Bottle Calf 101

I am friends with Jill at Prairie Homestead.  She asked me to be a guest blogger for her (hooray!), so I compiled this story from blog postings over the last year as we raised a bottle calf. 

If you've been following along for a while, you might want to just skip to the end for our TOP 5 TIPS for RAISING a BOTTLE CALF.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Have you heard the saying, "Be careful what you wish for?"
I should edit that to, "Be careful what you mention to a farmer!"

Early in December (2012) I mentioned to a new farmer friend that we might want to raise a bottle calf this year for beef.  Of course I was speaking way ahead of being ready for said bottle calf and truly had no thought of this happening until MUCH later in 2013.

So guess who calls on December 31?!

This farmer had a cow that had delivered twins and was rejecting the female calf.  He was taking care of the calf that night but REALLY wanted someone else to take her the next day.  He reminded me that she would be sterile due to twin pregnancy with male/female combo.  A little research tells me that the female from this set of twins is sterile 92% of the time.  In other words, she is destined to be a beef cow.

I battled the pro's and con's all night.  I tend to work out dilemmas while I sleep.  When I got up I was certain the correct answer was "no" since we simply weren't ready, not to mention It's WINTER!

Then I went outside for chores.  The sun was bright and glorious.  I could sense God's hope and blessing.

When next I talked with the farmer, I said "yes".  He didn't waste any time bringing her and a bottle over to me.  She wasn't as vigorous as I had hoped when she arrived, but she was ok.  She had just been fed, so we snuggled her into a stall to rest for about an hour.

When I went to feed her, she was chilled and very weak.  She couldn't stand up or drink from the bottle. 

All my medical background and Mommy instincts kicked in. 

I picked her up and took her directly into the house.  We set up our ICU in the laundry room (which just happens to be my sewing nook, too!)  We warmed up hot packs and bundled her in blankets.  I started dripping warm colostrum (saved in the freezer from when our Jersey delivered in September) down her throat with a turkey baster (thanks Dorothy).  She couldn't even struggle.  Sometimes her eyes would roll back and I was sure she was dying.  She had no muscle tone. 

I called my Mom and asked for prayer.  I knew it would be a miracle from God if she survived the night.

This process all started around 4pm.  At 9pm she pulled her legs up under her.  Minutes later she stood up....wobbly, but up.  We put a dog crate in the laundry room and tucked her in with blankets. 

First days spent in the laundry room!

The next morning she was alive!  She even gave a little moo when I went in to feed her.  She took milk from my trusty turkey baster, but couldn't suck from a bottle.

Around 3pm on January 2, she took the last bit of her first quart of colostrum.  It had taken nearly 24 hours to get just one quart in her.  I knew she would get dehydrated if we didn't pick up the pace a bit.  Then another miracle occurred!  She latched onto the nipple of my calf bottle and started sucking.  Next thing I knew, she had drained her 2nd quart of colostrum!!  Praise God!  I broke out in songs of praise.  What a victory! 

"You want me to do WHAT?!"

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Our little New Year's bottle calf has had a rough time getting a foothold in this world. 

At one week of age, her umbilical stump was obviously infected.  She was exhausted and puny.  The vet gave me an arsenal of shots to give her including antibiotics, an anti-inflammatory, and Vit B. She perked right up!  Hooray!

Then about 5 days later, she tanked again.  This time with a respiratory infection.  She became fairly lifeless and I thought she might die.  Our vet (Thank God for vets!) said that she needed a different antibiotic to knock this out. 

The vet explained that cows have bacteria that live in their trachea.  The bacteria never cause a problem until the cow gets stressed and her resistance goes down.  The good news is that this too was promptly eradicated with antibiotics!  (Thank God for antibiotics!)

My sweet dairy cow, Bambi, has not officially adopted the calf, but does allow the calf to nurse just before I milk her. 

The calf doesn't seem offended that Bambi has to be restrained in a steel head gate before she will allow her to nurse!  I believe she is thinking, "Rich, creamy milk...Who cares how you get it!!"

Sunday, February 10, 2013

So any guesses as to what I've been hauling in my van?

