Feeding a baby calf is easy to do when following these 10 tips for how to bottle feed a calf.
Use a good quality milk replacer rated for the age of the calf your are feeding. 0-30 days old or 30- 90 days old.
Use nipple bottle instead of nipple buckets. The nipple buckets spill easy and are harder to carry. They are easier to clean but that’s it.
Stay calm if the
calf refuses to suck form the nipple. Sometimes it takes a several feeding for up to a week for them to take the bottle.
Cut the X in the top of the nipple wider and remove the weep hole. The milk will flow out on this own and calf only has to swallow. Making it as easy as possible for the calf to nurse.
Allow the calf to suck on your finger first then try the
nipple bottle.
Place salt on your finger and nipple sometimes helps to get the calf taste buds going.
Never bottle feed water until the calf is nursing milk for a week to two weeks.
You can always place your finger in the
calves mouth at the same time as the nipple and make the calf swallow by wiggling your finger as the milk runs out.
Skip a feeding try to allow the calf to get hungry.
Feed 2 quarts of milk replacer twice a day is the basic amount that works for 95% of all calves.
If all attempts fail after 48 hours
tube feed the calf or the calf gets to weak to stand.
