A calf’s second feed

[Grazer]

All bagged asap 3-4 litres. Some dont feed for a while afterwards. They may well have grabbed a sneaky sook before we get to them, so are near bursting once bagged. But at least you know they've definitely had their dose. Offer them all a feed at next milking, but some dont take anything for one feed. A few go two milkings without, but still do grand. Not many though.

 

[jerseycowsman]

I only tube them the first feed and would rather they would “suckle” their second as I think it’s important to take some saliva in. Anything calving at 2pm would just get their 10% LW of colostrum, I don’t intend to start feeding calves at 9pm.

I tubed 3l into an Aberdeen Angus calf at 6pm last night and it wasn’t keen on suckling the bottle at 9am today. But I wouldn’t say one breed is worse than another here. What mineral could they be deficient in?

We don’t tube anything unless it’s at deaths door! We find they are really difficult to get to suck if they’ve been tubed.

 

[O'Reilly]

We don’t tube anything unless it’s at deaths door! We find they are really difficult to get to suck if they’ve been tubed.

Me too. Perhaps not death's door, but certainly last resort. Think that's the main reason these folks can't get a second feed into calves. And give e metacam if we do tube them.

 

[Dairyfarmerswife]

I used to panic if they wouldn't take my bottle but with experience I have learned not to, it usually just means they are full. That said, if they've beat me to it and sucked, then they still always get offered a bottle - sometimes they will still drink another few litres even when you know they have suckled.

Me too! At the start of calving I am always worrying they haven't sucked, especially off heifers. I soon remember to follow my instincts. We don't bag anything and touch wood we have no problem with scours or pneumonia. I offer a teat and plenty of patience. If they don't suck, they aren't hungry.

 

[jerseycowsman]

Me too! At the start of calving I am always worrying they haven't sucked, especially off heifers. I soon remember to follow my instincts. We don't bag anything and touch wood we have no problem with scours or pneumonia. I offer a teat and plenty of patience. If they don't suck, they aren't hungry.

Why is it us blokes are always so impatient with calves? I’m always having to leave it to my wife, I get so frustrated with some of the calves, If they don’t suck straight away, well

 

[Farmer Keith]

Why is it us blokes are always so impatient with calves? I’m always having to leave it to my wife, I get so frustrated with some of the calves, If they don’t suck straight away, well

maybe all I need is a wife...

 

[som farmer]

we tube less calves every year, put it down to 3 things, giving the cows a rotavirus jab, keeping dry cows out, if on kale/rape, iodine is a must, and crossbred cows. We now only tube if a really hard calving, or calf soaking wet etc.
out of the 120 calves born this spring, alive, other than a few dairy bulls, which we don't try 'to hard' with, we have lost 3 proper calves, 1 of which we tubed for a week, BBbcalf, as it wouldn't suck, tried putting back on a cow, no luck.
Since furlough, the wife did the calves,!

 

[Homesy]

Why is it us blokes are always so impatient with calves? I’m always having to leave it to my wife, I get so frustrated with some of the calves, If they don’t suck straight away, well

That's why I always tube them. 4trs in a couple of minutes as opposed to 20. Less stress for both calf and farmer.

 

[Suckndiesel]

we tube less calves every year, put it down to 3 things, giving the cows a rotavirus jab, keeping dry cows out, if on kale/rape, iodine is a must, and crossbred cows. We now only tube if a really hard calving, or calf soaking wet etc.
out of the 120 calves born this spring, alive, other than a few dairy bulls, which we don't try 'to hard' with, we have lost 3 proper calves, 1 of which we tubed for a week, BBbcalf, as it wouldn't suck, tried putting back on a cow, no luck.
Since furlough, the wife did the calves,!

Do you get many lumps from the rotavirus jab?

 

[som farmer]

Do you get many lumps from the rotavirus jab?

not as we noticed, but we don't like lumps up front, especially TB test time !

 

[Rhydwen1]

Do you get many lumps from the rotavirus jab?

We often get big lumps from the rotovirus vaccine no idea why

 

[som farmer]

just make sure you inject, the other end !

 

[westwards]

maybe all I need is a wife...

That is the best caf feeder you can get, sometimes not the cheapest though.

 

[Suckndiesel]

We often get big lumps from the rotovirus vaccine no idea why

Get them here as well, have considered jagging them in the neck instead of the rump but as said wouldn’t be good at tb testing time!

As for calves, we try to bottle feed everything for the first feed, any that won’t suck well are bagged, ones that are bottle fed from the start are far handier to get onto the teat buckets. Have had the odd bagged calf not interested in milk for 24 hrs after first feed

 

[jerseycowsman]

That's why I always tube them. 4trs in a couple of minutes as opposed to 20. Less stress for both calf and farmer.

You have to get them to suck at some stage. Tubing them makes them even worse to get sucking later on

 

[O'Reilly]

I believe that there is evidence that calves absorb more antibodies by suckling colostrum, than by having it tubed, partly because the calf finds the process stressful. If you can't be bothered to spend time on calves, you're in the wrong business.

 

[Beef farmer]

I believe that there is evidence that calves absorb more antibodies by suckling colostrum, than by having it tubed, partly because the calf finds the process stressful. If you can't be bothered to spend time on calves, you're in the wrong business.

Rubbish.

 

[Homesy]

You have to get them to suck at some stage. Tubing them makes them even worse to get sucking later on

No it doesn't. Tube with 4 litres at birth then skip next feed and they take to the teat fine. Very common system in N.America. The only problem calves are the ones that have suckled the cow.

I believe that there is evidence that calves absorb more antibodies by suckling colostrum, than by having it tubed, partly because the calf finds the process stressful. If you can't be bothered to spend time on calves, you're in the wrong business.

Cobblers. Not at all stressful on the calf if done correctly. You must be doing it wrong.

 

[Keep On]

Be there all day and night getting them suckling colostrum. Get them tubed and get on

 

[Cows 'n grass]

If you catch them within a couple of hours of birth then 95% of my 20-30 kg dairy calves will drink 3 -5 litres from a bottle in no time.

Blue calves I find are the complete opposite and I end up tubing 95%.