When I get the calf, what do I do?

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What should I be prepared to do when my calf arrives? Will I need to worm her? vet check her? or should I assume that since she was just bought from a prestigious auction by a very experienced buyer that she is healthy? I'm 14 and have been a full time volunteer at our University Dairy Farm, but I'm realising how much it helps to have people who's degree is in Animal Sciences, I don't have anyone any more and I really don't know what i'm going to need to do. If I do need to worm her or apply a pour on, are there any you can buy in small quantities, like single doses because she will be my only animal.

Sorry, i never knew I relied so much on the people I work with

-- Suzanne (hugging_calves@yahoo.com), March 23, 2001

Answers

Suzanne:

Get one of your folks to order "Raising a Calf for Beef" from the Countryside book store. Same principles apply if it is a beef or dairy breed. In advance you need a dry place to keep it for several weeks, at least two two-quart nippled bottles and a bag of milk replacer from the feed store. My bottle calf is only about ten days old and he is putting away 2 1/2" gallons of milk replacer a day (and wants more). When the calf is a couple of weeks old you can start offering calf sweet feed and good hay. It will also start to nibble grass. How long you bottle feed is up to you. After a calf gets to about 200 it is can pretty well get along on sweet feed and hay/grass, so you can taper off/dilute the milk replacer. (I also give one raw egg a day for about the first month.)

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), March 23, 2001.


Suzanne, How old will your calf be when you get it? If it is a bottle calf please try to make sure it has had colostrum(it is very very important). when I get a calf from an auction, I give it a series of a broad spectum antibiotics prophylactically, that means whether it looks or act sick or not(and I hope I spelled it right). Baby animals are exposed to many diseases at an auction. I also give them vitamins. Try to get the best quality milk replacer that you can afford. And watch closedly for the first signs of illness, ie diarrhea and/or runny nose or any respiratory symptoms(cough, wheezing, difficult breathing) Next time see if you can find a farmer who will sell you a calf fresh off the farm, one that you know is healthy and has not been exposed to all the diseases you will pick up at an auction. Remember this is a baby animal will need to be kept warm and dry so it will need a shelter. And make sure it has clean fresh water and offer it a good quality hay. good luck and enjoy your calf. Oh I would get a paste wormer like horse wormer and give it according to how much the calf weighs and you can save what is left over and use it to worm it again in 2 weeks and then in another 3-4 months.I like to use either Safeguard or Ivermectin.

-- karen (kansasgoats@iwon.com), March 23, 2001.

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