# First bottle calf ever journal



## Kettle Creek Cattle (Jan 2, 2021)

Following the advice of some of the experienced members on here...I'm starting a journal on my first attempt at raising a bottle calf!


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## Kettle Creek Cattle (Jan 2, 2021)

I can't remember who asked for an update on how she's doing, but she's doing great now! She's eating up to 3lbs of starter a day and growing! Next step is to get her off the bottle!


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## Kettle Creek Cattle (Jan 5, 2021)

Ok folks, my calf is 8 weeks old now. I just bought another bag of milk replacer (I'm hoping my last). When should I start the weaning process, and how do I go about it? Right now she gets 2 quarts of milk replacer twice a day. Thanks!


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## Mini Horses (Jan 5, 2021)

Such a pretty face!    

@farmerjan can give you perfect info..  hang on until she has a minute to catch up.   She's pretty busy this week.......


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## farmerjan (Jan 5, 2021)

Hey.... thanks for the compliment @Mini Horses .  There are 2 ways to look at this..... If you think that you will have more bottle calves, then start weaning her now.  Cut back to 1 bottle at night , 1/2 bottle morning.... make sure she is eating all her feed.  Then cut out the morning bottle in a week or 10 days.... cut the eve bottle to 1/2 in another 10 days, then cut it out.  Some will just cut to one bottle "cold turkey" then cut out the other bottle in another week.  If you don't think you are planning to have another calf.... then you can string it out longer.  If she weighs 200 lbs.... then 4 lbs a day is 2% of her weight.... I'd get her up to 4-5 lbs if possible... 
I tend to wean later rather than sooner.... I like the extra size, growth, age.... She is going to want the bottle.... you can substitute warm water , 1/2  bottle or so,   if she makes you feel too guilty....


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## Kettle Creek Cattle (Feb 24, 2021)

Well, my first ever bottle calf is finally out of the barn and out with the varsity team! She's doing great and pushes back when the others try to get her out of the bunk!



And on another note...I finally got to butcher my steer! My cousin (who is wayyy more experienced in butchering) and I humanely dispatched him, skinned, and halved him. We hung him for a week and cut him all up into retail cuts. He went 600lbs on the rail. We ended up with a bunch of great steaks and 210lbs of ground beef. Born, raised, butchered, packaged and froze....all on my property! It was a very rewarding experience. The "dispatching" part is never a fun time, but he had a very good life and only one bad day!


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## farmerjan (Feb 24, 2021)

Kettle Creek Cattle said:


> Well, my first ever bottle calf is finally out of the barn and out with the varsity team! She's doing great and pushes back when the others try to get her out of the bunk!
> View attachment 82036
> And on another note...I finally got to butcher my steer! My cousin (who is wayyy more experienced in butchering) and I humanely dispatched him, skinned, and halved him. We hung him for a week and cut him all up into retail cuts. He went 600lbs on the rail. We ended up with a bunch of great steaks and 210lbs of ground beef. Born, raised, butchered, packaged and froze....all on my property! It was a very rewarding experience. The "dispatching" part is never a fun time, but he had a very good life and only one bad day!View attachment 82037View attachment 82038View attachment 82039


Looks real good.  Glad you were able to do him.  
Good to hear from you and see the picture of the heifer.  She has REALLY GROWN !!!!! Looks real good too. 
How's everything else? Did you sell the bull?


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## thistlebloom (Feb 24, 2021)

Very impressive work on the steer. Congratulations, you have good reason to be proud.


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## Kettle Creek Cattle (Feb 24, 2021)

farmerjan said:


> Looks real good.  Glad you were able to do him.
> Good to hear from you and see the picture of the heifer.  She has REALLY GROWN !!!!! Looks real good too.
> How's everything else? Did you sell the bull?


