Post by Meadow Creek Mama on Oct 1, 2020 17:16:09 GMT -5
Bella is due in a week or so and we are planning on pulling the calf, it will be our first bottle calf, Bella has raised her last 2 calves very well. I'm nervous but it really is the best way to handle things this time around. I plan on pulling it in the first couple of hours, letting her dry it off but miking colostrum directly into a bottle and feeding it before it has a chance to nurse. After that, we have a roofed/fenced off pen outside, next to the area where the cows hay bunk/free stalls are. It's where I would separate the calves overnight when we would calf share. We can put up plywood so that the visual is blocked, but of course the cow will still be able to hear/smell the calf. I have an inside pen, but it's in the barn/shop and light/airflow isn't as good as outside. The cow will have to walk past that inside pen when she comes in to be milked.
Last minute questions and concerns...
-Should I keep the calf in the shop/barn pen for a few days until is is more stable than a newborn or let it be in the outside pen right away? Temps are in the 30*s overnight.
-Would blocking the pen with plywood so they can't see each other be a good thing or would it make things worse?
-I'm fearful that the calf will loose it's will to live without mom licking it all the time. How can I prevent that?
-I have the basic calf bottles (2 quarts?) with the red nipples. Are these good for newborns?
-How do you even feed a calf from a bottle? ie, angle, height of bottle
-I have a general sadness of pulling the calf for the first time. It's the best for our farm and I'm committed to doing it, but I'm just sad/nervous about it.
Last minute questions and concerns...
-Should I keep the calf in the shop/barn pen for a few days until is is more stable than a newborn or let it be in the outside pen right away? Temps are in the 30*s overnight.
-Would blocking the pen with plywood so they can't see each other be a good thing or would it make things worse?
-I'm fearful that the calf will loose it's will to live without mom licking it all the time. How can I prevent that?
-I have the basic calf bottles (2 quarts?) with the red nipples. Are these good for newborns?
-How do you even feed a calf from a bottle? ie, angle, height of bottle
-I have a general sadness of pulling the calf for the first time. It's the best for our farm and I'm committed to doing it, but I'm just sad/nervous about it.