# Proud new Parents but help PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



## Mamato5 (Mar 13, 2010)

We are the proud new parents of a sweet baby bull calf.  He isn't home yet because we are still trying to get Mom to nurse baby but so far (babe is 3 days old) she is kicking and running (I mean running) when little guy gets anywhere near her.  We thought perhaps Isolation would bond them.  So ar, she is pretty resistant.  What causes that? Birth Trauma perhaps? 

Anyway, In about a week he will come home. Unless of course Mama lets him nurse.   We have some supplies and the owners (our landlord actually) is going to give us the milk replacer (he's getting colostrum now) that he has.  I have the basics but just need help with feeding.

My thoughts are too give him Raw milk.  we drink it and if we can get an increase on the amount we get each week, this makes the most sense to me.  However, its also possible as its getting close to calving season, that we will not be able to do all raw cow milk and have to do replacer too.  So our basic ?'s are, Am I to understand that he will need milk for the first 10 weeks?  With water available to him all the time obviously.  Does he need anything else besides milk and water in the first 2 months?  After the first 8-10 weeks, do we then start him on hay or can do we give him access to that right away?  I'd like to avoid grains and he also has A HUGE pasture to graze on.  Can he do that by June or July?    

Any other advice on a great start would be wonderful.  we are excited but a bit nervous too and honestly, still praying Mama has a change of heart. But ready for him if she doesn't.


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## she-earl (Mar 14, 2010)

What breed of calf is he?  We feed our Holstein calves 2 quarts of either milk or milk replacer twice a day.  I would suggest you decide if you are going to be feeding him milk or milk replacer the whole time that he is on milk.  The switching back and forth very likely could create a scour problem.  We also put calf starter feed in front of them right away and fresh water.  We wean between six and seven weeks of age at which point they begin to receive hay.  At weaning, they should be eating 2 1/2 pounds of feed per feeding.  I think he should be fine to go in pasture when he is weaned.  I would not think he needs much grain once he is well established on grazing the pasture.  It would be like a treat that would entice him to come to you for a scratch, rubbing, etc.  Are you planning on using him for meat or breeding?  If you are planning to use him for meat, I would have him castrated so that he will grow better.  Also, he should be dehorned whether you are using him for meat but especially if you are using him for breeding.  Within the last month, a farmer was killed by his bull which wasn't dehorned.  Hope this is helpful.


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## Mamato5 (Mar 14, 2010)

That helps me a ton thank you.  He is going to be used for beef in a couple of years.  I forgot about de-horning.  Oh and he is a Hereford.
Do you have a brand of calf starter feed you suggest?


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## herfrds (Mar 14, 2010)

Is he Polled or Horned? Don't have to worry about dehorning if he is polled.

I would keep him on the real milk. Never had much luck with the bag stuff.
Intro some hay whn he is about 2 weeks old, but don't be surprised if he doesn't take to it right away. The cows teach the calves what to eat.

Good thing we don't own that cow she would be hitting the road to the auction yard fast.


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## jhm47 (Mar 14, 2010)

If you plan to wean at 10 weeks or less, you would be wise to feed grain for several months.  A little calf like that cannot get enough energy from grass alone to continue to grow and develop properly.  Calves that are still on their dams can do just fine with grass/milk. but the milk provides a lot of energy to them.  A weaned 10 week old calf will go downhill rapidly without a supplemental source of energy.  Their rumens are not big enough, nor developed enough to sustain them properly.


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