D.J. is Growing and Added some NEW Pics in first post.

[jmhappycowboy]

Yesterday morning I get a phone call asking if I know anyone who wants a baby calf to raise on a bottle, the guy wants to sell him for $100, I tell him that I don't know of anyone right off hand who is looking for one but if I hear of anyone I will send them his way, he then proceeds to tell me that this calf is about 6 or 7 days old and his mom died this morning and he needed to sell him or he would just die in the pasture without someone to feed him so of course I go get the baby. And of course since I haven't had a bottle calf since I was a teenager myself I didn't have milk replacer bottles or anything else on hand and couldn't find any anywhere but I got water, sweet feed and hay into the calf and kept him nice and comfy last night and got to the feed store this morning and got milk replacer and the bottle.

Now here is my question. I got the baby to take the bottle without to much trouble once he found out what it was and he emptied the bottle in no time and was wanting more. But the bag says to only give them 2 bottles per day. Will it hurt to give him more than 2 bottles per day or should I only give him 2?

He is a pretty good size calf I guess he weighs about 75 or 80 lbs but is kind of thin really sort of gutted looking but I am assuming that is from not being able to nurse from mom most of the day yesterday and last night. I just want to make sure he gets all he needs to eat and I don't want him to be hungry but I also don't want to make him sick over feeding him.

Thanks for any help.

Oh and he is a Beef type calf, his mom was Half Charolais and Half Brown Swiss, and his dad is a Black Angus I think.

Well I finally got around to getting some pics of DJ he's really growing and even after all the advice which I really appreciate by the way. I did start him out on 2 bottle a day but he kept begging for more milk and acted like he was starving so I finally caved in and started easing him up a little at a time and now the rascal is drinking 3 bottles per day plus he is cleaning up 1 scoop of 12% creep feed top dressed with a cup of calf manna per day and has plenty of fresh water and free choice of hay. I think that for a 6 going on 7 week old calf he's looking pretty good. What do you all think is he pretty good sized for a bottle baby of this age?

Today was his first day turned out in the pasture. He has been kept in a stall since I got him but I locked all the horses up in their stalls today and turned DJ out for a little while land he was hilarious he would run like crazy with that tail straight up in the air and then turn around get back to me as fast as he could and then hide behind me and do it all over again, just a little hoot. Sorry for rambling and here are his pics.

Here he is 2 months later, spoiled rotten and growing like a weed.

Thanks
James

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Don't feed them more than the recommended amount. They'll eat themselves sick if they could.

 

[Benelli]

If he's that young and been without, give him more. The bag is a rule of thumb in my opinion. I'm still feeding my baby goat one bottle a day and he's five months. When I first got him, he'd eat two bottles at a time, two times daily. When he got full, he would quit. Right now this calf is probably starving and needs to eat. Remember, they nurse all day long at intervals that the mom will tolerate. He is probably really hungry only getting fed once per day or twice per day even though it's more than his mother would probably give him in one feeding.

After a few days, really start pushing the feed and grass. Will your horses tolerate him around so he can watch them/mimic them eating grass?

He's going to end up like a puppy. I hope you're prepared for that.................

 

[herefordlovinglady]

No don't give them more than a couple of bottles a day for at least a week and then you can ease up to 3 a day. They can get the scours and that will kill them. The calf will be fine, if he/she was left with the mother for at least the first 24 to 48 hours. they need the colostrum to survive. be careful too about the feed. They can bloat if the feed is too rich for them. but if you have fed it feed and it did not bloat you should be home free -- just don't over due it. Hay, water and bottle should be fine for it.

 

[Katy]

2 bottles a day is enough at that age. Give him too much and he'll scour.

 

[jmhappycowboy]

Quote:
He was with his mother for the first 6 days and did nurse from her for those 6 days it was on the 7th day that she died, he just seemed to still be really hungry after the one bottle is why I was wondering if it was safe to give him another glad that I didn't as I don't want to make him sick. Since being with his mom for 6 days I am sure he got all the colostrum he needed, my worry was just if I was starving him by going by the instructions on the bag of milk replacer. He didn't eat much of the feed was more interested in the water and hay.

 

[Pumpkinpup]

I am battling the bottle baby blues myself. I have two little heifers around six weeks old. Both have pneumonia and it has me worried to death that every day will bring bad tidings. Your little fellow sounds as if he got enough from mom that he should do well if you just keep him fed, warm and dry

I wish I knew how long my two were with mom, exactly how old they are and such. I pretty much rescued them from certain death in a sloppy, mudd pit of a paddock out in the rain and cold. I had no idea if they would live or not but knew they would not have a chance if left where they were.
I have had them two weeks now and they are still very sick but alive. I am thankful for that.
Hang in there.

 

[CedarRidgeChicks]

My son works on a Jersey dairy and has raised 30-40 bottle calves..I agree with all the above..be careful giving too much replacer especially..I often would take and extra bottle of warm water and would give it to the ones that seemed to need a little "extra"..just don't do it for too long and make sure it drinks from a bucket too.

 

[Pumpkinpup]

My vet suggested to add a couple of spoons of karo syrup to their bottle also due to baby calves not making glycogen on their own at that age. They need the sugar to create energy. They would ordinarily get the sugar content from the mothers milk to supply their glucose.

 

[herefordlovinglady]

Happycowboy, the calf is lucky to have received you. you will love having it around. you refer to it as a he....does this mean you have a bull or did the farmer steer it at birth? have you ever raised cattle before?