calves

[josh]

How long and how much milk replacer would it take to get a calf to be weaned?

 

[PoultryScienceAggie]

We feed ours until they are 2 months old. It usually takes around 2 50lbs bags.

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

someone told me 1 bag a calf.....we bought a weaned holstein at auction for $75. It was hard to find a healthy one at that price, we looked everywhere.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

We feed ours until around 2 months of age. When they are eating about an 8 qt pail of grain then we wean them.

The rule of thumb is one 50 lb bag per calf.

Come visit us one

 

[she-earl]

One calf should only need one bag of milk replacer. I would recommend the medicated milk replacer which in our area of PA is $40. We begin weaning our calves when they are six-weeks-old. When they reach six-weeks of age, we feed them half the amount of milk replacer each feeding instead of going cold turkey. They should also be receiving calf feed of some kind. Our calves have feed placed in front of them as soon as they are a couple of days old. They can have up to 2 1/2 pounds of feed twice a day. If you are raising this calf for beef, it should have free choice fresh grass or hay.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I would recommend the medicated milk replacer which in our area of PA is $40

Sounds like awfully cheap milk replacer to me. You should be getting an all milk, milk replacer-NO SOY. Remember in milk replacer you get what you pay for. $80 is what we pay for a 50# bag and it's worth it. I also know that is about right across the country for a bag of good milk replacer.

I do agree to slowly thin out the milk replacer as they get older. Usually, as they get eating more and more grain their manure will get looser and looser and that is a sign of when to reduce the milk replacer. (It is the protein amount)​

 

[bheila]

$80 for a 50lb bag is what it costs around here too. But maybe if your really nice to the feed store owner like we are, they'll sell you the torn bags for $30.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Here they weigh it and charge for what is in the bag-They have it figured out per unit.