How To Care for Orphan Calf? (Maybe)

[farmerjan]

Can you get a picture or 2 of the cows? My curiosity is really up as to what they are. I do believe that your best bet is the pkg. colostrum. If for some reason you can't find it, NASCO catalog or Jeffers vet supply will have it and you can order it online. But most every feed store should have it. There are a couple of brands, but any that say bovine colostrum would probably work.. If one seems to have a higher level of IMg that would be better, it has to do with the amount of immunoglobulin. It's been a long time since I've bought any as I keep some frozen from my nurse cows when they come fresh, for any orphans we might have. Fresh colostrum from any of these is obviously not an option.

One thing that beef cows do that many uninformed people don't realize, is that they will let their calves nurse, then they will leave the calves and go graze. If the calves are very young, they are SUPPOSED to stay where momma left them. It will seem like they are out there all alone, but the cow knows where she left her baby. And many times there will be one cow near there and the rest are off somewhere else. That one cow is like the babysitter. Honest, they do this. There will be 2 or 4 or a dozen calves in one general area and only one cow in sight. DON"T think that if you were to go in there that they wouldn't all come running if one calf started to bawl like it was scared or say you caught ahold of it. And those cows would be out to get you if they think their calf is being threatened. The calves aren't weaning themselves, they have enough to eat and they were put there by the cow to stay there until they (mom) returns. Thinking that the cow doesn't care is what gets people hurt. Even the rejected calf will create an upset if it bawls when you go to catch it. They are like the 3 musketeers, "all for one and one for all". If one baby hollers, they will all come running. Once the threat is done, then the unwanted baby will again be left to it's own.
If these cows belong to your aunt's aging/ill father, surely she must know something more about them. I am thinking that they are beef cattle, they let them breed and calve and let the cows raise the calves up and then sell the calves at around 6-8 months or so as what we call feeders. This way they are not doing any butchering. They must have some one come in and help sort out the calves and take them to a market to sell them. The cows are there to raise a calf every year and then when it is sold, that is their income to offset the costs of hay etc. The cows will come in heat, get bred, carry the calf for 9 months, have the baby. Then about 45 to 60 days or more they will come back in heat, get bred back and carry 9 months and then calve again. The farmer usually takes the calves off at anywhere from 5 to 9 months old, so the cow gets a rest for about 60-90 days before she calves again. The whole idea is to get a calf every 12 months or about once a year.

If you can, try to get a book on raising bottle calves. Storey publications usually have some on the subject. Go to the library and see if you can find one. Don't panic about all the things that can go wrong....but you need to know more about what you are getting into, before you do it.
What kinds of animals are you familiar with? Any other type of farm "livestock"? Goats, sheep anything like that, that you can draw from some experience?

 

[Goat Whisperer]

I don't know anything about cattle, but I'd make sure you know the herd is tested for Johne's. Especially if you are going to have the calf grow up with or around your goats.

 

[farmerjan]

Okay, I just looked at your profile. Since you are young, my first suggestion is find out if there is a 4-H club or an FFA club in your school or your area and get into it. There will be a leader or another kid or someone who has some experience with cows, or call the local county extension service and find someone with cattle experience that you can talk to and learn from. Hands on learning is the best way to go and they can help you alot more from an up close position than I or someone else can from this distance. Is there an ag dept in your school? An ag teacher could help you find someone who can help you, like a mentor. Maybe someone your age that you could pal around with and learn firsthand. Get a feel for it before the calf gets dropped in your lap so to speak.

 

[Lanthanum]

Okay, I just looked at your profile. Since you are young, my first suggestion is find out if there is a 4-H club or an FFA club in your school or your area and get into it. There will be a leader or another kid or someone who has some experience with cows, or call the local county extension service and find someone with cattle experience that you can talk to and learn from. Hands on learning is the best way to go and they can help you alot more from an up close position than I or someone else can from this distance. Is there an ag dept in your school? An ag teacher could help you find someone who can help you, like a mentor. Maybe someone your age that you could pal around with and learn firsthand. Get a feel for it before the calf gets dropped in your lap so to speak.

I have been looking into 4-H, and there is an FFA dpt. in my school, but they charge money that we don't have to join. I've never seen any of the teachers around, (plus they don't seem very kind at all with their animals so I wish not to associate), and the only person I know who raises cows is Uncle Charles, and he's never bottle fed and isn't very informed with the cows he's raised.

