# New to Bottle Calves



## JerseyXGirl

My DH and I purchased two Jersey X bull calves to raise.  They are 12 days old. We've been bottle feeding twice a day, morning and night.  I have a few question I'm hoping you experts can help me with.  We got them 2 days ago.  

1. Can bottle calves also have water in between their bottle during the day?  I get conflicting info and am just looking for confirmation.
2. One calf looks like his poo is starting to get runny.  It's looked like yellow colostrum until today.  Should I stop the milk supplement and start scour ease?
3.  Should I get them banded?  We just want to raise them to butcher.
4. Should they be on pellet calf starter feed?  If not when?
5. Runny eyes?  Is this normal? Do calves have allergies?  No pink, no smell, doesn't look bad just like tears. 

I think that's it for now.  I'm such a worrier and I don't want to do anything wrong.  I've read everything and done tons of research but still.......

Thank you to anyone who replies in advance


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## WildRoseBeef

Well, I'm no real expert on raising bottle calves, but I'll try anyway:

1. Yes it doesn't hurt to have the calves have access to water even when they're on milk....they have access to water all the time when calves are on their dams.

2. Sounds like milk scours. I hope this is correct, but don't stop with the milk replacer,  I'm sure feeding him Scour Ease along with his milk won't hurt...

3. YES!!  It's never too late to do it.  Earlier the better, IMO.  Once they start realizing their bulls when they're older you might run into a few problems, unfortunately if you don't castrate them until they're weaning age.

4. 

5. 

Sorry I couldn't be of any more help...


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## Farmer Kitty

JerseyXGirl said:
			
		

> My DH and I purchased two Jersey X bull calves to raise.  They are 12 days old. We've been bottle feeding twice a day, morning and night.  I have a few question I'm hoping you experts can help me with.  We got them 2 days ago.
> 
> 1. Can bottle calves also have water in between their bottle during the day?  I get conflicting info and am just looking for confirmation.*Yes.*
> 2. One calf looks like his poo is starting to get runny.  It's looked like yellow colostrum until today.  Should I stop the milk supplement and start scour ease?*Keep on milk replacer but, treat for scours. See my misc page-in "Index of usefull info" in my sig.*
> 3.  Should I get them banded?  We just want to raise them to butcher.*Yes, steers are less dangerous than bulls.*
> 4. Should they be on pellet calf starter feed?  If not when?*Yes, put some in front of them, they may not take to it right away but, have it there for them.*
> 5. Runny eyes?  Is this normal? Do calves have allergies?  No pink, no smell, doesn't look bad just like tears. *Keep on eye on this, if you can get a pic and post it.*
> 
> I think that's it for now.  I'm such a worrier and I don't want to do anything wrong.  I've read everything and done tons of research but still.......
> 
> Thank you to anyone who replies in advance


I'm on the run so I hope this has answered your questions


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## GrassFarmerGalloway

I'm sorry, I can't be of any help.  I'm just posting you to say , good luck raising your calves, and POST PICTURES of them!


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## Farmer Kitty

Here's the link to my misc. page It has quite a bit of info on calf scours. Also, if he is a smaller sized calf use the directions for smaller breed calves. Jerseys can be a bit touchier about their feedings and if he is taking after that side then you need to treat him as a jersey. It could also be due to the move. 

Once they have settled in and you've cleared the scours they are both old enough to go on pails, if you want. Much easier then the bottle. 

The one with the watery eyes, are the eyes clear or do they have a bluish or whitish tint? Pink eye in cattle isn't necessarily pink. More often than not is a bluish or whitish spot in the eye.

_Where are you located (state)? It does help us to answer your questions if we know what kind of weather conditions you have._


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## wynedot55

you need to give the calf meds for the scours.yes offer the calves water.


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## JerseyXGirl

It's been warm, almost 80 yesterday, windy and 65 today.  Located in MO, south of KC.  No bluish coloration that would tell me pinkeye just clear drainage. I will keep an eye on it and call the vet if it changes for sure. They were kept on pine shavings where they came from in southern MO to hay in our barn, which might have something to do with it.  I did give scour ease this evening. They are acting and doing fine, no loss of appetite or listfulness and actually look like they've gained weight in the two days they've been here, lol. 

Thank you all for your replies.  I'm sure I'll have many question in the coming months as we get into everything.


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## Farmer Kitty

The hay dust could be causing an eye irritation. Just watch closely to make sure.

We'll do our best to answer any questions you may have along the way.


