How much to feed Duh

[Roy and Vicky]

Duh is almost three weeks old now. A little over a week ago he had the scours, but thankfully is doing great now!!!! They told us to work up to 1 quart three times a day then feed as tolerated. We're now giving him 1.5 quarts in the mornin, 1 quart at noon, and 1.5 quarts at supper time. Is this enough? He still looks boney along his back haunches and of course is always sticking out his tongue and wanting to butt me when I go in for anything looking for food. We offer him calf starter, he's not totally interested in it unless I hand feed it to him, which can be a pain in the hiney, but we're trying to get him going so he doesn't look like he came from Ethiopia!

Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We're trying to get him to eat the starter right from the dish, but that's going slow and I'm working on it each time I go out so hopefully he's start eating more of that as we go along, it's the amount of milk replacer that I'm unsure of.

 

[jhm47]

Are you feeding the top quality milk replacer, or the "bargain" brand? Is your calf a dairy breed? Dairy calves are usually looking quite thin when compared to beef calves.

As to the starter feed, it usually takes a calf a few weeks to develop a taste for it, and then they eat it readily.

 

[Roy and Vicky]

He's a certified Angus. He's doing great, just looks gaunt to me. We have Land O'Lakes for him, want him healthy don't want the lower grade foods so went for the best.

I forgot to post a pic I took of him today so here he is.

I Love his Tongue!!!!!!

 

[redtailgal]

I'd really recommend putting his milk in a bucket, instead of a bottle. Once you get him drinking milk from the bucket (Hold on to the bucket btw, he WILL head butt it), then before you give him his milk, offer his grain to him. Hand feed him from the bucket the first day, then hand feed him directly over the grain. He'll get it figured out, but will do it fast once he learns that the bucket means food.

We switch our calves to a bucket as soon as possible around here. We've always found that bucket calves grow and gain far far better than bottle calves.....and they are sooooo much quieter at weaning time.

 

[Roy and Vicky]

When he is done eating he butts me like crazy and roots around my waist looking for more to drink. He's getting a total of 4 quarts a day in three feedings. Is this enough for him? he is quite the ham now. I got him all wound up and dancing all over the place last night so much so that even Roy was laughing at him.

 

[redtailgal]

I'd think that is enough. If you give him what he thinks is enough, it will be too much, and he will get sick. We fed 4 quarts over two feedings to a huge Holstein bull calf, and he grew and grew and grew and grew......he was huge.

I really does sound like time to put him on a bucket and really encourage that grain. Also, if you have some pasture for him, I'd start him on that as well, but just an hour or so the first day, gradually building him up to a full day (it takes us about a week to get them on all day pasture, and we have them on it at around 2 weeks old).

Give him hay if you are not.

If you will get him on that bucket and eating grain and a little pasture.........he will QUICKLY bulk up and fill out for you.

 

[Roy and Vicky]

I can't get him to eat the calf starter from the dish only from my hand. I'm starting to think he's a little spoiled. Gonna try the bucket over the starter dish today for lunch. Pasture isn't ready yet. Finally today the horses that have been in there are leaving so we can get it burnt and hopefully started to green up.

What is the gradual on getting him in the pasture? So he doesn't over eat? he isn't interested in the little bit of hay I have offered him. I even stuck it in his mouth and he spit it out LOL. He's really living up to his name!

 

[redtailgal]

lol. Right now, he isnt eating the hay because he doesnt see anything other than a bottle as a food source. Calves mimic their mothers, and he dosent have a mother to see eating grain, hay and grass.

By switching him to drinking milk out of a bucket, you will be showing him that there are OTHER sources of food. He will quickly show more interest in "tasting" things at that point.

The gradual introduction to the pasture is to prevent scours. ANY dietary change with him should be done gradually. I put my babies out for an hour the first day, and if they dont have any scours the next day, they go out for two hours. I increase it by hour increments until they are able to be outside all day. At the first sign of scours, I pull them off the grass, let the scours clear up and start over.

It does sound to me like he is a little spoiled, lol. But for what its worth, I've never had one that I didnt spoil.

I'd change his routine a little, it will make things easier for your and get his interest up a little. Instead of three bottles a day, I give two quarts of milk, twice a day, in a bucket. He will quickly learn to get excited when he sees a bucket, and at that point, I'd leave a handful of grain in a bucket. Show it to him, let him eat just a bite out of your hand....... Just leave it with him, all day long. No more hand feeding. That longer stretch between milk feedings will have him a little hungry during the day, encouraging him to eat the grain and hay thus increasing his weight gain and growth.

This is a hard time, but it is time to toughen up on him a little. It may make you feel bad at first, but after a week, the difference in his attitude about food, and your workload will be amazing. Then in a month, you will be amazed at how he has grown.

Honestly, He sounds very much like a normal calf. I think hes pretty smart actually.......he's got you trained to hand feed him! lol

 

[Roy and Vicky]

No Scours please!!! Already did that when we first got him!

Oh yeah he's got me trained well that is for sure.

I'll give it all a go and see what happens

 

[redtailgal]

lol, I was just looking back at his pics.

Look hard at that tag in his ear. Put it in your memory how HUGE it is on him now. You'll be amazed at how small that tag will look before too long, lol.

It always cracks me up to see those big tags in little ears.