My Uncle Bo and Aunt Celena, however, have bottle raised a very healthy deer. Someone dropped off a tiny sickly fawn at their house and they bottle raised her into a fine young doe. They may know of things to do with the calf, my Uncle is a very experienced and educated farmer. I attempted to bottle raise two pot bellies one time, but my evil older sister bothered them to the point anytime she was near them they would squeal, and she hated how they pooped everywhere so she made us get rid of them. I successfully bottle raised an orphan Possum whose mamma was hit by a car.

My Uncle Charles lives 63.7 miles away from me so it isn't often I can drive all the way there, so at the moment I have no pictures of the cattle.

 

[farmerjan]

Okay, I am impressed that you are looking into ways to get some more knowledge about the calf and have checked into FFA at school. I am not aware that they charge to join, most of the dairy farms that I deal with here in VA have kids in 4-H or FFA. I cannot speak for anyone there as to how they treat their animals. But I will say this, and PLEASE don't be offended. Sometimes what a person perceives as unkind to animals is simply that they are accepting that the animal is an animal and not a "lap dog" or a "human in animals clothes".. I am only saying this as I have seen and dealt with animals over the years that have been spoiled and allowed to get away with behaviour that is at first cute, then it becomes a problem when the animal is older and too big to correct. NOT SAYING that there aren't alot of people that are unkind or uncaring towards their animals.
Cattle can be very warm and affectionate and great companions. They are still cattle and they will outweigh you by the time they are 6-8 weeks old. A full grown mature cow is in the neighborhood of 800 to 1200 lbs. If it has learned from birth you are the boss, they will respect you. You can halter train them, teach them tricks, ride them, any one of a million things. But if you spoil them and let them get away with things that they shouldn't, then down the road they will be too big for you to try to train them. YOU CANNOT REASON with a cow. All I am saying is that maybe what you see as not being kind has a reason, and you may be totally right and they are just not very caring of their animals.

Sounds like your Uncle Bo and Aunt Celena are the "go to" people who can get you going with some knowledgeable advice and experience. In this day and age of cell phones and all, I am hoping that you can contact them and talk to them about it. And since there is an ag dept at your school, then the library will be your first best source of info. Go there, find some books on raising baby calves, and get a little knowledge so you can ask your aunt and uncle some questions that make sense and so that they realize that you are REALLY serious about this and that it is not just a whim of a 15 yr old. Hey, I was 15 once a long time ago....I wanted a horse from the time I was a little kid. Luckily my father had horses when he was young, but I had to read books, and through my babysitting money had to earn enough to buy my horse and pay for the materials to build her first little barn. I owned her at 15; she was about 20 months and I had to do ALL the taking care of her. Before school, after school, babysitting to pay for her hay and grain. I had to take responsibility for it. Parents said if I wanted her, I had to pay for her. Yes they helped with alot of stuff, but I was her owner, not them.

So, get some book learning, then ask your aunt and uncle some intelligent questions when you tell them that you want to do this. It sounds like that cow that abandons the calf will calve in a couple of months or even sooner so...get started. You can do a great job if you have some common sense and are willing to learn and listen to others. Don't take every bit of advise you get, but listen. Even at my age I certainly don't know everything. I learn things every day, and have alot of years of experience to draw on.

Oh, what I would give to be your age again....

 

[Lanthanum]

Okay, I am impressed that you are looking into ways to get some more knowledge about the calf and have checked into FFA at school. I am not aware that they charge to join, most of the dairy farms that I deal with here in VA have kids in 4-H or FFA. I cannot speak for anyone there as to how they treat their animals. But I will say this, and PLEASE don't be offended. Sometimes what a person perceives as unkind to animals is simply that they are accepting that the animal is an animal and not a "lap dog" or a "human in animals clothes".. I am only saying this as I have seen and dealt with animals over the years that have been spoiled and allowed to get away with behaviour that is at first cute, then it becomes a problem when the animal is older and too big to correct. NOT SAYING that there aren't alot of people that are unkind or uncaring towards their animals.
Cattle can be very warm and affectionate and great companions. They are still cattle and they will outweigh you by the time they are 6-8 weeks old. A full grown mature cow is in the neighborhood of 800 to 1200 lbs. If it has learned from birth you are the boss, they will respect you. You can halter train them, teach them tricks, ride them, any one of a million things. But if you spoil them and let them get away with things that they shouldn't, then down the road they will be too big for you to try to train them. YOU CANNOT REASON with a cow. All I am saying is that maybe what you see as not being kind has a reason, and you may be totally right and they are just not very caring of their animals.