Thank you! Everything is going good. I didnt sell my bull. Right now he's going to work for my cousin then he's going to another guys place for a bit. I'm gonna get him back in july to put him with my girls. While he's gone tho I'm making him his own paddock where him and the steer(s) will reside. He'll be gone while my cow has her calf in April so thats good. Gonna reconsider selling him after he does his job in july/August.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Feb 24, 2021)

Kettle Creek Cattle said:


> Well, my first ever bottle calf is finally out of the barn and out with the varsity team! She's doing great and pushes back when the others try to get her out of the bunk!
> View attachment 82036
> And on another note...I finally got to butcher my steer! My cousin (who is wayyy more experienced in butchering) and I humanely dispatched him, skinned, and halved him. We hung him for a week and cut him all up into retail cuts. He went 600lbs on the rail. We ended up with a bunch of great steaks and 210lbs of ground beef. Born, raised, butchered, packaged and froze....all on my property! It was a very rewarding experience. The "dispatching" part is never a fun time, but he had a very good life and only one bad day!View attachment 82037View attachment 82038View attachment 82039


Haha yeah the butcher part isn’t so fun to me so I get my dad to take them to the local slaughter house here since I’m not old enough to haul them myself none the less drive. 😂 I just don’t have the guts to kill them but I know the process but there super spoiled same with all the other animals here who go to butcher usually mid spring maybe sometimes mid time summer.


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## Kettle Creek Cattle (Feb 24, 2021)

thistlebloom said:


> Very impressive work on the steer. Congratulations, you have good reason to be proud.


Thank you! It took us 17 hours to get him from hanging beef to packaged beef. Well worth the effort!!


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## farmerjan (Feb 25, 2021)

Carcass looks good.  Having your bull out on "breeding duty" is a good way to keep him happier and give you the chance to keep him away from the  heifer and the cow while calving so that she will be ready to be rebred when he gets back.  That might be a good route for you to go with him.... providing a service for a couple others and still have him to do your breeding.  If he stays fairly quiet for you that is good.  Often a beef bull is more content and easier to work with if he is not a "FRUSTRATED"  bull.   Many dairy bulls are kept for what they call "cleanup"  for cows that don't get caught being bred AI.  They are kept in small lots, can get exercise and such,  but are within sight and smell of cows and when they cannot get out to do what their hormones are telling them to do.... so they often get more aggressive and difficult to handle.  They are not mistreated or anything.... but their SOLE purpose is reproduction..... beef bulls often run with the herd for months, and even when they are taken away from the cows, like ours are, they are in with other bulls and they get to do their pushing and shoving and all that and then they get over it and get along.  But they are not near the cows so have no big temptation.... and then when it is time, they gladly get on the trailer and go to pasture with the "girls" for the breeding season.  They are not dealing with the  separation that dairy bulls are, or with the close proximity to cows that they cannot get to when they want even if it is not in the best interest of the cows. 
Don't be a stranger here... come back and visit.


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## Kettle Creek Cattle (Feb 25, 2021)

farmerjan said:


> Carcass looks good.  Having your bull out on "breeding duty" is a good way to keep him happier and give you the chance to keep him away from the  heifer and the cow while calving so that she will be ready to be rebred when he gets back.  That might be a good route for you to go with him.... providing a service for a couple others and still have him to do your breeding.  If he stays fairly quiet for you that is good.  Often a beef bull is more content and easier to work with if he is not a "FRUSTRATED"  bull.   Many dairy bulls are kept for what they call "cleanup"  for cows that don't get caught being bred AI.  They are kept in small lots, can get exercise and such,  but are within sight and smell of cows and when they cannot get out to do what their hormones are telling them to do.... so they often get more aggressive and difficult to handle.  They are not mistreated or anything.... but their SOLE purpose is reproduction..... beef bulls often run with the herd for months, and even when they are taken away from the cows, like ours are, they are in with other bulls and they get to do their pushing and shoving and all that and then they get over it and get along.  But they are not near the cows so have no big temptation.... and then when it is time, they gladly get on the trailer and go to pasture with the "girls" for the breeding season.  They are not dealing with the  separation that dairy bulls are, or with the close proximity to cows that they cannot get to when they want even if it is not in the best interest of the cows.
> Don't be a stranger here... come back and visit.


Thats what I'm hoping to do with him, to let him do his thing on 2 other farms where I know the farmers. I know he won't be mistreated and he'll get to let out his "frustration" and keep busy with the other girls. Then when I bring him back in July I can let him be with his own girls till calving season the following year. 
As far as him being calm...I'm hopeful that he'll stay the way he his now especially with having the opportunity to run with 10 other girls plus his 4 at home.
You should've seen it....I put the new heifer in with them and he was snorting and pushing her out of the feed bunk. I reached through the fence and swatted him in the nose. Oh he carried on and shook his head and pouted like a little sissy...like I hit him with a club or something...it was hilarious lol.
I appreciate all your help! Things are starting to calm down around here now so I'll have more time to post on here. I think we're on the downhill side of winter....fingers crossed!


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