Calf that won't eat

[BogartBlondes]

I've looked through this forum for advice and can't seem to find what I'm looking for or something I haven't already tried: I have a 2 month old heifer calf, she is mostly halter broke. I have been putting 18% calf starter in front of her everyday and she ate it the first day but since then she hasn't touched it. It is a brand new bag of calf grain, it is a basic dairy starter ration. This calf is going to be a summer 4H project so I would like to get her on some feed soon.

I have always been able to get calves to eat on this ration. Any suggestions for this one?

 

[savaged]

If she is really two months old she needs to be on the cow, or you will need to bottle feed her.  A dry ration only and she may starve to death at worst, or become seriously malnourished.  When did you take her from the cow?

If indeed this is a serious post......

 

[BogartBlondes]

She is on the cow. I would simply like to start her on a grain ration as well. She is eating hay, milk and I would like to get her eating a small amount of grain as well. All of the other calves her age are eating the grain, but she isn't.

 

[BogartBlondes]

What is meant by "if indeed this is a serious post....." ?

 

[HelenH]

Rolled oats are easy on the stomach and gradually change to calf starter. Mix some Diatomaceous Earth with the oats. Offer calves good quality grassy 2nd cut hay away from the cows.  Perhaps her dam is your best milking cow in volume and cream, and therefore the calf isn't hungry enough for grain.  Milk usually decreases after 90 days postpartum. Or, separate the calf from the cow for an hour or two until she gets some appetite. The cow will get used to the routine.

 

[RyanChandler]

If she is really two months old she needs to be on the cow, or you will need to bottle feed her.  A dry ration only and she may starve to death at worst, or become seriously malnourished.  When did you take her from the cow?

If indeed this is a serious post......

As soon as a calf will eat 2lbs a day of a finisher you can wean them.  I've weaned many calves at 5 weeks- at 8 weeks they'd be eating 6lbs/day.

 

[RankeCattleCo]

Why would you wean at 5 weeks old?

 

[RyanChandler]

Why would you wean at 5 weeks old?
[/quote

The most expensive finisher is still much cheaper than milk replacer.  And the sooner I've been able to get them on full feed, the better the results I've experienced. 

 

[JTM]

Rolled oats are easy on the stomach and gradually change to calf starter. Mix some Diatomaceous Earth with the oats. Offer calves good quality grassy 2nd cut hay away from the cows.  Perhaps her dam is your best milking cow in volume and cream, and therefore the calf isn't hungry enough for grain.  Milk usually decreases after 90 days postpartum. Or, separate the calf from the cow for an hour or two until she gets some appetite. The cow will get used to the routine.

This is good advice. I would also think about a lower protein feed since the calf is still on the cow. It may be too much protein for the calf and could be upsetting the stomach. As far as weaning calves I would never wean a calf less than 90 days old unless it was an emergency situation. i.e. dead cow.

 

[RankeCattleCo]

Why would you wean at 5 weeks old?
[/quote

The most expensive finisher is still much cheaper than milk replacer.  And the sooner I've been able to get them on full feed, the better the results I've experienced.

I'm assuming b/c of cow issues? You didn't pull the calf from a live and fully functioning cow at 5 weeks, right?

 

[RyanChandler]

No, I'm talking bottle calves.  I was just pointing out that a previous poster's comment that a 8 week old calf would 'starve to death' or be 'malnourished' if not on a bottle was just way off. 

 

[BogartBlondes]

She is pulled from her mother at 6am every day and tied until 8am. When she is tied I put 2nd cut hay and a dish with grain in it in front of her. She always finishes the hay but she doesn't touch the grain. I will try the oats tomorrow, I have tried corn and that didn't work either.

I don't really intend to wean her as I want to show the calf along side the cow this summer. She is off of a 26month old heifer.

 

[RyanChandler]

You need a textured feed or calf manna to get her started.  Dry grain isn't very enticing.  There is no reason to be feeding an 8 week old calf hay.

 

[RankeCattleCo]

No need to push her quite yet. As long as your cow is milking well and your calf is gaining I wouldn't worry about it. If she'll eat hay, go for it. If she isn't eating grain by 4 months or a little before then I'd be concerned
.

 

[RyanChandler]

Cpl pounds of finisher/ day wouldn't exactly be pushing.

 

[CAB]

Try to give her the grain with no hay in front of her a couple of days to see what she does. She may be getting too full B4 she's ready to try the grain. She has already probably nursed B4 you get her to the barn. You could also try to increase the time away from the cow a little @ a time and she'll get hungry again and eat a little more. Another thing that you may try is to not tie her to see if that allows her to feel more like eating. Just some ideas.

 

[BogartBlondes]

She also has free run of a creep feeder all day with the same textured calf grain in it, she doesn't that at all (I have seen her in there though). I have always started calves at about this time in their growth, and 90% of the time they take to the grain right away, the other 10% get used to it over the course of a couple weeks. This calf just seems to be disinterested in the whole grain thing all together. She eats hay and drinks mommas milk but ignores anything else in front of her.

 

[vcsf]

In the morning before taking the calf away from the cow I would try putting the pair together in a small pen about 10 x 10 or 12 x 12.  Then give the cow a few pounds of the feed you are trying to start the calf on preferably in a feed pan similar to what you are feeding the calf in if the pan is big enough.  When the cow has her head down eating the calf will almost always but its nose down as well to see what the mother is doing and then start to try the feed as well provided it is not looking to nurse and the feed tub is big enough for both to get their heads in.  After doing this a few days the calf will almost always start to eat grain on its own.

 

[BogartBlondes]

I did what vcsf said and put the cow in with the feed tub. The cow ate the grain, the calf sniffed the feed and walked away. I then tied the calf and with no hay in front of her gave her some grain. She didn't touch the grain in the 2 and a half hours she was tied.

 

[Barry Farms]

Try try again. She must learn eventually so I wouldn't get too discouraged