Question about new calf...

[Lynn Esty]

Hi. We picked up our calf today. He is six weeks old. I bought milk replacer, calf starter (grain), have hay and fresh water in his stall. He won't touch the milk replacer. He hasn't eaten any calf starter (grain) but is drinking the water and eating the hay. He has been at our house for about 8 hours. I'm thinking that he won't starve himself if there is an abundance of food. But did I really spend $35.00 for 8 pounds of milk replacer when he won't even touch it??? Should I just give him some more time and keep offering it? Should I just stop stressing and if he is drinking water and eating hay, pooping and peeing that I shouldn't worry?

My husband (who worked on a cattle farm through high school) told me that I worry too much.

Suggestions? Other than don't worry, please! lol!

 

[Royd Wood]

Has your calf just come off its mother or bottle fed ????? - Whats the history from previous owner if any

 

[Lynn Esty]

He was on his mother for two weeks. The farmer told me he has been taking milk from a bucket and gets some cow grain and hay twice a day. I'm not sure if it was regular 'Mom' milk or milk replacer... He is six or seven weeks old now...

 

[redtailgal]

Did you buy a different brand of replacer? calves can be pretty picky about that sort of stuff, lol. Give him until tomorrow, and if he still wont take the milk from a bucket, dunk his nose in it and let him get a little taste (just dip his nose, dont drown him).

You can take a handful of grain and PUT it in his mouth, make him understand that it is food.

other than that, just let him be so he can get adjusted to his new home. Watch for runny poop, a young calf and a change of scenery can cause some scours sometimes.

Keep us posted..and we like pictures, lol.

 

[Royd Wood]

As above suggests

Good luck with your calf oh and Lynn

 

[Lynn Esty]

Good question... I bought the only milk replacer within 30 miles of our house/ their farm. I think they used milk they couldn't put in the collection tank. He's drank his water bucket empty and eaten most of the hay... I don't know if he ate any grain but if it looks like he hasn't eaten any by this afternoon, I will put some in his mouth... thanks for all the suggestions. My camera battery is charging... hopefully will post pictures later today!!

 

[redtailgal]

So he has been on regular cow's milk?

If i am correct in that, he doenst recognize the replacer as food. It has a different smell, and texture etc. He is probably thinking that your trying to feed him something nasty, lol.

You'll have to dunk his nose to make him see it as food, but with switching him from cows milk to replacer, you'll need to watch carefully for scours.

I'd recommend that you read over these two pages, just for the sake of information (pay close attention on the scours page, just in case)

http://www.backyardherds.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2952-bottle-calves

http://www.backyardherds.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2952-calves-scours

Keep us posted.....

 

[Lynn Esty]

Ferdinand Hamburgerler is doing fine. He won't drink the milk replacer but the guy at the feed store said I could just sprinkle some over his feed like a supplement. He does eat it that way. Drinking lots of water. Eating hay and his calf grower with milk replacer dusting... lol! Thanks for all your information. I'll post pictures later tonight!

 

[Lynn]

Here he is... 7 weeks old Ferdinand Hamburgerler

He's eating 2 quarts of calf feed with milk replacer 'dusting' and about a flake of hay a day... He's been moved to one of the outside pens with a 10' x 10' run in shed.

 

[Royd Wood]