Feeding a Calf

Cow calves are a lot like human babies in the care they require, and even can be fed from a baby bottle the first few weeks. Raising a cow calf without its mother involves regular feeding and care to promote its health and a steady weight gain. After an initial period of a liquid diet, you'll eventually weaning your calf into a diet of feed and grazing plants.

  1. Colostrum

    • Initially after birth, the calf̵7;s first liquid from the mother is colostrum. This thick substance has critical antibodies to build the immune system and hormones to develop the digestive tract. The colostrum has much higher levels of nutrients and protein than the mother̵7;s normal milk. Transitional milk comes in following the colostrum for the first few milkings and has a higher rate of nutrients and lower rate of lactose, which is easier for the calf to digest. Frozen colostrum and transitional milk is available from online retailers and local farm animal veterinarians.

    Milk

    • During their first few weeks of life, calves need a steady supply of the vitamins and minerals found in their mother's milk. If you're raising the calf without its mother, the milk can come from any cow as a direct milking of whole milk, or leftover milk from a dairy operation. Calves can be started on milk after they are about 4 days old and should drink milk that equals 10 percent of their body weight, which converts to 1 quart for every 2 pounds. Spread the feedings out to several times a day to ensure they constantly have milk in their digestive system.

    Milk Replacement

    • Milk replacement or substitute can be found at farm stores and from online pet stores. It comes in the form of a powder that needs to be reconstituted in warm water to give it a milk-like appearance and texture. They include a variety of vitamins and nutrients that mimic natural cow's milk and often include dried milk proteins and whey from actual cow's milk. This is an ideal choice for people raising a calf with no access to fresh whole cow's milk. It is given to calves in the same method and quantities as whole milk.

    Calf Starter

    • Calf starter is a dry mixture food a calf eats while and after it is weaned from a liquid diet. You should generally wean the calf when it is between 6 and 8 weeks old. There are a variety of calf starter feeds available from online retailers and local feed stores, or you can create your own from a mixture of cracked corn, oats, limestone, salt, soybean meal, molasses and a vitamin supplement. This mix provides all the nutrition a young calf needs to grow rapidly and remain healthy. Provide the calf at least a pound of the starter mix a day, increasing as you decrease the milk given with feedings in the morning and in the evening.

    Hay

    • Hay makes up the majority of an adult cow's diet and should be introduced shortly after the calf begins the calf starter diet. Allow the calf to have access to hay in between feedings of the starter mixture, which will gradually acclimate them and their stomach to this staple food source.

    Water

    • Water is an essential part of feeding your young calf, especially once it has started on the dry food mixture. Provide a source of water where the calf can drink whenever it feels necessary. You might have to lead the calf to the water several times before it learns where and how to drink it.