calf question

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I just bought an Angus/holstein cross calf about 4 weeks old. She was previously fed powdered milk (I believe the kind in the grocery store) My question is can I feed her whole milk from my cow or should I skim it? I know it is natural food for a cow but would the drastic change from skim to whole cause her to scour? She is a very healthy beautiful little girl and I don't want to risk her health, so I skimmed the milk for her first feeding but would like to know if it was neccessary? Thanks in advance!! cara

-- cara lewis (cnllewis@email.com), March 18, 2001

Answers

Hi Cara:

I rather doubt the calf was being fed grocery store powdered milk. Most likely calf milk replacer from the local feed store - as I'm doing now with an orphaned calf. Any change in diet should be done gradually. At a month old, she may also be ready for a little calf grains and good hay or grass.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), March 18, 2001.


She might scour a little but it shouldn't hurt her.Ken's right,you should let her play/eat with sweet feed and hay now too.

-- nobrabbit (conlane@prodigy.net), March 18, 2001.

I have the same crosses .I'm sure it was milk replacer from the feed store .Whole milk should work great .I start my calves on grain at 5- 7 days ,so she should be eating now .I have a 10 day old calf now eating hay and probally 6 handfulls of grain a day .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), March 18, 2001.

The man I bought her from said that she was drinking powdered milk like we would drink, not milk replacer(I finally got in touch with him) He said whole milk diluted 50/50 with water would be fine for her. She is eating hay and grain and so far just a little loose stool probably from the the rough frost heaved ride home for an hour. Today she has normal stools and is very frisky , and would very much like to be let out to run. We still have a lot of snow to melt and running sounds very good to me too!! I am still going to give her semi skim milk for a while and gradually wean her to whole milk. Is there anyone familiar with this breed, I had an Angus/jersey cross before raised from the bottle (she was supposedly a holstein/jersey cross which we later learned was false) which became so aggressive with my husband mostly and she was butchered. I have heard that Angus are a trying breed and need to be handled firmly. She is a heifer calf which we are going to use to breed our future food. I hope she stays as sweet and good natured that she is now. (we know that she is leaning toward the Angus type with her purple tongue and her beefy stance, but would like to have a cow that we aren't afraid to have the kids be with. Right now they are her best friends.Any info would be greatly appreciated!! cara

-- cara lewis (cnllewis@email.com), March 18, 2001.

I have a 2 year old intact bull that is angus cross and is fine .Depending on how much grain she is eating will depend on when she can be weaned .I would think whole milk will run more money than replacer.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), March 18, 2001.


Hi Cara:

My herd bulls is a registered Angus. Very gentle and easy to get along with. Have some of what appear to be Angus cows and they are fine. Also have some Angus-crossed cows and they are a bit frighty. Angus/Holstein has been an attractive cross for dairy farmers as the calves are worth more than straight Holstein. Only problem is today's Holsteins are so long legged, Angus bulls have a problem servicing them. "Hon, would you come step down in this hole for me?"

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), March 19, 2001.


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