Sounds like your Uncle Bo and Aunt Celena are the "go to" people who can get you going with some knowledgeable advice and experience. In this day and age of cell phones and all, I am hoping that you can contact them and talk to them about it. And since there is an ag dept at your school, then the library will be your first best source of info. Go there, find some books on raising baby calves, and get a little knowledge so you can ask your aunt and uncle some questions that make sense and so that they realize that you are REALLY serious about this and that it is not just a whim of a 15 yr old. Hey, I was 15 once a long time ago....I wanted a horse from the time I was a little kid. Luckily my father had horses when he was young, but I had to read books, and through my babysitting money had to earn enough to buy my horse and pay for the materials to build her first little barn. I owned her at 15; she was about 20 months and I had to do ALL the taking care of her. Before school, after school, babysitting to pay for her hay and grain. I had to take responsibility for it. Parents said if I wanted her, I had to pay for her. Yes they helped with alot of stuff, but I was her owner, not them.

So, get some book learning, then ask your aunt and uncle some intelligent questions when you tell them that you want to do this. It sounds like that cow that abandons the calf will calve in a couple of months or even sooner so...get started. You can do a great job if you have some common sense and are willing to learn and listen to others. Don't take every bit of advise you get, but listen. Even at my age I certainly don't know everything. I learn things every day, and have alot of years of experience to draw on.

Oh, what I would give to be your age again....

They charge about 25 dollars just to join FFA, and more later to have any part in it.
I know what you mean about spoiling them and I know the line between unkind and reasonable. I have just seen the teachers in the Ag building and they were just throwing their pigs around. They would put the tightening wire lead around their snouts and drag them to the trailer and kick them if they struggled too much. Not seriously harming them but it was definitely unnecessary. Poor pigs sounded like there was a massacre going on in there. Personally I think of my animals as family, but I know they respect me because I don't let them step out of line.
I pay for all my animals and work hard to find jobs if I want to get something extra, such as now I'm working to pay for a 150 dollar Nubian Doe.
I have been full heartedly researching on what to do with the calf when I get it, I realize they get huge and hard to control, but if you raise em right they are sweethearts. I have never raised one before so obviously I come to someone with experience so I will be fully prepared when the time comes. You have some amazing advice and I thank you very much for providing me with it. I will definitely be back to you when I have questions, because I know I will

 

[farmerjan]

Okay, I am even more respectful of you, and trying to learn and do, what is right. Obviously, you do know what is right and proper for animal behaviour and I agree that there is just no reason to kick a pig that is struggling. Pigs can be smart and they can be very stubborn...but again, you cannot reason with an animal and they don't think like people. And they will scream bloody murder when they are being hurt. There is no reason to abuse them like you said.

You said you are earning money to buy a nubian doe. So I am assuming that you do know a fair amount about livestock in general. A calf isn't that big a difference than a kid, just alot bigger, as far as being a baby. They eat more, don't need to be fed 3-4-5 times a day, but they require the same basics; clean dry shelter, clean water and being fed regularly. So I think you will do fine. And I read between the lines that you know the difference between a spoiled animal and simple discipline and being mean. So I say go for it.....when you get him/her and get started, do halter train it so that handling will be easier and then you will be able to catch it easier. Plus should anything happen and it gets sick or hurt it will go a long way to treating and taking care of it easier.
I think you will do fine; I realize that even though the calf will be "free" it will cost to get it started. The colostrum is not cheap but it is essential, at least one feeding. And a 50lb bag of good milk replacer will cost $60 - $75 but you should be able to only feed one bag up to time of weaning. That is what the normal average is. Even though the soy based milk replacers are a little cheaper, the calf will not do good on it so make sure you get an all-milk milk replacer. And the sooner you can get the calf to start eating a calf starter grain, and nibbling on hay, then you will help it's rumen to develop and you will be able to wean it off the milk sooner. Since you know some about goats then I think you know the difference between feeding good feed and just giving them plain old feed. They need the nutrition early so they grow and develop properly and then when they get older they will be able to utilize less concentrated and even less quality in their feed. Cattle are supposed to graze and they will eat alot that their systems can utilize that might not seem like perfect feed. Get them grown right and they will return it to you in calves and even milk. And also, even if they are beef cattle as I think they probably are, yes you can milk them if they are tame enough. So you might even be able to have a "dual-purpose" cow....

