Zebu calf not eating

[frustratedearthmother]

Agree with Greybeard...would love to hear stats! Do you have another goat because at some point I would guess that the goat won't be able to keep up with the calf's demands?

 

[OneFineAcre]

Well I'll be darn
Never seen anything like that.

 

[babsbag]

It would be interesting to see how she grows, I hope you will keep a record.

My friend that had hers on her goat was waiting for her heifer to freshen so she could foster this bull calf onto her and let her raise twins so she didn't use her goat for very long. She had another calf a few months ago that wanted to suckle on her LGD that had recently weaned her pups. It had to be for comfort and not milk.

 

[newbiekat]

Will your goat be able to keep up with her demand for milk? I have never raised a calf so no idea how much they need.

Well, usually I would say yes, they can produce enough, but she is a FF, and isn't producing a ton, so I have her nursing two. Between the two of them she is definitely getting enough, and I milk out whatever they have left. We have two milk stands (so my hubby and I can milk at the same time) so my goats know how to come out two at a time. It's cute, because now, my two goats come out and she comes out with them, and stands next to the stand waiting for them to hop on so she can nurse! The calf, whom we have lovingly named DECAF now goes out in the tall pasture grass with the goats and runs with them, and acts like a goat! Mocha (the first goat she is nursing) has seemed to take a liking to her and though she still doesn't let her nurse in the pasture, seems to always be close to Decaf and looks out for her more than in the beginning!

One of those times I'm really glad I was wrong and it worked out!!

ME TOO!!

If you have the means to do so, I'd like to hear some updates along the way on her growth rate over the next few months.
Rate of Gain in weight in relation to estimated goat milk consumed if you can. $5 will buy a calf tape, so you won't actually have to weigh her.
Just keep a note every week if you can and post it here along with any other feeds she is getting. It will make for an interesting experiment and a valuable record to have posted here at BYH.

I do not have a calf tape at the moment, but I do have a dairy goat tape. I'm sure that wont do the same thing, but that's all I have at the moment. I would love to keep track also. I can say that she has definitely gained weight and is more lively now than she was two weeks ago. Of course we got her a week before we went on vacation for a week and a half , so a friend of mine took care of our place while we were gone. In that time, Decaf definitely has gained some weight, not a ton, but enough that you can't always see her ribs, and she is more lively now than she was 2 weeks ago. Tail up, wagging, the whole 9 yards. Now we are working to halter break her. UGH! Fortunately she is still TINY so it's not as big of a deal as if she were a 200 lb calf.

Thanks for all the advice everyone!!

 

[Simpleterrier]

When u tryed bottle feeding her did u try standing over her with her head out the front between your knees. Sometimes do that will cause them.to bend like they are sucking off of a cow and they will drink for you. You keep doing it until they get use to u feeding them then they will just come to u and drink. I have also rubbed their necks to get the milk go down seems to have worked . It's great that she has taken to your goats.