How to Get a Baby Calf to Accept the Bottle When It's Scared of Me?

Catching a baby calf can be an exercise in patience. If you're trying to catch a calf whose mother is around, be careful and never turn your back on her. Even the most gentle of cows can become a mother bear when it comes to someone taking her calf. Before grabbing hold of a calf, try to separate it from its mother first. This will reduce some of the stress. Herding the calf into a small pen or stall instead of trying to catch him in a large pasture will also help your cause.

Things You'll Need

  • Calf bottle
  • Calf replacer
  • Bucket with nipple assembly
  • Calf halter
  • Calf leash
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remain calm. A newborn calf should be easy to catch, but a larger one will be more difficult if it's scared. Move slowly around the pen and speak in soothing tones. Do not get angry or frustrated, this will only scare the calf more.

    • 2

      Sit down on a chair or crate in the pen. This will help you be more patient and will make you appear less threatening to the calf.

    • 3

      Hold the bottle out in front of you so that the calf can see why you're there. If the calf has been bottle fed before, but you are new to it, then the calf should come to you as soon as you are calm. If the calf has never been bottle fed, you may need to catch the calf.

    • 4

      Get a partner to help you. Sometimes it's easier to catch a calf if someone can distract it and someone else can grab a hold of him. If you are able to catch him, even for a minute, try and squeeze some of the milk from the nipple on his lips. This will help him understand why you're there.

    • 5

      Get a bucket with a nipple feeder assembly or hold the bottle down, so that you are out of sight. The calf may come to eat if it can't see you. Try and hold the bottle through a fence slat or gate, keeping yourself hidden. Buckets with nipple assemblies are also sold and can be hung from a stall wall. Once the calf sees the nipple, but no person, he may come to eat. Once he does, you may be able to catch him, if necessary.