First bottle calf ever journal

[Kettle Creek Cattle]

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!

 

[Kettle Creek Cattle]

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!

 

[Kettle Creek Cattle]

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!

 

[Mini Horses]

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.......

 

[farmerjan]

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....

 

[Kettle Creek Cattle]

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!

 

[farmerjan]

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?

 

[thistlebloom]

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

 

[Kettle Creek Cattle]

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.

 

[Longhornbreeder101]

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.