 

[Lanthanum]

Okay, I am even more respectful of you, and trying to learn and do, what is right. Obviously, you do know what is right and proper for animal behaviour and I agree that there is just no reason to kick a pig that is struggling. Pigs can be smart and they can be very stubborn...but again, you cannot reason with an animal and they don't think like people. And they will scream bloody murder when they are being hurt. There is no reason to abuse them like you said.

You said you are earning money to buy a nubian doe. So I am assuming that you do know a fair amount about livestock in general. A calf isn't that big a difference than a kid, just alot bigger, as far as being a baby. They eat more, don't need to be fed 3-4-5 times a day, but they require the same basics; clean dry shelter, clean water and being fed regularly. So I think you will do fine. And I read between the lines that you know the difference between a spoiled animal and simple discipline and being mean. So I say go for it.....when you get him/her and get started, do halter train it so that handling will be easier and then you will be able to catch it easier. Plus should anything happen and it gets sick or hurt it will go a long way to treating and taking care of it easier.
I think you will do fine; I realize that even though the calf will be "free" it will cost to get it started. The colostrum is not cheap but it is essential, at least one feeding. And a 50lb bag of good milk replacer will cost $60 - $75 but you should be able to only feed one bag up to time of weaning. That is what the normal average is. Even though the soy based milk replacers are a little cheaper, the calf will not do good on it so make sure you get an all-milk milk replacer. And the sooner you can get the calf to start eating a calf starter grain, and nibbling on hay, then you will help it's rumen to develop and you will be able to wean it off the milk sooner. Since you know some about goats then I think you know the difference between feeding good feed and just giving them plain old feed. They need the nutrition early so they grow and develop properly and then when they get older they will be able to utilize less concentrated and even less quality in their feed. Cattle are supposed to graze and they will eat alot that their systems can utilize that might not seem like perfect feed. Get them grown right and they will return it to you in calves and even milk. And also, even if they are beef cattle as I think they probably are, yes you can milk them if they are tame enough. So you might even be able to have a "dual-purpose" cow....

Yes, I've experienced spoiled animals, disciplined animals, and even, sadly, abused animals.
As for money, it is definitely an issue. 60-75 dollars shouldn't be too bad but it is still really expensive following a lower-middle class South Georgia family. We have enough to get us and my animals by, my mom takes care of me and her and our two dogs/vet bills, and I take care of goat and chicken feed and buying new animals.
As for the calf, I will definitely spend plenty of time with it, and halter train it and etc. I have raised plenty of dogs and goats and chickens, but never anything such as a cow. I think I get that this won't be the easiest thing I've done, I've been searching for quality and prices of things they have at Tractor Supply, but Taylor Feed hasn't been open due to holidays. All I found at Tractor Supply (I think that's a country wide company) is a small 15 pound bag of multi species milk, which is what I fed my piglets and my baby possum, and it says it can be used for calves but they'd probably drink the whole thing in three days or less. That is the only thing I've found. Everything here seems really expensive, with $8.50 for just a small square bale of hay.

My goats come running to a whistle and don't get messed with by the dogs, so i let them out of their pen to graze through the yard. Will the calf be able to do the same?

 

[farmerjan]

Did a quick check of TSC website and if you put calf milk replacer in the search box you will come up with several types and sizes. They have several but most all are mixed with soy except their DuMOR Ultra brand. They have a regular DuMOR brand but it is part soy. The Ultra runs about $75 for a 50 lb bag which will get you through the calf's milk feeding to 8 weeks. It is 20% protein and 20% fat. That is what you want but you would hopefully be able to find it at your feed store for maybe a little bit less. I know that LandOLakes makes a milk replacer that I used to feed years ago and that Purina made one, there are other brands. Just make sure it is 20/20 with all milk proteins. I know it is expensive but...
You said that you have goats and chickens. Do you milk any of the goats?? You can feed goat milk to calves....a friend of mine milks about 10 and uses it almost entirely to raise calves. Even if you mixed it you could stretch the milk replacer to last longer...sometimes you can buy a 25 lb bag, and it won't cost more to buy 2/25lb bags or a 50 lb.
You will need a calf nipple bottle or a bucket with a nipple to feed the calf with. But that will last forever once you get one and they aren't too expensive.
Do you ever go to farm auctions? Sometimes you can pick up some of that sort of stuff used for not too much. If you were to find a calf bottle, I would just buy the nipple new so that you don't have to worry about any diseases. The bottles can be sanitized with a little bleach water.
As far as letting the calf graze in the yard...that would be okay as long as it can't "get out loose" ; they are not always the best at coming to call or to a whistle if they want to be "independent"..( face it they are kids...) But we have tied them out on a long rope attached to a halter, or a neck chain. If you start them out young then they will be very easy to tie out to graze. I know that some people will be horrified at the idea, but it is not the end of the world if you are closeby to keep an eye on them. We used to tie out the milk cow so that she could eat the grass and I didn't have to waste it by mowing. Be aware also that a calf/cow halter is different than a horse halter.