Yes, that's Bob the calf.  Apparently some of you didn't get the memo---Last Tuesday was "Take Your Calf for a Drive" Day!  At least it was around here.  The calf needed to visit the vet and all I could think to do was stick her in the back of the Mom Mobile!  We've hauled chickens, dogs, cats, and skads of kids in there...so why not a calf?! 

We did get a lot of funny looks.  I'm glad no on ran into us while they were pointing and gawking.  She practiced her very loud moo the whole way there!

Bob was much more subdued on the trip home after having the abscess in her navel drained. 

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Growing big and strong. 
We are still battling the umbilical infection. 
This infection necessitated yet another van ride to the vet about 3 weeks ago to incise and drain the abscess again.  Apparently abscesses can reach quite deep and are difficult to cure....(Bob and I can testify to that!)

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

I've been afraid to say this out loud, but I think it's safe to proclaim that Bob the Bottle calf's navel abscess is healed!!  ALL the Glory goes to God!  He blessed me with a great vet with lots of ideas, who also respected my thoughts and observations.  God gave me patience and endurance to doctor Bob's wound twice daily for about 3 1/2 months.  God also put my previous training as a nurse to good use. 

Annabelle and Bob
(Bob is sad with this new "milkless" arrangement!)

In the end it was most definitely God who strengthened Bob and gave me courage to let the abscess heal over and encapsulate (this flies totally in the face of all that past training!).  I still check Bob's belly periodically and have to sing a little verse of praise every time I realize that the infection has resolved!!

Shortly after the infection healed, I had to make an executive decision and wean Bob away from Bambi (my Jersey milk cow).  I really wanted to let her nurse longer, but Bob was starting to scare me.  That probably sounds strange....I'll try to explain.  Because of so much handling by me, on some level Bob thinks of me as her mother.  This leads to a myriad of problems since Bob rapidly outgrew me in size and strength.  As long as Bob nursed I needed to lead her in and out of Bambi's paddock (unless we didn't want any milk that day).  Bob grew really pushy with me....literally.  She would no longer walk at my side, instead she shadowed right behind me and tried to bump me along with her head.  She would even come running up in the pasture and start head bumping me to get my attention.  Trust me, she had it.  It gave me the creeps and I started being fearful for myself and my kids, too. 

December 2013

Bob continues to be strong and healthy.  She now weighs about 600 pounds.  She is an easy keeper and maintains her weight and condition well on pasture and hay, being fully grass fed.

Unfortunately she still thinks I'm her mama.  This sounds kind of cute, but in reality it's quite dangerous.  Cows use their heads and the strength of their necks to bump each other, push one another around, and even charge to get another cow out of their way.  Because Bob relates to me as a cow, she tries to push and bump me with her head.  She also gets excited when she sees me in the pasture and runs to "greet" me.  I'm thankful that this behavior doesn't get exhibited with any other members of our family.  I've learned to be very cautious in the pasture and work near the fence.

Top 5 Tips for Raising a Bottle Calf

1.  Choose a healthy calf. 

Colostrum at birth, especially during the first 24 hours of life, is the key to long-term health and survival.  The colostrum is filled with antibodies and nutrition that helps build a strong, healthy immune system.  During that first 24 hours, the gut is fully open and ready to absorb those antibodies.  Here is a really good article about colostrum, antibodies, and the gut.

Ideally a bottle calf will spend it's first few days (a week is even better!) with it's mother getting all the colostrum it needs.  But if the mother died or if she is being used as a milk cow, the calf may not have gotten this luxury.  Be sure and confirm that the calf was with its mother for initial colostrum OR that the calf was given colostrum by bottle right away after birth. 

This is key. 

2.  Be prepared.

This is really a tie with #1.  You need to be prepared for the arrival of your calf. 
You will need:
** a calf bottle
** colostrum if taking calf as newborn
** fresh milk or milk replacer
** shelter for inclement weather--cows typically don't require much in the way of shelter, but remember that a bottle calf is already stressed without it's mama, so you want to protect it from any harsh weather. 

