I have a new baby calf coming today. 5 weeks old, still on the bottle.
I have some powdered milk and a bottle. She has had all her vacines and worming already.
Just want some newby advice I know to keep her tied up, her mother died of old age.
How often to feed the bottle and how much, do I start on feed yet? which feed? sweet feed? anything else?
she's being raised for the freezer.
kathy
new calf no experience.
hehe, good luck with the freezer after bottle feeding her. I get too attached to them. You'll have to get someone else to do the deed for ya.
I can butcher any of my chickens...except the ones I hatched from the incubator. I handled the eggs 3 to 5 times a day, turning and checking on them until they hatched. Now, they're my favorites. I'm just an ole softy.
LOL, Well, that's not the advice I was looking for LOL.
I know what you mean.
kathy
Oops ! Sorry, ..... I was afraid that might not be what you wanted to hear.
In all seriousness though, we have thought of raising a calf to butcher.
It's gotta be a better way to go than the supermarket meat. I admire your courage to jump in there and give it a try. Maybe I'll get enough encouragement from you to give it a whirl. Good luck, and keep us posted.
We fed 3X's a day, milk replacer that we bought at TSC. We have buckets with nipples on them, and the calves took to them really quick.... at 5 weeks old, you shouldn't have to be feeding her but a few more weeks.
Put some hay in the stall, I wouldn't tie her up, but stall her if possible, and a pan of feed in the stall too, along with water. They'll nibble at the hay and the feed, but still rely on the milk for their nutrition, though not as much at the age you are getting as they do when they're younger.
We just fed the same thing we fed the cows, a cracked corn mix. We never put "she's" in the freezer, they're too valuable as breeders. :0)
Thanks Melissa
this she, was left alone by her mama dying, and we don't want to getinto the breeding business. just meat for the freezer. I know she's full blood beefmaster, and we could have papers on her, but you know , we only have l0 acres LOL
she's in a small pen now, doing well, not chained up. I'll do that with the feed and hay.
Thanks for the help
kathy
Darn, wish you weren't so far away, I'd trade ya a bull for the heifer! :0)
Make sure she's got water too, really important. She'll be eating on her own before you know it. :0)
ok, thanks,
here she is, today was her second day on the bottle, we had to hold her down yesterday to get her to take it, today we held her still and let go of her when she started drinking from the bottle. Soon, she'll be chasing me down for the bottle LOL
we took that harness off her last night.
You said it, soon she will be chasing you for the bottle. I doubt she makes it to the freezer after being bottle fed...maybe you could milk her...
Are you sure she's a she? If she's 5 weeks old, the umbilical cord area should be smooth by now.
yes she's definitely a she, she's pee out the back end right?
males pee from the umbilical cord area right? just checking. LOL
she's has gone pee from the back end, kind of squatting like.
hmmm I wonder why the umbilical cord area is still so big then?
not sure on that. I didnt ask them, I have to take the harness back to them, I"ll ask why it's still on there.
and post here
kathy
Based on experience, whatever you do, don't pet her head. The causes them to buck at you wanting their head to be petted. Having a 1000 lb anything try to butt you is not fun.
As for feeding advice, we only fed our bottle calves twice a day, following the instructions on the bag. Also start her out slow on feed. We use a calf starter.
I'll have to remember not to pet her, I don't really want to make apet out of her, I appreciate the advice.
thanks
kathy
Breeding heifers are selling very well right now. We discovered some years back that the cost of feed outweighed the savings on beef when we fed a steer and had it processed. My basic rule is never eat anything that thinks you are mama. As a result I have two great sons-- thirty-somethings--and a beef roast to cook tomorrow purchased at WalMart. BTW Beefmasters, even heifers, have hanging-down-spots where you would not expect them. Ten acres most places will support a cow and calf. A heifer is bringing over $1.00 per pound in Central Texas right now.
I'm with Robert. I think you have enough room to keep her..
I have a cow named Cheeseburger. I didn't raise her from a bottle calf, but bought her right after she was already weaned.. Obviously by her name she was headed for the freezer... I don't even think the guy that raised her could eat her. I tried to change her name to "Lucky You're Not Cheeseburger" and just call her Lucky.. But somehow Cheeseburger stuck..
Any child that wants to can go up and hug her.. She has such a wonderful nature. She's just not what I would consider a --- Front Pasture Cow. She has a scooped back, small udder, long body and short legs. She's also a master fence tester.. I have thought about renting her out with a homing device attached to her to someone that wants to make sure they have a good sturdy fence.
Oops, KathyJo, that was me posting, not Robert. I think he would eat anything properly cooked. :>)) I have bottled so many calves, lambs, and goats and gotten so attached to them. He has begun naming the young cows, so perhaps there's hope for him too. Just today he showed me a photo of Lightning and her newest baby.
I can't believe we are keeping heifers right now with prices as high as they are. This week 400-500 pound heifers sold at $1.50 per pound.
Patricia (the more sentimental half of patrob)
Sorry about that Patricia! I'm with you on the bottle feeding though.