# Are calf coats necesary?



## ksj0225 (Nov 28, 2011)

If so at what age and what temps?

I have two jerseys that are about 3 weeks old.  We have had a warm spell, but are about to get around 30 degrees over night.  I live in North Carolina.  Should I get them coats/blankets?


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## redtailgal (Nov 28, 2011)

I live in North Carolina as well.

Only once have I used a coat on a calf, but she was deathly ill and it was 15 degrees.

A normal well-fed healthy calf should do fine without a coat under normal circumstances.  Put them in the barn in wet or very cold windy weather until they are old enough to figure out how to get into the shelter themselves. 

Putting a coat on them uneccesarily (gosh I am tired I know I spelled that wrong).......well, thats a bad idea in my book.  They need to develop proper coat/hair condition.  I also work with my vet on some local farm calls (I do the nasty grunt work, lol).......we see alot (ALOT) of respiratory problems in calves that wear coats.

I really dont recommend it, at all.  Be sure they have a good shelter, encourage them go in it in wet windy conditions.

This is all assuming that YOU are the "mother" to these calves. If they have regular cow mama, let her handle it while you carefully watch for problems.


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## ksj0225 (Nov 28, 2011)

Yeah, I'm the mom... LOL

They go in their barn like they should and come out and play when it's nice and warm.  Just wanted to make sure.   We can also put deeper bedding in there if we have a long cold snap too.  They don't seem cold, I just hear that Jersey's are hard to keep warm.  They have put on some weight since I first posted a picture which I'm excited about as we head into the colder part of winter.


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## redtailgal (Nov 28, 2011)

Lol, you sound like a good mom, then.

Yeah, give them a little extra bedding, and pamper them but just a little.  

Its really easy to spoil one after you have raised it, but it really harms them more than helps them if you over do it.

A healthy weight, a  good barn and they should be fine.  I'm not big on offering lots of grain to the cattle, but those that are getting grain get it as close to dark as possible in the winter.  I believe that the digestion process generates some heat and will help them thru the night. 

Other folks may think thats just downright silly, lol.  thats ok though, I've never claimed to be the normal one and actually meant it! lol


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## she-earl (Nov 28, 2011)

Our daughter did a science fair project to see if there are any benefits to calf blankets.  She would take two calves born the same day or hopefully no more than 24 hours apart.  She put a blanket on one and not on the other.  The calf that received her blanket maintained her body weight and then began to put on weight.  The calf without the blanket lost body weight trying to stay warm and then close to at least a week later began to gain weight.  Our calves are in open hutch barn.  We have a curtain in the back that we can raise or lower depending on weather conditions.  When it gets really cold, we will lay plywood across the top of their hutches which is four feet off the ground.  I haven't had pneumonia problems.  We are in Southeastern PA.  The fresh air is better for them than being in a barn.  They need to have dry bedding and a draft free area.  I have ten calfs blankets - five of two different sizes- and have had all of them in use at one time.  I try and take them off when there are several days of nice weather if possible.  When I have a new calf, I take one of the smaller blankets off the oldest calf that has one that size and then remove a larger blanket from the oldest calf that has one.  We have a washer in the barn that I run them through.  I have already taken them during the day and then put them back on for overnight when the temps are so variable.  I highly recommend blankets.


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## aggieterpkatie (Nov 28, 2011)

Calves can be born in snow and as long as they get up and nurse they'll be fine.  I'd say if the calf has a draft free place it'll be fine.


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## redtailgal (Nov 28, 2011)

Yes, I could see using blankets for orphan calves in northern winter conditions, lol. It can be bitter cold with no relief up there!  

But here in NC, our winters are mild.  A calf in a blanket here will stay warm, but under that coat they also have a coat of hair, so they stay very warm and have no way to self regulate their temperature.  A hot calf on a cold day is asking for trouble.


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## jhm47 (Nov 29, 2011)

I have had cows have their calves in -20 degree weather.  As long as the wind isn't blowing, and they have a dry place to have them, they are usually OK.  Their ears and tails might be shorter than normal, but the calves do just fine.  We sometimes have to get a calf inside to dry them off if it's raining or snowing, but we kick them out as soon as they are dry.  The only ones I have to baby are the twins, as the cow sometimes bonds with just one, and ignores the other one.  Those we try to keep in a smaller pen for a few days till the cow accepts both.


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## goodhors (Nov 29, 2011)

I used a calf blanket last spring with our bottle calf.  It got kind of cold some nights, so in 
addition to the horse being stalled beside him, I made a fleece blanket cover for him.  He 
only got it on when temps went below 25F.  He had a nice stall with solid walls up 5ft, but 
a good air flow thru the barn, no smells.  Vet has always said the cold won't get them, but air with
ammonia is a big problem.  Calf seemed to be fine with his "one-horse heater" in the next stall,
barn is small so the horse probably raised the temp about 10 degrees.  Feeding horse 
his hay does create a lot of heat.  Some nights it got down to below zero, so I do think 
blanket was helpful in retaining body heat.  Calf wasn't eating any hay yet, so none of the usual
fermentation in his body without forage feeds.  No grain either.

Blanket was easy to make out of about a yard of polar fleece, an old strap for a girth, and 
a couple shoestrings to tie around his hind legs to keep the rear down on him.  Took about
30 minutes on my sewing machine.  I washed the blanket most days, he laid in the poop looking
for extra heat!!  Washed like a dream, dried fast and back to the barn for night time.

I did remove the blanket most days, unless down in the teens or lower.  This was a very healthy
calf who gave us no problems from purchase thru sale time.


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## aggieterpkatie (Nov 30, 2011)

goodhors said:
			
		

> Calf seemed to be fine with his "one-horse heater" in the next stall,


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