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| The first and formost is to buy calves from a dairy that has a very good vacc. program for the cows. The first vacc. I like to see in the cows is the ScourGard 4 K/C. Two shots as a heifer, a annual booster at dryup time. Also BVD, and PI3 shots.
Then when the calf hits the ground, I give a TSV-2 shot to the calf the first day with the colostrum. After that, you have to really work at it to kill them. The critical time period is from 7-14 days, check them at least two to three times a day. Any scouring I pull them off milk, even if body temp is still normal. I then give cheap BounceBack powder mixed with warm water for a day or two. I also give a shot of Mictotil (spelling?) at that time as well.
We feed all waste milk from the sick and fresh pen to older calves. The two day olds up to a couple of weeks get the very best milk from our lead cows coming in the barn. I've never fed milk replacer, but if you do. Buy the one with the highest fat content in it.
I would try to find a dairy to contract with them to buy their bull calves, maybe work a deal to buy the ScourGard shot for them. You pay for the doses, they get protection for their heifer calves for giving it. And in turn you get better bull calves.
Right now the Hol. steer market is in the dumps here, you can buy day olds for $3 here. I can't even give them away here. Till feed costs go down, I won't feed them here. | |
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Any tricks to raising dairy calves?
