Teaching calf to eat feed

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We have a 2 month old bull calf. His mother didn't want anything to do with him from the get go. My husband, daughter and I have bottle fed with milk replacer since birth. He will NOT eat the feed. We have only been raising beef for the past 4 years and are not experts. My husband feels there is something wrong with the calf because he prefers milk and won't eat the calf feed. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions Renee

-- Renee Williams (rwilliams@shermanassoc.com), April 15, 2002

Answers

Calves usually nibble a bit of hay as their first solid food, keep some about. Put a couple of cups of milk in a bucket with a bit of grain and let him have it when its feeding time, slowley increase the grain amount over a week or two. If that dosen't work get a grain eating calf and put with him - he may be too dumb to know he can eat like that without an example.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), April 15, 2002.

Cut down on the amount of milk you feed. He may be too satisified with the milk to start nibbling on other feed.

-- J (jjdenton@st-tel.net), April 15, 2002.

try handfeeding too - fix like mitch said - dip hand in mixture and put in calf's mouth like your hand is a spoon. we taught many that way - increase grain, decrease milk gradually. works.

-- billie schneider (canyonkaty@hctc.net), April 15, 2002.

I have three young calves I bought at the sale barn. They were three or four days old. I fed milk replacer and also put out hay and feed in small amounts along with a bucket of water.I bottle feed twice a day and they are starting to nibble the hay and feed. They started with the hay first. Now I let them out and they are picking at the grass. Happy future, Jim

-- Jim Raymond (jimr@terraworld.net), April 15, 2002.

Its funny, Rennee, I was discussing my calf this AM with my neice who is a vet (was specializing in large animals). She and her dairy farm raised husband have more experience than I could ever hope for and her advice was to shove it in its mouth. They have no mother to teach the ropes at this point so we have to do the best we can. I have some calf starter feed in my hand and let him start sucking at my fingers and pour the feed into his mouth that way. Some falls out but he chews some too. I repeat until he won't take anymore. He's 3 weeks old and picking at it from a bucket now too. I just started his milk replacer in a bucket today rather than the bottle. Man, feedings go much more quickly! Make sure your calf has warm water in a bucket and some cattle mineral or a salt lick near by too. At least my calf only seems to drink water if its fresh but warm. Good luck!

-- Alison in NS (aproteau@istar.ca), April 15, 2002.


I put milk replacer into the meal, this is what a 1000 cow dairy stud advised as cows like the smell of vanilla. I had the same problem and it work like a charm. I put meal down in the stall from day one with hay and some calves take a couple of days to investigate other seem to know what to do. My only problem is the chickens almost break their necks to get into the meal.

Good luck.

-- Julie (jskinner@tellumat.com), April 17, 2002.


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