New to the site, I need your help

[farmgirl]

Hi:, I am new to this site, I usually spend all my time on BYC, but I am getting 2 bull calves on Saturday, they are 2 weeks old, and it has been awhile since I have had a calf. I know about the milk replacer, and the grain, but these are going to be field fed, they are my tax break, if I don't have something grazing in out field I will get taxed recreational instead of agriculture. Throw everything at me as far as how long in confinement, when can they start to graze, how soon until I can give them hay (until I get grass here) I am a little scared, I've done this before and got 2 calves that died on me, and It was the straw that broke the camels back. These calves will be my responsibility, and I want to take every measure to make sure that I do everything right to give them a good start.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

We have a lot of good informational threads here. I would suggest visiting the index of useful info in my sig.

What breed are the calves?

General info:
The calves will need milk replacer for approximately 2 months. Give them grain right away. They may not touch it at first so only give a little. Leave it in front of them all the time and they will get curious and start nibbling. When they are eating roughly an 8 qt pail of calf grain a day you can wean them. Just before weaning you can start them on hay or a good quality grass. If your choosing not to grain them, then they will need young tender hay or grass and when they are eating that good you can wean them. I do recommend that a hand raised calf be given grain for a while though.

As for putting them out on pasture, will your fence hold them in? Do you have shelter and a feeding place for them? If yes to both questions you can turn them out anytime. But, I would suggest that you keep them confined at least long enough to bond with them so they know who feeds them. Keep in mind it maybe harder to feed their milk replacer when on pasture too so you may want to keep them penned until weaned or separate the pasture down into two smaller areas-one for each.

 

[farmgirl]

Thank you,
Our land is fenced in, and I will keep them penned in an area that they can go out and at least get some sunshine. I think that they are holsteins.:/

 

[mullers3acers]

 

[Farmer Kitty]

What kind of fence is your land fenced with? A four or five strand barbwire fence won't always hold a calf in-they are small enough to get through. I have tried 2 and even 3 strand electric with the top one being 3 1/2 ft or so high and had them go through it. We finally put up fence panels in one section and put an electric fence inside it to teach them what it is. Then as they get a little bigger we put them into a 2 strand electric fence and have little problems.

We'd love to see pics of them, when you get them.

 

[farmgirl]

our fencing is all panel rolled fencing, we had sheep, so we had to upgrade to keep them in. I think that will do, I hope that will do, I also have an electric fence if I need to use it I will, because unfortunatley the grass is much greener on the other side, alfalfa field, yikes,

 

[Farmer Kitty]

As long as the fence is in good repair, I'm assuming it is, it should work just fine. The grass is always greener on the otherside-just one of those rule of thumbs. It doesn't matter if it's the same as what they have or something different either.

 

[wynedot55]

your sheep fence should hold the calves just fine.you want to feed them whole milk replacer.an get scour meds an keep them on hand.an watch them for the scours.you need to keep them on milk for 2 or 3 months.an you can put them on pasture at 3 or 4 months old.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

already some good info here

 

[MReit]

They can graze as soon as you let them! I'm 100% for letting newborns out on grass as well as bottle feeding them(lord knows they will come to you when they see that bottle, so no chasing them in the field) But naturally the calf would be with its mom, out in the field grazing anyway.