Post by Heidi on Apr 27, 2010 22:23:15 GMT -5
Hi,
We just dropped into our children's school, and we found out that the school is getting two calves tomorrow to raise and sell.
DH and I looked at the enclosure they were going to use and it wouldn't have kept a lamb in let alone two, one week old calves!
So DH is down there now, with our spare cattle panels rigging up a calf pen, and making a shelter.
The teacher there is really lovely, and so full of enthusiasm for the children. Whilst most of these kids live in rural areas, they really don't have much to do with the land or animal . It seems that rural parents want their children to be more like city kids! The teacher is committed to letting them experience where their food comes from, and fund raise for the school, but I'm really not sure that she has thought this one through very well.
What I need to know is the following:
These are one week old calves, one dairy, one beef, how much milk replacer will they need and how often?
What age are they able to be weaned and how do you go about it?
If they start to scour from the change from milk to milk replacer, what should we do first?
I'm not sure if the teacher has even thought about who is going to do these feeds on the weekend, as she doesn't live anywhere near the school! I hazard a guess to say it may be ME!
I was so close to saying "how about we just foster them onto our cow for the first month or so", but really, I want the milk for us and the cheese that I'm starting to make, and if I put two more calves on Spot there really would be no milk for us left over.
After the calves are weaned, it will be easy, because the school has a few acres of fenced paddock that will be used, but my concern is this initial phase.
I just want to be informed so that I can avert any heartache to both the children and stress to the calves.
Thanks,
H.
We just dropped into our children's school, and we found out that the school is getting two calves tomorrow to raise and sell.
DH and I looked at the enclosure they were going to use and it wouldn't have kept a lamb in let alone two, one week old calves!
So DH is down there now, with our spare cattle panels rigging up a calf pen, and making a shelter.
The teacher there is really lovely, and so full of enthusiasm for the children. Whilst most of these kids live in rural areas, they really don't have much to do with the land or animal . It seems that rural parents want their children to be more like city kids! The teacher is committed to letting them experience where their food comes from, and fund raise for the school, but I'm really not sure that she has thought this one through very well.
What I need to know is the following:
These are one week old calves, one dairy, one beef, how much milk replacer will they need and how often?
What age are they able to be weaned and how do you go about it?
If they start to scour from the change from milk to milk replacer, what should we do first?
I'm not sure if the teacher has even thought about who is going to do these feeds on the weekend, as she doesn't live anywhere near the school! I hazard a guess to say it may be ME!
I was so close to saying "how about we just foster them onto our cow for the first month or so", but really, I want the milk for us and the cheese that I'm starting to make, and if I put two more calves on Spot there really would be no milk for us left over.
After the calves are weaned, it will be easy, because the school has a few acres of fenced paddock that will be used, but my concern is this initial phase.
I just want to be informed so that I can avert any heartache to both the children and stress to the calves.
Thanks,
H.