Can't help you on the hay much. Maybe there are some other members on here that are close that you could get together with to buy some? How about the people that you are planning to buy the nubian from? Sometimes you can get together and buy a little cheaper in quantity so it benefits everyone. Are there any farms around where you can go buy the hay directly out of the field when they are baling it? Most farmers will charge less if you can buy it out of the field so they don't have to handle it twice by putting it in the barn then selling it later. Maybe find a farmer that you can work for in exchange for hay? $8.50 a bale is high although if you were in the drought area then it was hard to come by. We get about $4.00 bale out of the field and $5.00 and up if we deliver here in VA. That is for orchard grass and I don't know what is the common hay types down there.
What about your aunt and uncle? Do they make hay on their property?

The biggest problem with a calf is they are going to eat ALOT in comparison to a goat. A full grown cow will eat approx 50 lbs of hay a day not counting some grazing. We make mostly large round bales of hay. 5 x 5 feet that weigh 1000 lbs or more. 1 bale will feed 20 cows for 1 day so that's 50 lbs per cow per day. So if the square bales weigh 40-50 lbs you are going to feed at least 1 bale per day if there is not alot of grazing. They won't eat that much at first of course, but a growing calf will eat alot until it gets grown to it's full size and age and that's between 2 and 4 years old. And while growing they will need some grain if there isn't good grazing to supply some of the needed nutrients.

 

[Lanthanum]

I found some calf bottles at Tractor Supply and it won't be too hard to go there and buy one of those. We don't have any farm auctions or flea markets any closer than Jacksonville and that is about two hours away. Not worth the drive, because everyone in Florida way overprices their stuff from my experience. However, there is a Farmers Market on the way to my mom's work, but I assume they only sell plants and products from their farms.
As for hay, my Uncle lives on an over 100 acre farm and grows cotton and ,yes, hay. He has plenty of large round bales and perhaps he could give me one. That would last one cow a while right? And maybe even provide my goats with some. I haven't seen anyone on this site so far that is even within a 300 mile radius of my town. And not many people here are farmers either, most just have a few pigs/donkeys/or horses. And all of them that I've met are really hateful people who don't wanna bother with a kid who doesn't know what she's doing. (Story of my life..)
Being in Georgia, there is a lot of swamp land and woods. My pygmies love the woods because there are tons of briars and pine needles and oak leaves that they LOVE to eat. They wander in the yard and nip the grass tops from there, and then they wander in the clear parts of the woods to eat blackberry brambles and a variety of other plants. First of all, is this safe for them? There are plenty of Water Moccasins and Timber Rattlers but not once in three years has anyone been bitten.
And second of all, will this be safe for the cow? I plan on housing them together or beside each other if there will be problems, but being housed together will only be temporary. The goat pen currently is made of hog panel fencing and is made entirely of dirt, since my donkey, being a grazer, ate all the roots of the grass my browser goats had eaten the tops of so no grass remains in their pen, but they are let out of the pen every other day. Will the cow be able to stay in the same pen as them for a while until the new barn is finished? We have to wait until tax time in Febuary to start fixing up an old barn on our property that my mom has been using as a tool shed, and it should be cleaned up and animal ready around May-June. My billy is really aggressive towards other animals, he will headbutt anything that stands in his way, except me, and he terrorizes the heck out of my other billy. Only beings in the world he's friendly to are his does in heat. Will it be safe to house them temporarily together while it is a calf? Or will one hurt the other. Even as a calf, the calves that were born last year around July are still I'd say about 10 times bigger than the pygmies. My pygmies stand below my knee, and babies you can hold in one hand, and will fit entirely in two hands.