today for $200 or better could once be had for a buck.

Good luck. I think it'll turn out.

Tyler


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

I was going to put them with my 2yr old heifer in a 1/2ac lot but I could put up some panels and keep them separate. The two are together now and have been for a week or two. My thinking was they would be good with my heifer, there is hay, water, shade for them and maybe they wouldn't get spooked so much with her around..

How soon should they get their shots??


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

DLCC2 said:


> I second IH though, my grandfather ( 85 years young) told me to teach it to drink from a bucket and with him supervising I trained her to a bucket and it was golden from there.


Back when I was a kid and we had a dairy herd, calves were bucket trained before a week old (started to train on day 2 IIRC). Sometimes the bucket might get bunted, so hang on tight, would my advice.

Larry


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

r82230 said:


> Back when I was a kid and we had a dairy herd, calves were bucket trained before a week old (started to train on day 2 IIRC). Sometimes the bucket might get bunted, so hang on tight, would my advice.
> 
> Larry


So explain how I start this bucket training, sounds like the way to go as far as time wise.. I can see the head bunting thing, I believe I could come up with a way to handle that....


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

SCtrailrider said:


> So explain how I start this bucket training, sounds like the way to go as far as time wise.. I can see the head bunting thing, I believe I could come up with a way to handle that....


Start with them good and hungry. Let them suck on your fingers while leading their head into the bucket. Keep your fingers just far enough that they try to continue sucking on them. Be ready for the head bunting, some will never move others will hit you with all they got. It may take one feeding or it can take a week for them to learn, all depends on how stubborn. When all we did was bucket feed if they did not drink they went hungry, by the next feeding they were a little more cooperative. Be patient, training to bucket feed is not something that should be done when you have had a bad day and they don't cooperate. Don't ask how I know this.


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

I kinda figured something like that....

Will be picking them up tomorrow morning so the training will start then....


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

Got the boys home this morning, I set up 2 separate panel pens in the corral with my heifer in a shady spot.

The previous owner was feeding them Purina nurse chow #200, BVT MOS medicated replacer, 2 qt's twice a day....

I'm going to up them to 3 times a day as they seem to be hungry even after 2 qts..

I also have Purina calf starter/grower 18DQ medicated feed I'm leaving in with them, both are nibbling it some..

I'm guessing it's not good to feed them too much milk, I think I have read it can cause trouble... am I right ???

I will be getting another bag of milk this coming week, is the milk I'm feeding now good enough or is their something better I can ask if they have ??

Thanks

Chris


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

We always fed 2 quarts twice a day. Where we get the steers from he gives them a bucket full twice a day so they have the option of 2 gallons. That is fresh milk and he has good luck with that, I would not do it.

With milk replacer just mix it according to the directions and stick with that. They may seem hungry and they will drink as much as you give them, some do not know how to stop. When we weaned calves and moved them into a pen where they had free choice water once in a while you would find one that drank herself to death.

Are you providing them with water and grain? If you are I would just stay with the twice a day feeding. The 3 times in my opinion is more for the winter trying to maintain growth


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

IH 1586 said:


> We always fed 2 quarts twice a day. Where we get the steers from he gives them a bucket full twice a day so they have the option of 2 gallons. That is fresh milk and he has good luck with that, I would not do it.
> 
> With milk replacer just mix it according to the directions and stick with that. They may seem hungry and they will drink as much as you give them, some do not know how to stop. When we weaned calves and moved them into a pen where they had free choice water once in a while you would find one that drank herself to death.
> 
> Are you providing them with water and grain? If you are I would just stay with the twice a day feeding. The 3 times in my opinion is more for the winter trying to maintain growth


How long do you keep them on the milk replacer. I have a heifer calf that was a twin that I am feeding for about two months. I have her in with my goats and she is getting some corn and hay. That milk replacer is kind of expensive.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

CowboyRam said:


> How long do you keep them on the milk replacer. I have a heifer calf that was a twin that I am feeding for about two months. I have her in with my goats and she is getting some corn and hay. That milk replacer is kind of expensive.


2 months is standard for feeding milk to calves.