3.  If you have a milk cow, use her!

If you are blessed to have a family milk cow, get her in on the action!
When your milk cow delivers her own calf, save some of her colostrum in the deep freezer.  Don't think that you are robbing her calf of these precious nutrients.  Your milk cow produces an over-abundance of colostrum those first days, so store some away.

Give your bottle calf fresh milk from your family milk cow.  This will be a huge savings and is, of course, packed with the best nutrition. 

Consider letting the calf nurse your milk cow when she is secured in the milking stanchion. 

Allow calf to pasture with your milk cow.  One of the ways that mama cow's identify their calf is by the smell of its stool....by giving the bottle calf milk from your milk cow, your bottle calf will start to smell like her calf.  This aides in the adoption process.

4.  Cows are herd animals.

Your bottle calf will do best growing up with other herd animals.  Some people raise 2 bottle calves together to accomplish this.  You can also raise your calf with horses, sheep, or goats if you don't have another cow around to befriend it. 

5.  Don't get attached.

I wish I could tell you that this is easy, but it's not.  Calves are cute!  Your bottle calf doesn't have a mother and you may feel compelled to fill this need.  Resist!

Because of Bob's poor initial health status, I handled and mothered her entirely too much.  I hope you will learn from my mistake. 

Also remember that getting attached will only complicate the situation when it comes time to haul away your grown cow--either selling to someone else or taking to the meat processor.  Most homesteaders raise a bottle calf with plans to use the meat themselves.  You will be better able to carry out this plan if you get the bottle calf out into the pasture with other animals asap and let him have a healthy "cow" life. 



So will our family raise another bottle calf?  Yes, most likely. 
Will I follow my own advice--I sure hope so! 

best wishes to you on this journey,
pam

Praising God Today!!

Remember the Animals Work for YOU!

Boots busy at work entertaining her Humans!

You know how sometimes a phrase will really stick in your head?  This post is about one of those phrases....Something said to me that most likely the speaker had no idea the impact of his words.

This goes back to March 2012 when we bought our family milk cow, Bambi.  We purchased Bambi from a dear farming family.  We had been buying a veggie CSA and also sides of grassfed beef from the Vaughn family of Rocky Glade Farm for many years.  They were our farmers and also our friends.  Buying a milk cow from them was the next natural step for us. 

When Bambi became available we were not quite ready.  (Are you ever completely prepared for a full-grown member of the bovine family to arrive?!!) 

On my quest to be as ready as possible, I started asking Jim Vaughn (farmer extraordinaire!) many questions.  He patiently answered me.  Thank goodness he didn't point out what a compete dodo brain I was because I would most certainly have lost my nerve. 

One thing I asked Jim about was Bambi's schedule.  You know I wanted to do this right, so I was planning to adjust my world to whatever was needed to care for Bambi. 

Jim's words were priceless.

"You don't work for the animals. 
The animals work for you."

Total light-bulb moment for me! 

In my heart, I still really wanted to know Bambi's schedule, but Jim (in great wisdom) never told me.  He wanted us to adapt Bambi to our family, not the other way around. 

As a homesteader, I am forever grateful for Jim's words of wisdom.  Applying this truth has led to many wonderful discoveries.

Becky receives a thorough cleaning from Bambi.

I'll use Bambi as an example of this. 
** Did you know that you don't have to milk a cow twice a day? 
You need to adjust their milking schedule and production to fit your needs!

** Did you know that there's no rule saying you have to milk in the morning? 
Mornings aren't good for my schedule right now, so I milk in the afternoon!

** Did you know that with some planning, you can even skip days of milking altogether?! 
Planning is the key.

** Did you know that it's absolutely fine to leave the calf with her mama to raise and skip all the complications of separating the two and feeding with a bottle? 
That's what we do!  We aren't a commercial dairy farm--there's no reason for us to act like one unless that's what fits our needs.

Bambi delivered her calf in September.  I knew that we did not have a use for 1-2 gallons of milk per day.  I have milked Bambi enough to keep her from getting mastitis, but not so much that her milk production increased. 

