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cedmunds2

10 Posts
Posted - Apr 29 2016 :  2:20:22 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
We've bottle fed 7 calves over the last few years, and each one took to a bucket pretty quickly. Some even were drinking (milk) from a bucket at 2 weeks.

And then Hannah Banana came along....

I love this little Jersey calf but I have got to admit, she has to be the dumbest calf EVER! At three weeks we started pouring her milk into a small over-the-fence-feeder (goat size) bucket, and guiding her with our fingers into the bucket. Worked fine until we started getting some teeth. Then we held the bottle nipple down in the milk, which worked fine for a while. At 9 weeks she still required fingers or a nipple in the bucket, and I was at my wits end. The extra time this was taking during my barn routine was frustrating! Finally read about a tip to float a rubber duck in the milk (or water) bucket, and the calf would eventually play with it and learn to drink. At 10 weeks she was biting/licking the duck and getting her milk down on her own. Now at 12 weeks she still isn't able to drink anything - water or milk - without a plastic duck in her mouth!

Does anyone have any other suggestions on teaching this one to drink without an aid?
Valle di Latte Farm

maryjane

7074 Posts
Posted - Apr 29 2016 :  3:17:08 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I'm sorry to laugh but the rubber ducky trick is hilarious. I wonder if clicker training would work on her?

https://www.heritagejersey.org/chatroom/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1069

I will ask Julie when I see her next Tuesday. It really is impressive, although it involves a treat and with a youngster still on milk, that's a difficult treat to tempt with.
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~
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maryjane

7074 Posts
Posted - Apr 29 2016 :  3:28:23 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Also, I know I've come across people saying bucket feeding too early can be problematic because their throats need to be up and extended. I had a Great Pyrenees once who had to have her food and water up level with her head or else it wouldn't wouldn't go down and would just get stuck. I wonder if that's what your calf is trying to tell you????? Just an idea:) I've had good luck bottle feeding easily by sticking my calf's bottles into bottle holders that I gave spring action to my putting a bungee cord on the back. Can you try this rather than the bucket?

https://www.heritagejersey.org/chatroom/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=907
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~
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farmlife

1413 Posts
Posted - Apr 29 2016 :  4:33:56 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Or they also make buckets that you can mount up higher on the fence and attach a nipple to the bottom for a gravity feeder. That would get you the proper neck angle as well. I would imagine you would also need a lid so the milk wouldn't splash out when the calf would butt the bucket.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/fortiflex-calf-mate-calf-feeder-8-qt-blue?cm_vc=-10005
Edited by - farmlife on Apr 29 2016 4:36:09 PM
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cedmunds2

10 Posts
Posted - May 07 2016 :  1:50:26 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Sorry for the delay with an update here, its been a hectic week with a flurry of activity. I haven't tried the bottle bungee yet, nor a higher bucket w/nipple either BUT around noon today, I decided to fill Hannah's pasture trough up to the tippity top. She was very interested in the hose and the moving water, and yes! I witnessed her drinking water. Topped off in the trough, its more level with her head, maybe easier to swallow? I am going to stop worrying about the rubber-duck-in-the-milk....yes, that is a way to get her to drink her milk, but pretty soon we will wean her off that anyway. My hugest worry was that we couldnt wean her off milk until I was sure she could drink water. Fears alleviated :-) Thank you everyone for the concern and suggestions.
Valle di Latte Farm
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txbikergirl

3197 Posts
Posted - May 07 2016 :  4:17:45 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
i have to admit the rubber duck trick is pretty cool, another tool in our arsenal. glad you got it figured out to move forward.
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy")
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CloversMum

3486 Posts
Posted - May 12 2016 :  8:40:51 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Everyone here is going to remember the rubber ducky trick! And it is adorable at the same time.
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens
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