I don't recommend a bottle calf because of the stuff you have already said. You will bond with it during those daily feedings, which go on to 60-90 days when you wean it. Just too much "together time" and calf KNOWS you are bringing milk, thinks you are mom! I would not recommend feeding goat milk if you ignore me, you need calf milk replacer. Calves have different nutrition needs than baby goats, so milk replacers are made differently. If you plan to eat it, you want a different relationship with your calves than being mom provides, more distance. Buying weaners at 3-5 months old gives you calves with a good start from their mom, less time needed from you with no milk replacer feedings.
When we did the "new" species thing, we read up on it first. Perhaps you should purchase a couple books on cattle and read them. Keep in mind they ALWAYS seem to start with the bad things, lists of diseases, problems, until you wonder how the species can survive at all! Then they move on to more normal stuff, daily handling issues, getting a routine going with "name your animal" the book is covering.
Have to say we were quite worried with lamb purchases, thought they would fall over if you looked at them wrong. Surprise! They lived and THRIVED with almost no extra work for me!! I was a bit more knowledgable with the calves, but it was the same thing. Book scares you, but in real life, the calves and heifer did just fine with no issues needing to be dealt with. I make sure that animal is not stressed, has good food and water. Try to not do many NEW, SCARY things at one time, so animal can relax before learning another new thing. I try to let animals run about in pasture, see things going on, to dull the startle reflexes! Grooming, leading, tying calves helps them calm down with people. Practice leading and load in the trailer, give some feed reward. Keep everything calm, low-key, stress is reduced. Stressed animals get sick easier, have "issues". Unhandled cattle do need roping and fighting to get where you want them to go. Trained, handled animals are easy to work with. All the family should take turns doing stuff with calves, so they are not "one-person" cattle. Cattle can be weird about that, LOVE their routine and hate changes, so routine should be multiple handlers, no one is a stranger to cattle.
In my area, I vaccinate for tetnus, pinkeye, and give a multi-way shot from TSC. The multi-way covers 10 virus/illnesses. Each of these need to be given twice with correct time spacing, to make animals immune to the diseases. Second shot given too late is not going to create immunity needed, you just wasted your money. We give shots one kind-at-a-time, so there is not a reaction from getting many meds at once. So for a few weeks, the calves get a shot-a-week as we work thru the vaccines. So far cattle have had no reactions except a lump at shot site that goes away quickly. I would consider giving a Rabies shot if I would own the animal for a while, had Rabies problem in the area or lots of vermin on the farm that can be carriers. My horses are Rabies vaccinated, skunks after feed seem to be the carriers around here. Several cases of horse Rabies each year, so worth vaccinating for.
You probably should get in contact with your local Extension service, find out what information you can get from them on Cattle, feed rations, handling, vaccinations recommended in your area. Extension is the specialist for your location, does the 4-H, presents any cattle studies done at the Ag College to help local folks. Blackleg is a problem in other places, but not here. Local conditions require vaccinations for YOUR local problems. Same with feed, hay or grasses grown there. I may never encounter your kind of hay, don't know what the feed values are to cattle there.
Calves sound like a nice animal project. Hope you can distance yourself a bit from them. Unfortunately, when you own livestock, sometimes there are also dead stock. But more are healthy, grow well, than you lose. If they are not right to begin with, usually you can't save them no matter what you try. You learn as you go. I am not a goat person, they would drive me crazy. Sheep and lambs, Cows and calves, horses are not a big deal for me to deal with. They need to be warm and dry part of the day, have clean stalls and water. Decent hay with a bit of grain. The more you baby them, the more problems pop up, so less digging for minutae in care helps reduce my stress. Fly bite or small scrape? Vasaline works on all 3 species, don't need a bandage or stalling. This type care seems to work pretty well for us. They survive well, are in good health, appearance, and this IN SPITE of the dire warnings of all that can go wrong in the books about them!
When we did the "new" species thing, we read up on it first. Perhaps you should purchase a couple books on cattle and read them. Keep in mind they ALWAYS seem to start with the bad things, lists of diseases, problems, until you wonder how the species can survive at all! Then they move on to more normal stuff, daily handling issues, getting a routine going with "name your animal" the book is covering.
Have to say we were quite worried with lamb purchases, thought they would fall over if you looked at them wrong. Surprise! They lived and THRIVED with almost no extra work for me!! I was a bit more knowledgable with the calves, but it was the same thing. Book scares you, but in real life, the calves and heifer did just fine with no issues needing to be dealt with. I make sure that animal is not stressed, has good food and water. Try to not do many NEW, SCARY things at one time, so animal can relax before learning another new thing. I try to let animals run about in pasture, see things going on, to dull the startle reflexes! Grooming, leading, tying calves helps them calm down with people. Practice leading and load in the trailer, give some feed reward. Keep everything calm, low-key, stress is reduced. Stressed animals get sick easier, have "issues". Unhandled cattle do need roping and fighting to get where you want them to go. Trained, handled animals are easy to work with. All the family should take turns doing stuff with calves, so they are not "one-person" cattle. Cattle can be weird about that, LOVE their routine and hate changes, so routine should be multiple handlers, no one is a stranger to cattle.
In my area, I vaccinate for tetnus, pinkeye, and give a multi-way shot from TSC. The multi-way covers 10 virus/illnesses. Each of these need to be given twice with correct time spacing, to make animals immune to the diseases. Second shot given too late is not going to create immunity needed, you just wasted your money. We give shots one kind-at-a-time, so there is not a reaction from getting many meds at once. So for a few weeks, the calves get a shot-a-week as we work thru the vaccines. So far cattle have had no reactions except a lump at shot site that goes away quickly. I would consider giving a Rabies shot if I would own the animal for a while, had Rabies problem in the area or lots of vermin on the farm that can be carriers. My horses are Rabies vaccinated, skunks after feed seem to be the carriers around here. Several cases of horse Rabies each year, so worth vaccinating for.
You probably should get in contact with your local Extension service, find out what information you can get from them on Cattle, feed rations, handling, vaccinations recommended in your area. Extension is the specialist for your location, does the 4-H, presents any cattle studies done at the Ag College to help local folks. Blackleg is a problem in other places, but not here. Local conditions require vaccinations for YOUR local problems. Same with feed, hay or grasses grown there. I may never encounter your kind of hay, don't know what the feed values are to cattle there.
Calves sound like a nice animal project. Hope you can distance yourself a bit from them. Unfortunately, when you own livestock, sometimes there are also dead stock. But more are healthy, grow well, than you lose. If they are not right to begin with, usually you can't save them no matter what you try. You learn as you go. I am not a goat person, they would drive me crazy. Sheep and lambs, Cows and calves, horses are not a big deal for me to deal with. They need to be warm and dry part of the day, have clean stalls and water. Decent hay with a bit of grain. The more you baby them, the more problems pop up, so less digging for minutae in care helps reduce my stress. Fly bite or small scrape? Vasaline works on all 3 species, don't need a bandage or stalling. This type care seems to work pretty well for us. They survive well, are in good health, appearance, and this IN SPITE of the dire warnings of all that can go wrong in the books about them!