Just because we have a milk cow does not mean that we have to push her to full capacity with regards to milk production.  If we don't need that much milk, it's really a waste of time and resources to obtain so much.  It takes nutritional energy for Bambi to produce milk.  I would prefer she use that energy to keep her own body in good condition and prepare for her next pregnancy.  Having more milk than we can use takes up my time and energy, too.  Having a fridge full of milk is a blessing if you can use it.  If you can't, it becomes exhausting trying to find uses for an overabundance of the white stuff! (remember, more is arriving every day!)

Udder Check--back teats look a little tight--will milk just
a bit to relieve the pressure.

About 2 weeks ago, I decreased our daily milking to every other day.  I was able to do this because the calf has grown and is able to handle more of Bambi's milk production for her own growing body.  I still monitor Bambi every day.  If one of the teats is engorged (typically one of the back teats since they aren't as easy for the calf to nurse from), I milk just a bit out of it.  "Just a bit" is key here.  I'm just wanting to relieve the pressure, not stimulate increased production.

In the near future, we will need to separate Bambi and her calf the night before I want to milk her.  They will be next to each other, just not close enough for the calf to nurse. 

All of this is a natural progression as the calf grows and consumes more milk.  Don't worry about stealing milk from the calf.  The calf is already eating grass and drinking water just fine.  Having mama's milk is a bonus for her health and nutrition.  She'll still get plenty of milk even on the days that I milk Bambi.

I hope this encourages you to Let the Animals Work for You!  (Thanks Jim!)

many blessings,
pam


But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.     Matthew 6:33-34


Linked to Homestead Barn Hop!

Fall Blessings

Pantry with applesauce, green beans,
tomatoes, and pickles. 

I LOVE a stocked pantry!  And even more so when the pantry is stocked with the bounty of our own garden.  We still have some more applesauce to can from apples that we bought locally.  We've got apple trees started on our place, but they aren't quite old enough to produce apples.

Team Stahl working the hay delivery!

Hay was delivered this weekend!  It's such a relief to have hay ready for the winter--equivalent to stocked pantry and freezer for the humans!  I'm not sure why I put off getting hay for so long each year.  I seem to worry and fret about the decisions associated with hay far too much.  Thankfully it all came together this weekend complete with help from my home-grown work force.

Moveable animal shelter and round bales in the pasture

This is a new shelter that my very talented, very patient husband built for me!  It's solid but not too heavy.  2 people can actually attach a strap to it, lift the front end and pull it to the next pasture. 

More hay in the barn.  Beautiful!

We placed one roll of hay in each of our 4 long grazing paddocks.  The rest is stored in the dry barn.  We have been practicing rotational grazing using a variety of methods for a couple years.  We are modifying it just a bit for the winter to keep from moving the shelter as often.  Trying to find a happy balance between pasture health and work load/time required to move animals/shelter/water. 

Becky, Bambi, Bob, and Annabelle
Our little bovine collection.

One last thing of farm interest.  See little Becky to the left of this picture.  Turns out she is a real socialite!  She kept jumping fences to be with Bob and Annabelle.  This has been frustrating since ideally a nursing calf will stay with her mama--duh!  I think Becky would fill her belly and then set out to find playmates--forgetting that her tummy would get empty again.  (not sure why she never jumped back to be with her mama).

Today I found that all 4 cows had managed to get into the same pasture.  I had been keeping them separate because Annabelle and Bob still tried to nurse poor Bambi whenever the opportunity arose. 

But, O Happy Day!  Today, Bambi refused to let either of the older girls nurse!  It looks like the 4-some can share a pasture harmoniously!  This is such good news because now I can just manage one group of animals with the pasture rotation!  Also good news that I no longer need to retrieve and return Becky to her mama each day!

To all the Homesteading Newbies out there, I want to offer a word of encouragement!
We have lived on our little farm for a bit more than 2 years. 
I'm starting to  hear strange new things come out of my mouth!
Words like:
**  I know what to do next!

**  Hey, we've got that tool/seed/supply, and I even know where to find it!

**  Sure, I know how to do that!

This is a whole new and much-welcomed experience! 
So please be encouraged if you are taking this new path.  There really is a point where you will have the knowledge and tools that you need when a project rolls around!! 

many blessings,
pam


But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; 
may they be happy and joyful.
Psalm 68: 3

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Meet Becky

Born September 16, 2013

Just born.  We found Becky within a few minutes after delivery. 
Notice her Mama cleaning her up. 

