Calf rearing- First timer

@muckymanor ,I wouldn't go every other day. The milk gets to be more of a habit for them, rather than nutritional.
Keep watering it down. Then maybe move them on to new ground.
I wouldn't skimp on the nuts either,
Just when your on about weaning calves at this time of year.
If you're going to rear calves next year, I'd be buying a lot earlier Feb/Mar.
It's one great bonus of compact calving, all calves in or about the one size.
I bought these ones last Saturday , bulls Feb and Mar born. 20200821_190702.jpg 20200821_190718.jpg
4@ €490
1 @ €440
Have to leaving a turn for the rearer at that.
 
3 weeks on from my last post about them and the calves are hammering meal into them. They have doubled their intake and are easily film for to eat 3.5kg each per day. They are showing it too as they are getting very big.

I have dosed them twice and coming close to needing to give them a third dose. What do lads recommends dosing calves of this age with and how often would you dose?
 
3 weeks on from my last post about them and the calves are hammering meal into them. They have doubled their intake and are easily film for to eat 3.5kg each per day. They are showing it too as they are getting very big.

I have dosed them twice and coming close to needing to give them a third dose. What do lads recommends dosing calves of this age with and how often would you dose?

Would bucket reared calves eat 3.5kg of meal on good grass? Sounds like a lot. I really like a drench like Albencare at this time of year maybe along with a mineral drench perhaps but yours are probably getting plenty minerals from the meal.
 
Would bucket reared calves eat 3.5kg of meal on good grass? Sounds like a lot. I really like a drench like Albencare at this time of year maybe along with a mineral drench perhaps but yours are probably getting plenty minerals from the meal.

They get nuts twice a day and have it gone in 10 minutes. They are in a garden of good grass and good quality and keeping it well trimmed. It'll be interesting to see their ADG when I put them on the scales. They are doing really well.
 
3 weeks on from my last post about them and the calves are hammering meal into them. They have doubled their intake and are easily film for to eat 3.5kg each per day. They are showing it too as they are getting very big.

I have dosed them twice and coming close to needing to give them a third dose. What do lads recommends dosing calves of this age with and how often would you dose?
Ar they on their own in the pasture? If that's the only grazing they've been on is there a need to dose again?
 
Are they coughing or have loose dung? If not, I don't see the merits in dosing again to be honest. Others may disagree but resistance to doses will be a big thing very soon.
 
Are they coughing or have loose dung? If not, I don't see the merits in dosing again to be honest. Others may disagree but resistance to doses will be a big thing very soon.
In fairness, with the weather that we have had and the lush green grass that's around after it, every animal on the farm has loose dung. Besides that, one of them has developed a mild cough in recent days so I'm confident that a dose is required.
 
Are they coughing or have loose dung? If not, I don't see the merits in dosing again to be honest. Others may disagree but resistance to doses will be a big thing very soon.
Isn't resistance more of an issue from not using the correct dosage, going light on it and not getting a good kill?
 
Isn't resistance more of an issue from not using the correct dosage, going light on it and not getting a good kill?

Resistance is using a dose “Willy nilly” best to only use when needed,I took a lamb back to a neighbours a few years ago,it was 63kg and fat as a pig,he said I’ll dose it and send it off with the others,ffs it should have gone straight in the fat ring.
 
Just resurrecting an old thread here. Bit of a baptism of fire ahead for us in the next few weeks with the switch to dairying, we would have never bucket reared calves before being suckler and beef farmers up to now. Anyone any tips / recommendations on must haves for calf rearing equipment? Plan is that the dairy heifer calves will go onto milk replacer after a couple of days. The bull calves and beef bred calves will probably stay on whole milk until they are sold / weaned due to location and workload as much as anything else. I'm prepared to spend a few pound on the calves as I don't want sick calves that will lead to more work. I'll be vaccinating all calves as we had been doing this with the suckler calves to great success the last couple of years so I'm going to continue with that for all it will cost. I have heard good things about the JFC Milk Kart. Anyone any thoughts on them? Planning on housing them mostly in horse stables that are on farm in batches of 9 - 10 or thereabouts. Heifer calves will move into a larger converted hay shed once they are ready to be put into a larger group. We will no doubt make our fair share of mistakes seen as it is our first time at it but if anyone has any words of wisdom I'm all ears.
 
Just resurrecting an old thread here. Bit of a baptism of fire ahead for us in the next few weeks with the switch to dairying, we would have never bucket reared calves before being suckler and beef farmers up to now. Anyone any tips / recommendations on must haves for calf rearing equipment? Plan is that the dairy heifer calves will go onto milk replacer after a couple of days. The bull calves and beef bred calves will probably stay on whole milk until they are sold / weaned due to location and workload as much as anything else. I'm prepared to spend a few pound on the calves as I don't want sick calves that will lead to more work. I'll be vaccinating all calves as we had been doing this with the suckler calves to great success the last couple of years so I'm going to continue with that for all it will cost. I have heard good things about the JFC Milk Kart. Anyone any thoughts on them? Planning on housing them mostly in horse stables that are on farm in batches of 9 - 10 or thereabouts. Heifer calves will move into a larger converted hay shed once they are ready to be put into a larger group. We will no doubt make our fair share of mistakes seen as it is our first time at it but if anyone has any words of wisdom I'm all ears.
Have the stable never before reared calves? Why not use whole milk for all the calves up to the same age for the first year starting out.
 