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## Imissmygirls

Jerseys sometimes get watery eyes and it's more noticable in them than Holsteins.
I'd worry and watch more for snotty noses -anything not clear - /sneezing/any cough or wheezing. If that's the case, you are looking at a cold at best and pneumonia at worst. I'd medicate at the first snotty nose if they weren't born with you. ( I'd probably medicate even if they WERE born with you. Young Jerseys can be delicate.)
At 2 weeks of age, feistiness is a good indication of health. If they are up and raring to go, it's good; if they are listless at all, watch VERy closely.


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## wynedot55

when calves run an buck an play.its always a good sign.


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## JerseyXGirl

Another question...see I'm just full of them, lol.  We are just raising two for butcher so what is the purpose of ear tags?  Are they for identification purposes?  I have the tags and tool to do them so should I do them the same time I band?


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## Farmer Kitty

General generic ear tags are for keeping telling them apart and record keeping. If you have only two and don't need them, you don't have to use them.


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## Thewife

Farmer Kitty said:
			
		

> General generic ear tags are for keeping telling them apart and record keeping. If you have only two and don't need them, you don't have to use them.


Mine are tagged for record keeping AND so the secutity gaurd at the timber co. knows who to call when there are cows on the road!
If there is any chance your calves will ever end up, where you don't want them to be, tags may help you get them home again!


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## Farmer Kitty

thewife said:
			
		

> Farmer Kitty said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> General generic ear tags are for keeping telling them apart and record keeping. If you have only two and don't need them, you don't have to use them.
> 
> 
> 
> Mine are tagged for record keeping AND so the secutity gaurd at the timber co. knows who to call when there are cows on the road!
> If there is any chance your calves will ever end up, where you don't want them to be, tags may help you get them home again!
Click to expand...

Only if people know who those tags belong to. When the neighbor's heifers get out we always get a call about them. No one seems to notice what color the tags are even so, we have to go checking to make sure they are not ours.


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## wynedot55

im planning on tagging all of the bulls an heifers i keep to raise but havent yet.an my cows loose their ear tags.an i still know who they are # an name if they have 1.


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## MReit

Tagging is a great thing! Just a thought on the feed- calves may eat calf starter better then pellets just because the malasses in it makes is soo sweet. Like I said, just a thought


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## JerseyXGirl

They have Calf Startena available with water at all times.  They have nibbled at it.  After their bottle while their still searching I will put some in my hand and the lick at it.  They are alot more active today.  I think the transport and change of formula stressed them alittle but their doing good   I will go out and get pics today and post them.  Their names are T-Bone and Sirloin


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## JerseyXGirl

My calves have scours   They look good though and I'm following everything you said Farmer Kitty.  Went and got plugger (they didn't have Deliver but I bought another brand), Probios, continue on milk replacer, they are drinking from the pail of water.  

I found a couple of homemade recipes for electro replacement, tell me if these sound like something I should do if they become dehydrated:

1 tblsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
8oz dextrose

makes 1 gallon, feed 1 qt every 3-4 hrs.

1oz fruit pectin
1 tsp lite salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 can beef consomme

makes 2 qts, feed 1 qt every 4-6 hrs.

Neither look dehydrated nor act dehydrated but I want to be prepared in the event of that condition.  

How long do you keep them on the plugger and how long before it starts to work?  Today will be the 3 rd day of feedings with the gel and they still are runny, do I continue with it or stop?  Their poo is still yellow but there is some solidness to it today.  They were up and active ready for their morning feeding.


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## Farmer Kitty

Did  you try an antibiotic with the plugger? It sounds as though it would be a good idea, if you aren't. Seeing some solids in there is a good thing. Hopefully, they will come out of it soon.

The first one is a straight electrolyte solution and the second one has a plugger (fruit pectin) with it as well as some nutrition (beef consumme). You already have the nutrition and plugger covered so I would go with the first. It wouldn't hurt to put some in when you feed them today. The biggest worry with scours is dehydration. 

I have one little one that I've been treating since Wed. afternoon. This weather hasn't helped any. All you can do is keep treating them and if one thing doesn't seem to be working, go back and look over my info again and try something different. Each calf and each time can/will be different-part of the fustration.

Good luck.


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## Farmer Kitty

Also, what other brand of plugger did you get?


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## JerseyXGirl

It's called:  Revitilyte-Gelling
Oral Electrolyte Supplement w/Thickening Agent

Put out by: Bomac Vets Plus, Inc.