Becky found her feet.  She was wobbly for the first 20 minutes or so. 

Bambi is the ever-vigilant Mama getting Becky clean and tidy.

Yum!  Here's the Milk Bar!!  I like it here!
Elizabeth looks on--enjoying a perfect day of homeschooling. 

Becky at 1 week of age.  Bambi is still at it keeping her clean and well groomed!
"Ahhh Mom--Stop it already!"

Becky at 1 month

These are the wonders of farm life that I never tire of.

May your day be filled with wonder and joy.
pam


And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds:  livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind."  And it was so.  God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds.  And God saw that it was good.      
Genesis 1:24-25

Linked to  Homestead Blog Hop

Falling off the Wheat Wagon

Milking Bambi 2013
(love that farmgirl glamour!)

My wheat free eating habits were going great.  I was feeling great.  Perhaps I was feeling a bit too good.  I got casual and then completely fell off the wagon today at lunch. 

French toast.  Mmmmm.  Yum.  I filled up on a meal of 90% bread.  I-Yi-Yi.  Let's just say it didn't go so well. 

I could barely stay awake through the end of the meal.  Brain fog settled in with a vengeance.  I couldn't focus or think at all.  Within an hour I couldn't take another step without a nap.  Seems I had to sleep off the nasty effects of all those wheat carbs. 

Now I know for sure what causes at least part of my mental struggles. 
Hopefully I can push forward and not grow casual about wheat intake again...at least not for a long time.  On another front, I've stopped milking Bambi and am allowing her to dry off before her next calf arrives.  It's recommended that you dry off a milk cow 6 weeks prior to their scheduled delivery to allow time for them to rebuild their physical stores and devote more energy to growing the calf. 

Bambi's milk supply had diminished down to about 1 quart of milk per day.  I only milk her once per day and wasn't willing to increase the frequency to twice daily, so drying her off early seemed like the best answer.  Plus with the garden going strong, this frees up more morning time to devote there.

In the meantime, we are blessed to have a farmer that sells raw milk nearby.  We purchase herd shares which then allows us to also receive a share of the milk. 

I hate that raw (unpasteurized) milk consumption is so controversial.  I don't feel the need to force raw milk on other people.  That being said, I don't want to give my family milk that has had all the enzymes and health cooked right out of it. 

We have been consuming raw milk for over a year and are a strong, healthy bunch. 

End of soapbox.


many blessings!

pam


If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.    Numbers 14:7

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Wheat Belly

first strawberry from the garden :)

I've been meaning to write for a number of days.  That means lots of stuff is rambling around in my head.  When I skip writing for too long my brain activity starts to mimic the classic pinball machine.  Unfortunately, writing is one area in my life that still bends toward the lies of perfectionism.  I keep putting it off, because I'm behind on all that needs to be reported on....thus I delay because I haven't time to do it right...which of course becomes One Vicious Circle.  Ugh!

Here's one topic that needs attention:


Wheat Belly
Have you read this book??  I've read most of it and find it fascinating.  I'm fearful that it's true, at least to some degree.  Have you taken a look at our bodies lately?  It's shocking how large we've become...overweight and unhealthy with diseases nearly unheard of 50 years ago.  What's up?  For a number of years I've been blaming our condition on processed food (totally hate that stuff...just ask my kids) and our sedentary lifestyle.  But now I'm wondering if there's not more to the story. 

Case in point:  Myself.  (I'm my own best guinea pig.)
I grew up in the country and we had horses.  My grandparents lived nearby and had a big garden and sometimes pigs and beef cows. 

Fast forward to around 2006, I started to miss the country and long for the animals, the garden, and yes...even the work of it. Soooooo...nearly 2 years ago we moved to a 10 acre farm (God love my long-suffering husband for going along with so many of my crazy plans and dreams!)

