Feeding calves pasteurized milk?

Brad Buchanan · Sep 6, 2014

Hey folks.

I am buying a couple of bull calves from a local dairy farmer which are only a few days old.

They were allowed to nurse from the mother after being born and I need to figure out what to feed them until they can eat grain or hay.

Is milk replacer necessary or economical? Would store bought whole milk be an option?

Brad

Wisconsin Cowman · Sep 6, 2014

I think a bag of milk replacer or comes in smaller pails would be the best probably cheaper in the long run. I would think buying milk from the store would add up in a hurry. Sounds to me you would have to start bottle feeding them then make them drink out of a pail.

rrlund · Sep 6, 2014

Use milk replacer.

Greg1959 · Sep 6, 2014

Hope they get the Colostrum before leaving but, Milk Replacer is needed for all the added nutrients and electrolytes.

By the time you get done weaning them from Milk Replacer, you will find you would be better off (less dollars) just going ahead and buying weaned

Plus, you will have a never ending fight with Scours. Which can kill a youngin' quick..

cjunrau · Sep 6, 2014

Your best bet is to get milk replacer and a sucking bottle. 1/2 gallon twice a day, little grass hay and whole oats. This always works best for me and I have had NO trouble with scours. Reason you want them sucking and not drinking out of a pail is the sucking helps to stimulate and produce more saliva which is very healthy for the calf. Out of a pail they will often suck some up there lungs witch seems to cause problems. I make holders for the bottle drop in and leave it till next feeding. They have never had issues from sucking an empty bottle. Raise a few like this every year. My Dad used to do 50 a Year.

JD Seller · Sep 6, 2014

It takes about a bag of milk replacer for each calf. A good replacer will cost $75-100 per fifty LBS. So if regular whole milk is $3.50 a gallon and a calf will need about 1 1/2 gallons per day. So regular milk, that does not have the extra vitamins, will cost much more.

I have had the best luck with Land OF lakes "Cow's Match® Calf Milk Replacer " and a good calf starter feed, NOT GROUND corn. You need to get them eating as much solid feed as you can, FAST!!!! This will help immensely in preventing scours.

DO NOT try to "cheap" out on the replacer. The cheap stuff does not have as good of nutrients.

Now for the bad news. Bottle calves are a poor investment. By the time you figure death loss and the feed cost you can buy a weaned calf for the same or less money. Then tie in the fact that dairy steers take more feed to finish a good beef calf is a better investment.

john in la · Sep 6, 2014

Not only should you buy a milk replacer because it has the minerals the calf needs; you should buy good quality milk replacer made from milk protein rather than soy; such as Purina nurse chow 100.
A 50lb (about $85) bag will last you about 33 days so you can figure the cost per day in advance.

Feed the calf from a bottle at the same time and temperature each day. The head butting action of the calf along with the anticipation that it is feeding time helps to close the "esophageal groove" a flap in the calf's stomach that keeps milk out of the non-functioning rumen.

Mike (WA) · Sep 6, 2014

Most money I ever made on bottle calves was when we had some milk goats. Milk the goats, let the calves drink free choice. Keep giving them the goat milk until they won't drink any more. Kind of like Iowa corn on a hot day- you can see them grow. They will not get scours, no matter how much they drink.

redforlife · Sep 6, 2014

Forget the store bought milk idea. Best thing to do is to buy milk replacer. Comes in 50 pound bags. I would plan on feeding a bag and a half per calf untill gone. Some people only allow 1 bag per calf. I personally don't think that is enough. The calves will do better and get off to a better start bottle feeding them a little longer. Follow mixing instructions on the bag. Feed them 2 times a day, 12 hours apart, and at the same time every day. They should be eating grain pretty good before taking them off of the milk replacer.

Nick m · Sep 6, 2014

Just like the other guys said, don't cheap out on replacer. A good calf starter grain is a must also. I would tend to go through more than a bag per calf though. I'd make sure to get a bag of the good stuff through them, then slowly weaned them off with the cheaper stuff, adding less replacer over time. Never raised hundreds per year, but haven't lost one yet. Keep an eye out for the earliest signs of scouers also. The sooner you catch it, the more likely they'll survive. Keeping your buckets and or bottles clean helps battle scouers too.

farmerwithmutt · Sep 6, 2014

Milk replacer is the best i use group feeders and keep them on grass just weaned a batch about 90 days on milk they ussualy start grass on there own start feeding starter before milk the will eat that first and then the go to once a day on milk they will wean themselves and nobody yells for milk i like to wean early to save on milk replacer cost

Brad Buchanan · Sep 7, 2014

Thanks for all the great input and info.

I will be using milk replacer for the calves. I realize that I might not be going the most cost effective route with this project but I would like to try this way to try and gain experience.

Brad

Feeding calves pasteurized milk?

Brad Buchanan

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Wisconsin Cowman

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rrlund

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Greg1959

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cjunrau

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JD Seller

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john in la

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Mike (WA)

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redforlife

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Nick m

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farmerwithmutt

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Brad Buchanan

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