Should I keep them on this as long as it takes for me to see solid?  Would it hurt them or make them constipated?


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## JerseyXGirl

Another thing....Should I replace milk replacer w/Scour Ease put out by Manna Pro?  It is milk replacer w/added antibiotics?


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## Farmer Kitty

JerseyXGirl said:
			
		

> It's called:  Revitilyte-Gelling
> Oral Electrolyte Supplement w/Thickening Agent
> 
> Put out by: Bomac Vets Plus, Inc.
> 
> Should I keep them on this as long as it takes for me to see solid?  Would it hurt them or make them constipated?


This has an electrolyte in it so, you don't need to add any. 

It won't make them consitipated so, you can keep them on it until there is solid stuff. If you start seeing where the majority of it is solid you can stop.


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## Farmer Kitty

JerseyXGirl said:
			
		

> Another thing....Should I replace milk replacer w/Scour Ease put out by Manna Pro?  It is milk replacer w/added antibiotics?


I have never used this product so I can not attest to it's use but, Manna Pro is good so, I'm sure it's safe to try. But, you can also just use an antibiotic with what you have. Switching brands of milk replacer at this point may not be what you want to do either. I would try adding an antibiotic to what you have first unless Manna Pro is what you are using for milk replacer.


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## Imissmygirls

I am trying to recall the recipe for Scours that I used in the '60s when research was just beginning on this subject.  Maybe I can jog someone else's memory.  It was published in Hoard's Dairymen.
 I was about 14 at the time-- wish I could remember quantities.

Baking Soda
Potassium salt ( That is the salt substitute you can get in the grocery store)
Knox Gelatin- unflavored

 I recall mixing these and keeping a pint jar of it in my barn medicine cabinet.
When you mixed a portion with water, you added karo syrup and Certo pectin.

At that time we NEVER bottle fed, only used the bucket, and no matter how sick the calves were, they GULPED this down. It saved many a calf on our farm. The most expensive ingredients were the pectin and gelatin, but they wree readily available in the grocery store.


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## farmgirl

Hello:
I just got 2 Jersey's on Saturday, I put them on the same stuff that the previous owner had them on, I was also told because March can be such a on and off month with the weather to give them BRP Vaccine (Nasalgen-P) really inexpensive and you just squirt it up their nostrils.  They have a bucket of water their at all times and calf starter feed that I also put in my hand when they are done with their bottles so they leave the other one alone, and they nibble on it.  I also keep them as draft free as possible and I go in the pen and fork the "poop" out daily.  That is all that I can offer you, except after the ride home in the straw, one of the calves had a watery eye, it was dry by evening feed, and no problems since, I think that some straw got in his eye.


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## JerseyXGirl

Update...both are doing ok   Everyday alittle more active, one is alittle ahead of the other but I think I'm doing something right.  They are nibbling grain on their own and drinking from their water pail.  Poo is brown today, which I take as a good sign.  Should they have free choose calf Nutrena?  I promise to get pics tonight and post them. Been very busy here...bottle feeding two nigerian goats, chicks hatching in the bator and I had baby rabbits born this morning 

Thank you everyone for your replies and helping this newb out with my first ever experience into calves.  It has been trying at times but so far rewarding when they stretch their necks out for me to scratch their necks.


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## wynedot55

yes you can give them free access to feed.just keep watching them for the scours.


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## Farmer Kitty

Sounds like they are getting better!  Yes, they can have grain in front of them all the time.

Congratulations on all the new babies at your place!


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## JerseyXGirl

Here's the pic


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## Farmer Kitty

Cute calves!


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## wynedot55

those are some goodlooking babies.


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## WildRoseBeef

Oh what cuties!


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## JerseyXGirl

Thank you


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## Imissmygirls

I am not going to look at baby calves.  
I refuse to look at baby calves.
NO way am I going to look at baby calves.


awwwwww they are soooo cuuuuute!!!!!!!!

Now I am going to go mope in a corner.

I know I am pathetic.--- but at least you all understand!!!


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## Farmer Kitty

Imissmygirls said:
			
		

> I am not going to look at baby calves.
> I refuse to look at baby calves.
> NO way am I going to look at baby calves.
> 
> 
> awwwwww they are soooo cuuuuute!!!!!!!!
> 
> Now I am going to go mope in a corner.
> 
> I know I am pathetic.--- but at least you all understand!!!


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## wynedot55

i know how you feel.id love tobe back in the dairy business.


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