My Calf experiance

[WyndSyrin]

Thought that I would post this here Detailing my experience with Bottle feeding a Calf.

The little calf that would eventually be named Murray was Born on June 13, 2017 to a first time Heifer. His momma was able to give him Colostrum and did her best to take care of him for 11 days. Finally The wife of the Farmer who I am working for and I saved the calf from starving to death. We brought him in and started giving him a bottle at first 4 times a day then to only 2 times a day. We had about 4 days in there where we thought that we would have lost him, but he pulled through. After he recovered, I started the 2.5 weeks of halter training.

He is now 10 days away from his 2 month birthday. I shall use this thread to provide updates as necessary with what I am doing with him. Any and all comments and advice for him will be much appreciated

 

[RollingAcres]

Nice job @WyndSyrin! Murray looks good.

I'm glad you posted this thread, it'd be great for me to follow and learn from your progress.

 

[Goatgirl47]

Awww, so cute! Is that picture from when you first got him?

I am glad he is doing well.

 

[WyndSyrin]

That pic is from July 28. He was really thin when we pulled him in from the field. He was born on this farm

 

[WyndSyrin]

Ok Murray is being what I like to call "food pushy" He will circle me like a cat and head butt me like he would his momma when he is trying to get more milk from her udder. I have been trying to discourage him by twisting his ear, and it seems to work. I was just wondering if there is something else that could be done. He only does this after his bottle.

 

[Goatgirl47]

Hmm. I've only had two bottle calves and I don't remember them doing anything like that, but with our dam-raised calves, when they get a little older and start "playing around" and acting like they want to butt us, I usually give them a strong "pop" on their nose. Just hard enough so that they will remember.

 

[WyndSyrin]

Well the food pushy side has tapered off as he as discovered his bowl of Calf Starter/Sweet Feed mix. He is going through a growth phase it would seem.

In other rather strange news from the farm, we have a strange situation with another 2 month old calf that seems to have lost his momma. I am not sure if his mother died as I have not smelled the dead carcass, or he could have been a rejected calf. That brings up a rather strange quandary: why would a mother reject a calf at ~2months old? I was able to lasso him and get a bottle down his throat, which leads me to believe that he is looking for food. Will know more once we are able to get him in the lot.

 

[WyndSyrin]

Well the other 2 month old calf is fine, found him running and grazing so no worries about him. Murray, on the other hand, is growing like crazy, he is 2 days from being 3 months old and boy is he feisty when he finishes his bottle now. I can see why the mommas ween them.

 

[WyndSyrin]

Latest update Murray is now 3 months old and we rescued a 14day old calf that seemed to be missing its mother. What makes this so special is that one of the other Adult cows got my attention to the fact that this calf needed our help. Well being as it would not sit well in the back of the Mule, we walked it from about 1/4 of the way in the field all the way up to the barn where Murray is living and gave this calf a bottle. Here are the pics of Murray and the new calf

 

[WyndSyrin]

ok new development with Mikey. He is starting to become a "Bull" in every sense of the word. He gets stubborn with me and by that I mean he spreads his front legs wide and lowers his head and glares at me. Also he has kicked at me when I rounded him up to bring him in for the night. I know I will have to get "Bullish" with him to get him to see that I am boss, but I would like some input on methods to work with. Murray is a doll to work with.