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Thread: Weaning Bottle Baby Calf's?

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  1. #1
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    Feb 2009
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    Default Weaning Bottle Baby Calf's?

    This is our first foray into calf's. We have four. One Dexter=Galloway born June 6th and three Holstein-Dexter about a month and a half old (all born within days of each other). It is too hard to treat the older one differently and she is as small as the younger ones so we will wean them altogether.

    I have been reading websites and books on raising a bottle (actually they drink out of a pan now) calfs. Don't feed them frain, feed them grain, don't let them eat green grass. let them, etc.

    How do most of you that raise calfs treat them at 6 weeks? We are feeding them milk twice a day. Let them free feed hay and give them either alf starter or COB with molasses. They seem to be doing well. I was picking a handful or two or green grass as a treat but a neighbor said no way it will give them scours.

    Also the holstein mixes still have those bony hips. Sleek coats, bright eyes, seem to be gaining well. Dexter-Galloway is a stout bulky little thing. Do they ever lose that look? How big does the average Holstein-Dexter cross get?

    All four of ours are heifers. The farm we got the first one from breeds them to Yaks. Smaller babies but tough as nails. Claim the females are fertile the males are like mules but make great draft animals for a small farm. Hair makes great socks.

    Anyone ever try a Yak bull for a cross? Is this an Alaska thing? They are cute looking little things.

  2. #2
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    Mar 2009
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    After we are done w/the milk replacer we just kept ours on a starter feed and hay.Couple of bags of that then switch to a beef grower feed.Ours were steered just growing steaks on the hoof.Next time we will switch to oats and corn try for more marbling.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by 11&counting View Post
    After we are done w/the milk replacer we just kept ours on a starter feed and hay.Couple of bags of that then switch to a beef grower feed.Ours were steered just growing steaks on the hoof.Next time we will switch to oats and corn try for more marbling.

    How long did you keep them on milk replacer? One place said they just added the powdered milk replacer in with the COB at 4 weeks and reduced the amount by 8 weeks.

    I put a mineral/salt block in wth them yesterday and they went crazy over it. I was wooried they would OD on it but they were ok this morning.

  4. #4
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    Nov 2007
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    I raise a calf or two a year for home use but I use goat milk and just feed till I quick milking the goats the calves most of the time are between 3-4 months of age...my calves are on pasture and get free choice of hay...I keep salt in front of them at all times...I don't grain my calves as the grass I have up here and the alfafla hay is enough to keep their protein levels up and they grow well...Sorry I couldn't be of more help but I think each area of the country it depends on what you have as far as feed and pasture as to how you grow your calves...Alpine

  5. #5
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    Nov 2009
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    Willamette Valley, Oregon
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    Some people wean as early as 6 weeks, but I find that to be a little young.

    I usually wean about 12 weeks, and give them a little grain from 6 weeks until 16 weeks, then have them straight on pasture/hay. I too feed goat milk, and have raised 12 so far this year. (Including the two angus cross bull calves that I'm feeding right now.)

    But each time is different, and it depends on what kind of pasture you have available, and what kind of calf you are feeding.

    I heard stories of calves only a couple of weeks old surviving on clover blooms. But have seen much older calves languish when the pasture is dry and the hay is not the best quality. (Or older calves push them aside.) There is always a strong calf that can be weaner sooner, and the sickly one that could use a few more weeks of the bottle to get them through tough times.

    Just use your best judgement and keep and eye on them.

  6. #6
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    May 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by alpine View Post
    I raise a calf or two a year for home use but I use goat milk and just feed till I quick milking the goats the calves most of the time are between 3-4 months of age...my calves are on pasture and get free choice of hay...I keep salt in front of them at all times...I don't grain my calves as the grass I have up here and the alfafla hay is enough to keep their protein levels up and they grow well...Sorry I couldn't be of more help but I think each area of the country it depends on what you have as far as feed and pasture as to how you grow your calves...Alpine
    I do the same in michigan here . same as you.

    i don't ever give store bought grain. just good grass and hay.
    momof23goats

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by momof23goats View Post
    I do the same in michigan here . same as you.

    i don't ever give store bought grain. just good grass and hay.
    I think the calf itself will kind of tell you when to wean it when it is filling up on the pasture or hay and really eating good then you can wean...Some calves are just slower [in the brain dept.] on getting that there is other things beside milk to eat...Alpine

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