I know I'm an odd bird, but I really like to work hard physically especially when it yields something practical, like food.  For over 18 months, I've been physically active every single day.  At 48, I'm probably in as good if not better condition than I was in my 20's and 30's.  Add that to the fact that I rarely eat processed food.  I cook from scratch, grind wheat and bake all our bread products, have a milk cow and fresh unpasteurized milk, raise an organic garden, can and freeze for the winter, buy grass-fed beef and pasture raised poultry from local farmers; plus we have a constant supply of fresh eggs from our own healthy hens. (geez, no wonder my days are so full!)

BUT....over the last year, I've developed a little pot belly.  YUCK!  Yuck!  Double-Yuck!
I also have high cholesterol. 

So that's where this book comes in.  I first read an interview with the author, Dr. William Davis, and then sought out the book. The book's premise is that the wheat that we consume is not the same that our forefathers ate.  It's been hybridized into something very different.  I'm not especially surprised by this news because it seems that all of our food supply is being or has been mucked around with in some shape or form.  The problem with these well-meaning alterations is that we can't see all the consequences that might come from our tinkering.  That's what the book talks about.  I highly recommend that you read it.
(please know that I don't endorse all of Dr. Davis' viewpoints--like all the evolutionary stuff.  Just remember to use your own brain.  :)

I've been avoiding wheat for about 2 1/2 weeks.  Not long, but I've already noticed one significant change...I'm clear headed.  The brain fog that used to regularly settle in on me has lifted....even in the afternoons!!  Hooray!  I'll keep you posted if I notice other improvements. 

If you want to try this little experiment, expect to be amazed by the amount of wheat you actually consume on any given day.  It's everywhere.  The first hurdle is to figure out what to eat instead.  For me that translates to more veggies, nuts, and meat. 

The book says that some people really have a hard time getting off wheat because of the addictive qualities that are inherent to modern-day wheat.  So far I've been able to avoid wheat, but I know if I give in and taste "a little" I'll fall over the edge and gobble down a pound of cookies and bread.  Sounds strangely like an addiction, doesn't it?...I can avoid it, but once I start it will be difficult to stop.  Argh!

When I play the guinea pig game I try to leave my family out of it.  BUT my kids are starting to worry as they observe me passing on the wheat though, saying stuff like:  "no wheat?!!", "what about bread?!", "and pasta?!", "and cookies?!!!!!"  I don't have an answer for them.  We just have to let this play out.


many blessings,
pam


Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Psalm 32:1


fine print:  I'm an Amazon affiliate and will receive a tiny commission should you make an Amazon purchase shortly after clicking one of my Amazon links.  Having said that, please know that my opinions are my own....I have yet to be swayed by a few pennies from Amazon!

Bottle Calf Update

Our little New Year's bottle calf has had a rough time getting a foothold in this world. 

At one week of age, her umbilical stump was obviously infected.  She was exhausted and puny.  The vet gave me an arsenal of shots to give her including antibiotics, an anti-inflammatory, and Vit B. She perked right up!  Hooray!

Then about 5 days later, she tanked again.  This time with a respiratory infection.  She became fairly lifeless and I thought she might die.  Our vet (Thank God for vets!) said that she needed a different antibiotic to knock this out. 

The vet explained that cows have bacteria that live in their trachea.  The bacteria never cause a problem until the cow gets stressed and her resistance goes down.  The good news is that this too was promptly eradicated with antibiotics!  (Thank God for antibiotics!)

My sweet dairy cow, Bambi, has not officially adopted the calf, but does allow the calf to nurse just before I milk her. 

The calf doesn't seem offended that Bambi has to be restrained in a steel head gate before she will allow her to nurse!  I believe she is thinking, "Rich, creamy milk...Who cares how you get it!!"

It's no wonder that she loves it so much...Look at that cream line!  Can you see it just below the "Ball" logo on the front jar?!  Yum!  We are rolling in cream and milk...so today my daughter and I will be culturing some cream cheese (to have later this week with homemade bagels), making butter, and also making some mozzarella cheese if we have time.  Can you tell that I LOVE having a milk cow?!!

And here is a picture of the Living Water Quilt all folded up and ready to one lucky person! 
All you need to do is make a donation to Blood Water Mission and your name goes in the drawing for this quilt.  (one entry for each $10 donated)  You can learn lots more about it here.

Many blessing to You,
pam