Bottle feeding ruminants.

[Beekissed]

I know....my crazy sis will buy a new truck and immediately put 3 farm dogs in the interior with muddy paws and stinky fur and it will look like it is 100 years old within a week! She brought home 2 weanling pigs all the way from Arkansas to WV in the back of her new SUV! I'm willing to bet she didn't put anything under them either!

 

[Farmer Kitty]

It has been my experience that if given a good quality milk replacer calves do well. I also feel that in milkreplacer, you get what you pay for. Meaning the cheaper the milkreplacer the less quality you get. We buy our milk replacer from the feedmill and pay $80+ for a 50 pound bag. Sure we could get cheaper but, the quality is not there.

 

[FarmerChick]

oh yea farmer kitty
I chatted with Barb about her cows and she said the cheap stuff is useless...you have to have the best and yes the cost is high...but the diff. is so noticeable in the calves.

 

[Beekissed]

What do you guys feel about the Land 'O Lakes brand? Its the only brand the local feed stores carry here, so my choices are pretty limited. If one wanted to add a little extra protein, how do sheep or calves handle adding a raw egg to their milk?

 

[enjoy the ride]

FarmerChick- do you always use replacer? Or have you sometimes milked out the mom and fed that?
I haven't done it much but I have noticed that the kids seem to have a hard time digesting the replacer- if fed too much at one time, they bloat.
But I wondered whether natural goat's milk is easier on them or it's simply the fact that they are getting too much at one time that makes them bloaty.

 

[prairiegirl]

Land O' Lakes isn't available around here, but seems to me that when doing research for milk replacers, that was one that was recommended.
Look for one that is all milk. We found with bottle calves to use one that is medicated. We also get the medicated calf starter for their first grain. We don't normally use medicated feeds, but do for this. All calves get a daily dose of probiotics until they are well on thier way. We use a powdered probiotic for goats, but I was told by a vet that it would be fine for cattle. I found this powder easier than the gel type sold for cattle. I also feel that they are sure to get the full dose when it's mixed in their bottle. So far, so good doing things this way.
One day we hope to have things in harmony around here. Bottle calves will be put onto freshened cows or we'll milk to feed them by bottle.

BTW, we also make sure to try our best in imitating the momma/calf feeding position with the bottles. Of course, they want to guzzle the bottle and it gets harder as they grow.LOL

 

[Beekissed]

That's what I was thinking, Prairiegirl. I've tried to hold onto the bottles of calves and its a wild ride, especially as they get older! That's why I was thinking a fixed arrangement with the bumper board for my lambs and, later, a calf.

Its kind of hard to feed a lamb with one hand and pet his little behind with the other....... I know...you're thinking "why in the world are you petting his little behind?" Well, in a normal situation, a sheep will lick a lambs bottom during nursing, which is thought to stimulate them to suck better/harder? I won't be doin' any lickin', I can tell you, but I don't mind giving it a little pet and scratch to keep things as natural as possible.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

What do you guys feel about the Land 'O Lakes brand? Its the only brand the local feed stores carry here, so my choices are pretty limited. If one wanted to add a little extra protein, how do sheep or calves handle adding a raw egg to their milk?

Land O' Lakes is a good brand. You can get either medicated or not medicated. You just need to decide what is best for you. I'm not sure about how they would handle the raw egg. We feed grain but, I know your looking for a different way.

We also use a probiotic. The one we use is called Probios and comes in powdered, gel, tabs, etc.

 

[FarmerChick]

ETR

FarmerChick- do you always use replacer? Or have you sometimes milked out the mom and fed that?
I haven't done it much but I have noticed that the kids seem to have a hard time digesting the replacer- if fed too much at one time, they bloat.
But I wondered whether natural goat's milk is easier on them or it's simply the fact that they are getting too much at one time that makes them bloaty


*****FOR ME---I only use the does milk. I never use replacer ever.
all my experiences were with the does either refusing to feed the kid or the kid could not do it on their own...so I would milk the doe and feed the kid.

they do not bloat as much for me on the does milk....but if I overfeed, oh, yes, they swell up in that little belly. what I would do with a newborn kid that wouldn't nurse, I would let it suck til the belly just started to pooch a BIT....then stop.....let that go down and a few hrs. later hit them again.....little and often is so much better than alot and less frequent.

no one can replace mom's milk!

 

[FarmerChick]

BEE
I always stimulate the butt and tail area when bottle feeding. It is natural for the momma to do that....the kids kick into high gear when you do that!

and it is funny as heck to watch.