There is a feeding bottle sold here that has a large opening in the teat, large enough to allow grainfeed to be 'sucked' out of it. It encourages young calves to have a go at eating meal etc. Calf-rearers can attach these bottles to a fence rail and the calves can eat it ad-lib.
Have you thought about putting the calf in with the yearlings or mothers and babies during the day? So it can develop some cow social habits. Is it possible to keep it with a cow and her calf at night? It must be very lonely by itself. Calves learn a lot by observing what others eat. It will still come to you for milk at feeding time. The night time temperatures over there must be getting warmer at night by now, aren't they? Do you have to keep the calf in the shed at night?
or would a calf cover not be enough, so that it can stay with the herd?
Bottle calf - What next?
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Kathy Millar
- Posts: 725
- Joined: Wed May 19, 2004 4:53 pm
- Location: Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
Hi Inger,
Bobby (as she is now called) spends the day in a paddock adjacent to an alleyway where the two yearlings spend the day. I put hay on both sides of the fence so now Bobby (having read all these e-mails) will eat her hay whilst the others eat theirs. Then she often has a nap on top of the nice second cut, excellent quality hay, just like the ?*^& on the other side of the fence.
Actually, Bobby got out one morning with the yearlings and she raced right up to them! All they did was sniff her then the steer licked her, tried to mount her, she scooted off, came back and was generally ignored after that. Who would have guessed those yearlings could look gigantic but next to Bobby they are some big calves! :D
I have tried to feed Bobby "pencils" which we call "pellets" here but she is not interested. I am slowly reducing her milk (but not diluting it, Duncan) and as the days are becoming warmer, she will have more grass to nibble. In the meantime, I have bought her a miniture horse halter which is still too big but she does look rather cute in it! I also bought a foal halter for the yearling heifer and I think powder blue rather suits her. Nothing like playing dress-up with your Dexters! :laugh:
Kathy
PS All 3 youngsters spend the night inside the sheep shed but Bobby does have a separate area. Look forward to being able to turn the whole lot out onto pasture.
Bobby (as she is now called) spends the day in a paddock adjacent to an alleyway where the two yearlings spend the day. I put hay on both sides of the fence so now Bobby (having read all these e-mails) will eat her hay whilst the others eat theirs. Then she often has a nap on top of the nice second cut, excellent quality hay, just like the ?*^& on the other side of the fence.
Actually, Bobby got out one morning with the yearlings and she raced right up to them! All they did was sniff her then the steer licked her, tried to mount her, she scooted off, came back and was generally ignored after that. Who would have guessed those yearlings could look gigantic but next to Bobby they are some big calves! :D
I have tried to feed Bobby "pencils" which we call "pellets" here but she is not interested. I am slowly reducing her milk (but not diluting it, Duncan) and as the days are becoming warmer, she will have more grass to nibble. In the meantime, I have bought her a miniture horse halter which is still too big but she does look rather cute in it! I also bought a foal halter for the yearling heifer and I think powder blue rather suits her. Nothing like playing dress-up with your Dexters! :laugh:
Kathy
PS All 3 youngsters spend the night inside the sheep shed but Bobby does have a separate area. Look forward to being able to turn the whole lot out onto pasture.
Kathy
Home Farm, Vancouver Island, Canada
Home Farm, Vancouver Island, Canada