Have the stable never before reared calves? Why not use whole milk for all the calves up to the same age for the first year starting out.
Ah we'd have used them for the sucklers for say the first 3 or 4 days after calving, but never used them to rear bucket fed calves previously no. I suppose cost really is one of the biggest drivers to feeding replacer to the heifer calves, roughly a euro per head per day in the difference based on my rough calcs at today's prices which is a good bit on a large group of calves. They wont be in the same location as the parlour either so would be drawing the milk over to the heifer calves in a different yard, not a major issue I suppose.
 
Ah we'd have used them for the sucklers for say the first 3 or 4 days after calving, but never used them to rear bucket fed calves previously no. I suppose cost really is one of the biggest drivers to feeding replacer to the heifer calves, roughly a euro per head per day in the difference based on my rough calcs at today's prices which is a good bit on a large group of calves. They wont be in the same location as the parlour either so would be drawing the milk over to the heifer calves in a different yard, not a major issue I suppose.
€30 for the first 30 days of your further cows, heifer calfs life in your first year of milking would be money well spent I think. I was always a fan of once a day feeding milk replacer, always felt the calves were more content and doing better.

Be expecting problems after a few years of rearing calves in average conditions. Infection builds up.

The most critical aspect of rearing calves is time, you cannot rush the job, and time spent leaning over the gate admiring your calves is time very well spent.

Best of luck, and remember your heifer calves are your future.
 
getting a calf off to a good start is very important

1 thing to remember that colostrum from dairy cows may not be as good as from sucklers especially as the herd matures as yields increase (don't know if you starting with all heifers or no)

here we feed about a kg of 19% pre calver nut for 2 to 3 weeks b4 calving this also tops up minerals and vits. etc

need to be careful , eventhough the merchant claims it doesn't influence calf growth we have found differently especially if fed for too long and if the cows are on good forage

good luck
 
getting a calf off to a good start is very important

1 thing to remember that colostrum from dairy cows may not be as good as from sucklers especially as the herd matures as yields increase (don't know if you starting with all heifers or no)

I see the advice nowadays is, a calf should get 10% of its body weight in the first feed of colostrum in first couple of hours. I personally couldn't see it been sound advice to tip 4 litres back a newborns throat via stomach tube
 
I see the advice nowadays is, a calf should get 10% of its body weight in the first feed of colostrum in first couple of hours. I personally couldn't see it been sound advice to tip 4 litres back a newborns throat via stomach tube
Better if the calf sucks, stomach tubing the calf can cause the colostrum to spill into the rumen via the oesophageal groove(think I'm correct there). This flap works when the calf sucks diverting the milk to abomasum the saliva also helps in digestion when suckling. I personally don't put 4litres into the calf 2-2.5L, calf is left on Dam for 12hrs so hopefully it will suck it's fill.
I found over the years feeding calves if teats on buckets are let go Worn and milk is flowing freely out the calf is getting the milk way to quick which can lead to digestive upsets from milk getting past the groove into the rumen.
Also the calfs urge to suckle needs to be satisfied so keeping the teats correct and feeding enough milk/replacer for age of the calf can help content the calf.

Not sure if this is anything that will help @Nashty but wish you all the best in the new venture.
 
Better if the calf sucks, stomach tubing the calf can cause the colostrum to spill into the rumen via the oesophageal groove(think I'm correct there). This flap works when the calf sucks diverting the milk to abomasum the saliva also helps in digestion when suckling. I personally don't put 4litres into the calf 2-2.5L, calf is left on Dam for 12hrs so hopefully it will suck it's fill.
I found over the years feeding calves if teats on buckets are let go Worn and milk is flowing freely out the calf is getting the milk way to quick which can lead to digestive upsets from milk getting past the groove into the rumen.
Also the calfs urge to suckle needs to be satisfied so keeping the teats correct and feeding enough milk/replacer for age of the calf can help content the calf.

Not sure if this is anything that will help @Nashty but wish you all the best in the new venture.
Yes you're sort of right about the oesophageal groove. It's not just in response to sucking, it has a lot to do with head position (tipped back) as well.
 
Better if the calf sucks, stomach tubing the calf can cause the colostrum to spill into the rumen via the oesophageal groove(think I'm correct there). This flap works when the calf sucks diverting the milk to abomasum the saliva also helps in digestion when suckling. I personally don't put 4litres into the calf 2-2.5L, calf is left on Dam for 12hrs so hopefully it will suck it's fill.
I found over the years feeding calves if teats on buckets are let go Worn and milk is flowing freely out the calf is getting the milk way to quick which can lead to digestive upsets from milk getting past the groove into the rumen.
Also the calfs urge to suckle needs to be satisfied so keeping the teats correct and feeding enough milk/replacer for age of the calf can help content the calf.

Not sure if this is anything that will help @Nashty but wish you all the best in the new venture.
Personally for me stomach tube is last resort, but it seems to be a management tool for may of the bigger units. In my eyes it's a perfect way to pass infection around if hygiene is up 100%, and it's far from natural.

I agree, if I got a calf that gets a good suck in the first hour or two I'm happy out. But no way would a calf naturally get much more than a litre or 2 into themselves self sucking in the first few hours.
 
I see the advice nowadays is, a calf should get 10% of its body weight in the first feed of colostrum in first couple of hours. I personally couldn't see it been sound advice to tip 4 litres back a newborns throat via stomach tube
We don't use a stomach tube, well we would, only as a last resort if all else fails.

The calf is offered ad lib up to a max of 4ltr from a bottle teat asap after being born.

I repeat correct feeding and and management of the cow in the couple of weeks prior to calving goes a long way in getting the calf a kick start in life.
 
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