Does a calf need more milk as it grows

How much milk replacer should I be feeding a week old calf and will the calf need more milk replacer as it grows?

Two solid questions that anyone attempting to raise a calf on a bottle will need to know. The amount of milk replacer needed for calf is two four pint bottles twice a day. I have raised hundreds of bottle calves through out the years and it has been my experiences when bottle feeding calves that this same amount of milk replacer will work for 98% of the calf out there on a bottle.

How often should I bottle feed a calf

It has been a tied and true fact that calves respond to bottle feeding best when fed twice a day. It is optimal if the calf can be bottle fed every twelve hours. I prefer bottle feeding a calf at 7 am and then at 7 pm but when the clock hands show 6 works good also.

Due to busy schedules, it is not always practical or possible for bottle feeding a calf every twelve hours apart. Most calf raisers can find time in the morning when they start their day and then only have time at the end of the day. This might put bottle feeding the calf at 6 am and then again at 8 pm or even earlier such as 5 pm.

Importance of feeding calves starter while bottle feeding milk replacer

The biggest mistake I have found in regards to bottle feeding calve milk replacer is failure to feed calf starter. I have bottle fed hundreds of calf through the years of dairy farming and cattle ranching. My love of cattle has always provided me with little calves to bottle fed.

People have always asked what was the one must do when bottle feeding calves. The answer is simple- feed calf starter grain right from the start. There are special formulated grain feeds for new born calves. The stomach of newborn calves are different than those of older calves.

Bottle feeding calves milk replacer

Two of the main concerns when bottle feeding calves milk replacer is  1) how often 2) how much. These are the most important factors because every aspect of calf’s health can depend on it. 

How often is bottle feeding calves milk replacer done? Should the calf be bottle fed twice a day or should the calf be bottle fed more than that like three to four times a day?

Bottle Feeding Calves Information

Veterinarians are the best place to find advise about bottle feeding baby calves, but in many areas they are not available. Even in areas that have reliable veterinarian service, the vet is not always available to check on bottle calves. So that is why I started this website devoted to caring for bottle feeding baby calves.
I am a fourth generation farmer and cattle rancher. When I was just a young boy growing up on my father dairy farm my main job was to care for the bottle feeding calves. As I grew up, the dairy farm change to  cattle ranching reducing the need of bottle feeding the cows do that job now.