Rearing calves

390kid

How’s it going? We have 6 calves left to rear after them going down with tb and there proving to be a challenge to get started on the feeder and just wondering has anyone any tips or advice on how to start them and keep them going in the right direction

Base price

390kid wrote: »

How’s it going? We have 6 calves left to rear after them going down with tb and there proving to be a challenge to get started on the feeder and just wondering has anyone any tips or advice on how to start them and keep them going in the right direction

Do you mean like a 6 or 10 teat blue feeder or an auto feeder. If you can get one or two sucking the sound stimulates the others. You will have to get into the pen with them, bring them to the feeder and squirt a bit of milk into their mouth.

funkey_monkey

There was a thread on here later year started by some one who had a calf that wouldn't suck. Lots of good advice on it. I'll see if I can hoke it out.

Are they sucking your fingers if you put them in their mouth?

What we do is get some of the milk onto the outside of the teat, nudge them up to it, hand in mouth and flick the test into their mouth whilst they are sucking my fingers. After a while (few aborted attempts and some swearing) they should start sucking. When they start sucking rub their back - simulates mother licking them.

It mostly works, but the calves we be working at tend to be very young. The older / stronger they get the more of a battle it can become.

funkey_monkey

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057589685

I must be getting old. It was 4 years ago. I thought it was last year

390kid

Base price wrote: »

Do you mean like a 6 or 10 teat blue feeder or an auto feeder. If you can get one or two sucking the sound stimulates the others. You will have to get into the pen with them, bring them to the feeder and squirt a bit of milk into their mouth.

Ye a 6 teat feeder. Got 2 this evening to take to it so hopefully a bit a patience and they’ll come

390kid

funkey_monkey wrote: »

There was a thread on here later year started by some one who had a calf that wouldn't suck. Lots of good advice on it. I'll see if I can hoke it out.

Are they sucking your fingers if you put them in their mouth?

What we do is get some of the milk onto the outside of the teat, nudge them up to it, hand in mouth and flick the test into their mouth whilst they are sucking my fingers. After a while (few aborted attempts and some swearing) they should start sucking. When they start sucking rub their back - simulates mother licking them.

It mostly works, but the calves we be working at tend to be very young. The older / stronger they get the more of a battle it can become.

Thanks for that. There’s 2 I got sucking the feeder and one that will probably drink from the bucket if need be and the rest won’t even suck your fingers. That’s a good tip with the back rubbing il give that a shot tomorrow .

funkey_monkey

390kid wrote: »

Thanks for that. There’s 2 I got sucking the feeder and one that will probably drink from the bucket if need be and the rest won’t even suck your fingers. That’s a good tip with the back rubbing il give that a shot tomorrow .

For the ones that aren't drinking yet what are they getting to keep them going?
If it was me, I'd get them in to a small space so you can concentrate on their head rather than holding them up to the teat. Try to get the teat into their mouth and put your hand around the mouth and clamp and release it whilst squeezing milk through the teat. It is easier done then I've described!
Hopefully you get some progress with the 4 tomorrow.

_Brian

funkey_monkey wrote: »

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057589685

I must be getting old. It was 4 years ago. I thought it was last year

In your defence the last year has felt four years long.

jntsnk

2ltr coke bottle and a teat on top never fails. Warm milk and a bit of hunger

390kid

funkey_monkey wrote: »

For the ones that aren't drinking yet what are they getting to keep them going?
If it was me, I'd get them in to a small space so you can concentrate on their head rather than holding them up to the teat. Try to get the teat into their mouth and put your hand around the mouth and clamp and release it whilst squeezing milk through the teat. It is easier done then I've described!
Hopefully you get some progress with the 4 tomorrow.

Got all drinking today..... bar one. She just clamps the teat and wants none of it tried her with just the bucket and a drop in it and she licked around the top of it but when push came to shove no drink either. So dosed her with a powder to keep her right and try her again later

148multi

390kid wrote: »

Got all drinking today..... bar one. She just clamps the teat and wants none of it tried her with just the bucket and a drop in it and she licked around the top of it but when push came to shove no drink either. So dosed her with a powder to keep her right and try her again later

A drop of brandy might relax her and stimulate her instinct.

390kid

148multi wrote: »

A drop of brandy might relax her and stimulate her instinct.

Would ya dose it into her and see wat happens or how wud ya go about it?

TooOldBoots

390kid wrote: »

Got all drinking today..... bar one. She just clamps the teat and wants none of it tried her with just the bucket and a drop in it and she licked around the top of it but when push came to shove no drink either. So dosed her with a powder to keep her right and try her again later

Try her with just warm whole milk, the powder milk tastes very foreign to a calf that was once sucking a cow. You can then start mixing in powder milk after a day or two to get her used to it

djmc

https://blackfieldfarm.com/tips-for-bottle-feeding-calves/
I wrote up on the way I reared calves it worked well for me

funkey_monkey

djmc wrote: »

https://blackfieldfarm.com/tips-for-bottle-feeding-calves/
I wrote up on the way I reared calves it worked well for me

Interesting blog - spent quite a bit of time reading through it when I should be working :pac:

djmc

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Interesting blog - spent quite a bit of time reading through it when I should be working :pac:

Thanks its not that often I get feedback. I spend a lot of time writing and looking at the computer when I should be working. It's too cold to be working outside today anyway 🤣🤣

148multi

390kid wrote: »

Would ya dose it into her and see wat happens or how wud ya go about it?

Yes dose it.

390kid

Thank you for the help. She’s drank this evening bought 2 bottles of the raw gut milk in the shop and she sowed them into her after her brandy shot earlier in the day. The calf doesn’t like the milk replacer and was clear to be seen this evening so wel just have to try work her onto it.

funkey_monkey

Great news! So all are drinking and doing well now?

Base price

390kid wrote: »

Thank you for the help. She’s drank this evening bought 2 bottles of the raw gut milk in the shop and she sowed them into her after her brandy shot earlier in the day. The calf doesn’t like the milk replacer and was clear to be seen this evening so wel just have to try work her onto it.

Any local dairy farmer near you that you can get a few litres of milk from.

390kid

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Great news! So all are drinking and doing well now?

All 6 drinking now 4 on a teat feeder and 2 from buckets. So hopefully it will help them on a bit of the way

390kid

Base price wrote: »

Any local dairy farmer near you that you can get a few litres of milk from.

Ye il need to make a few enquiries to see can I get a bit to even train her onto the replacer

TooOldBoots

390kid wrote: »

Ye il need to make a few enquiries to see can I get a bit to even train her onto the replacer

I had a calf that was on the 3 liter carton of Tesco milk for nearly 2 weeks before I got him on the powder.