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When can I stop feeding milk?

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T O P I C R E V I E W
Sydney2015	Posted - Mar 09 2015 : 08:15:45 AM I was wondering when I can take AppleButter off milk replacer. She's eating good, hay, alfalfa, grain. She will drink from a pail. Does anyone know?
19 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
Sydney2015	Posted - Mar 11 2015 : 08:40:04 AM Okay, I'll make sure she gets some as soon as possible.
NellieBelle	Posted - Mar 11 2015 : 08:35:29 AM Sydney, AppleButter should have free access to water all the time. Especially if you are trying to wean her off the milk replacer.
Sydney2015	Posted - Mar 11 2015 : 08:18:46 AM I am giving her 5 oz. of milk replacer in 2 quarts warm water. Today, I'm going to bring out a pail of fresh water for her to drink as she wants it. Okay, picture time at noon.
NellieBelle	Posted - Mar 10 2015 : 7:48:09 PM Do you mean you are putting in 5 oz. of the dry milk replacer into a quart of warm water? Sydney, as long as you dilute over a period of time she will be fine. Some wean off the milk replacer in a weeks time. Just gauge how she's doing. Is she eating about 1 1/2 lbs. of calf starter a day. Fresh water? Just monitor how she's doing but it sounds like you're doing a fine job. Reminder, picture of AppleButter. ;)
Sydney2015	Posted - Mar 10 2015 : 7:40:48 PM I've got a question, every 4 days, should I decrease the amount of milk replacer(I'll keep some and start going down in milk after a while)? I wasn't sure how to do that, she is at 5 oz. of milk replacer right now, since last night. On Thursday should I go down to 4 1/2?
maryjane	Posted - Mar 09 2015 : 3:42:01 PM This is now under a new category called Calf Health. Thanks for the heads up Sydney.
NellieBelle	Posted - Mar 09 2015 : 3:31:11 PM Sydney, there are many articles on rumen development for young calves. Here is one http://sheboygan.uwex.edu/files/2010/08/DevelopingtheRumenDevelopingtheHeifer.pdf The reason my vet told me to wean them by 8 weeks, he explained was due to developing the rumen. Do what you feel is best for AppleButter. We want to keep her healthy and develop into a gorgeous milk cow for you and your family.
farmlife	Posted - Mar 09 2015 : 2:38:33 PM I think I would take the next 4 weeks or so to taper off her feedings, Sydney. We bottle fed our babies for close to 3 months, but the last month was only one feeding per day.
NellieBelle	Posted - Mar 09 2015 : 12:28:03 PM It doesn't take a lot to stress a calf so just make it as smooth a transition as you can. Ease off milk replacer and just make sure she is eating good. No abrupt changes. Watch her stools.
NellieBelle	Posted - Mar 09 2015 : 12:23:30 PM You can thin her milk replacer down. When I started weaning I went to one feeding a day, and weakened the milk starter a bit at a time. If she's been eating calf starter for 3 weeks then her rumen should be developing. She will start eating more starter pellets when the milk is reduced, but go at it a bit at a time. Always fresh water available all the time, free choice and some hay. Keep an eye on her.
Sydney2015	Posted - Mar 09 2015 : 10:00:51 AM Okay. I'll start today. She's been eating calf starter for 3 weeks minimum, maybe 4 weeks. Should I start by offering her water at noon in a pail?
NellieBelle	Posted - Mar 09 2015 : 09:25:45 AM May I please make a suggestion? If and when raising a bottle calf, keep a journal. That's what I did for my calves. I could look back and see what they ate, how much, when I introduced feed, hay etc. Then later on, if for some reason you have to bottle feed another calf you will have this information to look at. Each calf will be different. But it will give you something to look back on to see how things went.
NellieBelle	Posted - Mar 09 2015 : 09:21:27 AM Sydney, how long has AppleButter been eating grain pellets?
Sydney2015	Posted - Mar 09 2015 : 09:05:37 AM Thanks! I'll be careful not to wean too quickly.
CloversMum	Posted - Mar 09 2015 : 08:55:13 AM Good to know, Janet! I have to remember that Clover really did not start out on the best track! AppleButter has never been sick so Sydney go with Janet's advice!
NellieBelle	Posted - Mar 09 2015 : 08:51:02 AM Good morning Sydney. I had all of my calves weaned at 8 weeks. They were taking grain and hay and my vet suggested I wean them off the milk at 8 weeks so that's what I did. However, I was sure they were eating the hay and grain pellets. I didn't have any problems. And I had four so it was a good thing for me. Of course they weren't all weaned the same week because I bought them at different times but just telling you what I did. Hope it all works out for you.
CloversMum	Posted - Mar 09 2015 : 08:48:10 AM From past experiences, paying for one more bag (get the smallest one!) is way less expensive than any vet visit due to a little heifer who comes down ill. I froze my goat milk replacer from last year and just pulled it out of the freezer for my new little buckling that we just got. It was still good. Maybe you could freeze any extra?
Sydney2015	Posted - Mar 09 2015 : 08:35:35 AM She will be 7 weeks tomorrow. She has about 1/3 of a bag of milk replacer left, if I buy more, I won't use it all, and I don't know when I'll use it again. Could she just finish this bag?(Of course I'll be decreasing milk amount as she goes on)
CloversMum	Posted - Mar 09 2015 : 08:22:17 AM We bottle fed Clover for 12 weeks. I would encourage you to at least feed AppleButter for that long...how old is she now?