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

Well, things are going good so far, feeding milk 2 times a day, have starter feed in with them, the older one is eating it good, the younger one is just starting to nibble it...

had the wife stop by the farm store and pick up more milk, feed, salt blocks etc, things we needed for all the cridders.. the bag of milk that came with them is a 25lb bag, I told her to pick up 2 bags and that might last us a while.. guess what she came home with.. 2- 50lb bags lol... I guess these 2 will be drinking milk for a while due to the cost @ 75$ a bag.. we have decided they both are going to be freezer meat anyway so the more the better I guess... I'm looking for a small creep feeder now, I can buy bulk feed close by much cheaper than at the feed store, planning to just keep them in the ac lot on free choice feed & hay and fatten them up real good....

Question... considering the above plan should I leave them bulls or steer them ??? and what about worming & shots, how old to worm them and what & when for shots...

I had forgotten how fun it is to have babies around.....

Thanks

Chris


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

SCtrailrider said:


> I had forgotten how fun it is to have babies around.....
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Chris


Don't have too much fun....when the day comes to drop the hammer, it will be one that you will not relish.

Regards, Mike


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

Vol said:


> Don't have too much fun....when the day comes to drop the hammer, it will be one that you will not relish.
> 
> Regards, Mike


We know Mike, I have been their but the wife hasn't yet, she is strong and has named them even.... sloppy joe & yum yum.... we have been working towards filling the freezer with our own meat so I think we will be good to go.... I doubt she will take the ride but she will wave bye bye...


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

SCtrailrider said:


> We know Mike, I have been their but the wife hasn't yet, she is strong and has named them even.... sloppy joe & yum yum.... we have been working towards filling the freezer with our own meat so I think we will be good to go.... I doubt she will take the ride but she will wave bye bye...


When my daughter was young she asked if the meat was Valentine or Blackie?

We were at the table for Sunday dinner and my in-laws were there. The look on my MIL's face was priceless.

When my children were young we raised some bottle calves. One little trick I learned was to buy any discounted old/out of date milk replacer from farm supply stores. I would sprinkle some over their feed once they were eating good. Seemed to help. I always tried to get them eating as soon as possible. It seemed to keep them from getting the pot belly you see in a lot of bottle calves.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

They have the proper names for making it easier for the end result. My oldest son had named one of mine lunch.

I would steer them easier to handle pending on how long you keep them. I don't know about shots. I don't do anything with mine, used to when milking.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

Tim/South said:


> When my daughter was young she asked if the meat was Valentine or Blackie?
> 
> We were at the table for Sunday dinner and my in-laws were there. The look on my MIL's face was priceless.
> 
> When my children were young we raised some bottle calves. One little trick I learned was to buy any discounted old/out of date milk replacer from farm supply stores. I would sprinkle some over their feed once they were eating good. Seemed to help. I always tried to get them eating as soon as possible. It seemed to keep them from getting the pot belly you see in a lot of bottle calves.


We always called them hay bellies. Seemed to be caused by feeding low quality hay at a young age. For the first 2 months they would not receive any hay at all, once weaned they would get up to 5 lbs of grain per feeding and the best quality hay free choice.

For calves that were a little slow at eating grain we would take some and put it in their mouth after feeding their milk.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Young horses will do the same....and it is called "hay belly" in them also. I hated bottle feeding when I had cows....eventually, if I could not find a foster cow I would sell it.

Regards, Mike


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

Another question ....

About 3 days ago I put some milk powder on there feed, maybe too much, and the next day one of thems poop got slightly loose and still is. So today I gave it fresh feed, no powdered milk, fed it's 2 qt's of milk and 2qt of water with electrolytes mixed in, both are drinking water but one drinks more than the other, did this with both calf's... is anything wrong with this??

Also I'm wondering about worming them because the previous owner had them in a fenced yard with 4 dogs.. I have some ivermection paste I use on the horses and I think I could get some in their mouth... should I try this or not worry about parasites yet??

Thanks

Chris


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

As long as their poop is normal brown color I would not be concerned. If its a weird color than you have scours. I would not worry about how much water or feed they are eating at this point. As long as they are drinking the milk good and are perky your fine.


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

All mine come from the sale barn with no colostrum. They scour 100%. The first week is eggs vinegar and a little molasses. Mostly works. Feed changes in calves can loosen them up for a day or two but if it's not yellow or has " that smell" you are good.


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

They both are doing good, seem to be back to normal now, both eating grain & hay some.. only thing now is one of them has a stiff rear leg and limps on it, hoping it's just a sprain, the ankle looks a little swollen but he gets around ok...


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