bottle feeding a calf

[crofteress]

I've a calf that is getting bottle fed, its 2 days now, it had colostrum and its sucking well, its getting a litre 4 times a day, its a big calve [ not one of mine] . I wanted to know some things
Should I get it vaccinated against pneumonia or anything else and when can I do that
What should the dung from a bottle fed calf look like, its yellow but not that solid, but not scour
Its not in contact with any other cattle its on its own in a clean dry pen
I dont like it being on its own but probably better till it builds up an immune system, should I find it a mate or let it go out with the herd so it can poach off the other cows when its older
it has knuckling over joints and can't stand for very long, gave it vitasel
Ive raised a bottle fed before and it became a pet but I don't want this to happen, thats why I'm wanting it in with others but want it to be healthy first. Or does anyone have a non dairy, bvd free suck calf I can buy for company

 

[choochter]

re pneumonia vaccination - don't know
poo sounds fine
I put them out when cord is dry unless it is raining
I'd put it out so it can get some wee pals as long as you can get it back in again for its milk
re knuckled over joints, what I give is alamycin LA unless it was born like that in which case a bit of exercise might sort it
as I understand it, they can have a pick at calf pencils from a week old

 

[ladycrofter]

I've had one with knucled joints and they straightened out fine.

Agree^ poo sounds good.

Poaching off other cows can be iffy and end up getting kicked.

 

[Philip Watkins]

....

Poaching off other cows can be iffy and end up getting kicked.

Would need a quiet cow or a strong calf. I wouldn't think a calf that's knuckling over would have much chance of stealing.

 

[Blod]

How long will you be milk feeding it for? When you introduce pellets/creep will the other calves be getting it too? think ahead to 6 weeks, 6 months. How will you be managing its diet?
As for vaccination, what would you do if it was homebred?

 

[crofteress]

they don't get vaccinated until pre sale for pneumonia and ibr. just thought as he wont have same immunity of the powdered colostrum,
he would get creep with the rest
I have some cows that let anything suck . He's a big strong calve the knuckling will go, he's hopping around this morn.Thats not the prob as I can't put him out with them anyway till later on as not near home for feeding him
think he needs a mate but from a healthy place

 

[Blod]

Alternatively, once the knuckling has gone, sell him. Maybe more profit in him that way and less chance of him dying on you, bringing disease in via a mate or depriving another calf when he poaches.

 

[crofteress]

I will think of a plan

 

[choochter]

I will think of a plan

will it involve being a big softy?

 

[crofteress]

will it involve being a big softy?

if I could id have him out with the rest and go up with bottles . Otherwise he can come up the fields with me when I'm pulling ragwort lol , have a yearling heifer at home who might like him, and an old cow

 

[ladycrofter]

will it involve being a big softy?

Yes @crofteress time to 'fess up. You said he's not your own, so lets here the whole story .

 

[crofteress]

not the whole story, but it involves a wheelbarrow, a tote bag, a bog, a hard calving, twins, things like that. Midges. rain. barbed wire, high tide.etc

 

[liammogs]

If you have a quiet cow, with a lot of milk you can keep in, and put the calf to sook few times a day untill its 8weeks old and then wean him then send him out but make sure he has creep infront of it!!