This is the calf that enterupted my hunting weekend. I now have him in my back yard so I can bottle feed him.He had a rough start but I think he will make it.
I had one today I thought was going to the dairy, but his momma pulled him through. Have fun with the bottle feeding, better you then me. I had about 2000 calves all under 300 lbs at one time, had to Dr. and feed all of them with a broke leg. It sucked, let me know if you need anything for him.
I got him off the bottle and on the bucket with the nipple yesterday. You still have to start him on the nipple but then he will go to town. After he is finished with the milk he still wants to drink so I have been filling the bucket up with water and he finishes about a gallon of water. Should I be doing this or not. If all goes well I will cut him on thursday and take him back to the heard on friday.I tried to pair him up with every hefferbefore I put him on the bottle.I was hoping one would exept him. One was close but he was so weak that I figured he wouldn't make it.If there is anything you know that would help let me know. I just hope he got some colosterum the first day from his mother.
Well, if he don't make it, there's always veal for supper!
I'm sure he will stay on the bottle for awhile. I was thinking it would be good to get him back to run with the other calfs. The mother has been a good breeder, my steer that I just sent to the butcher came from her. She had a huge bag and nipples bigger than a coke bottle and he could not latch on. The mother will go to the auction after she dries up. The calf seems healthy and is very active now. Do you still think it's best not to cut him before he goes back out? I think he must have got some colostrum because he seems pretty strong. For the first two days we had to force feed him now I have the bucket with the nipple and he has been finishing one and a half quarts each feeding. then I fill the bucket back up with water and he finishes the whole thing. He has been easy so far and is pretty quiet. We had one that was born breeched two years ago and feed him on the bottle and now he is the ranch pet. I am trying to avoid the wife and kids letting that happen again. Please let me know about cutting him. I just did all the other calfs from this year but if you tink it's better to wait I wil. Thanks again.
