1. I have a calf that I bought but she will only drink from the bottle if I put it in her mouth and put a little presure on the bottle so the milk can come out that way. I have noticed that she will lay her tongue to the side of her mouth and she doesn't suck. What do you suggest? Published: August 29, 2007
2. When a calf nurses, what diverts the milk into the abomasum? Published: August 29, 2007
3. What are the most effective ways to advertise a replacement heifer operation? What are other possible alternatives to consider to move the custom feeding operation to full capacity? Published: August 29, 2007
4. After calves have been weaned off milk and have been eating four to five pounds of calf starter, we offer hay. Then after they have been eating two pounds of hay, we offer them forages. I was wondering if we could feed baleage in place of the hay? I know hay helps maintain rumen health and promotes growth of the muscular layer of the rumen, but will baleage offer better results because it is softer and higher in protein than hay? Published: August 29, 2007
5. I raise Holstein bull calves from 5 days old up to 300 lbs. I want to know an economical grain mixture to feed the weaned calves. Calf starters do not allow a decent profit margin. Also I have a problem with them constantly getting runny noses and colds. Are Holsteins just more supceptible to illness or are there vaccinations I should be giving? Published: August 29, 2007
6. Which side of the calf's throat/mouth should be used for an esophageal tube? Published: August 29, 2007
7. We have a couple of nipple pail fed calves that are refusing to drink twice daily; they are in the pasture and seem to be grazing fine. Should I be worried? Published: August 29, 2007
8. If I buy a calf from an auction, what suggestions do you have in preventing scours and other problems? Published: August 29, 2007
9. How much UIP/CP for calves and heifers? Published: August 29, 2007
10. Is there a spreadsheet that I can use to see what I can pay for replacement heifers compared to the price of milk? Published: August 29, 2007
11. What is the normal composition of cow's milk, and how does it compare to human milk? Published: August 29, 2007
12. What is pickled milk? How would I go about letting the milk sour and then pickling it? Published: August 29, 2007
13. I recently read an article that recommended mixing milk replacer with 160-170 degree water in order to break down the fats. Directions on several brands of milk replacer call for warm 105-110 degree water. Can you comment on this? Published: August 29, 2007
14. We graze cows, calves, and heifers year round. We do not produce hay as farms are limited in area and rainfall is well distributed through out the year. When should calves be fed forage: prior to weaning (two months +) or during the in-milk period? Published: August 29, 2007
15. Could I feed a suckling calf concentrate, hay, or both? Published: August 29, 2007
16. I am concerned about my heifer growth rate. They reach 550 kg at 24 months at the start of lactation. How can I improve this? Published: August 29, 2007
17. What digestive enzymes are found in the digestive system of a newborn calf that is young enough to be eating almost exclusively milk or milk replacer? Published: August 29, 2007
18. Are there any potential drawbacks to feeding calves once per day as opposed to the traditional twice per day? Is there any research on this issue? Who could I contact that has looked into this area? Published: August 29, 2007
19. Is a calf starter with steamed, rolled grains better than a pelleted one? Which grains and protein sources are better? Published: August 29, 2007
20. Some milk replacers are 20/15, they claim for energy needs will be met with higher starter intake. Most are 20/20. Then you have accelerated programs. What is the most economical and realistic under "average" conditions? Published: August 29, 2007
21. I've been told that drinking homogenized milk is not healthy, as the process makes the fat particles so small they may actually be absorbed directly into the bloodstream leading to clogged arteries. Is this true? Published: August 29, 2007
22. How do you calculate cost of milk production? Published: August 29, 2007
23. I am looking for large and small breed calf water requirements in the first month. PSU (Penn State University) suggests 1.3 to 2.0 gal per day including replacer water. What about size of calf and total pounds mixed ration? Starter is often minimal at this age if on 15% and 2+ quarts. Published: August 28, 2007
24. Can the young calf (0 to 2 weeks) absorb/utilize glucose as well as lactose? Would powdered glucose in the CMR (Commercial Milk Replacer) cause any harm? Published: August 28, 2007
25. Where can I find information about blood plasma milk? Published: August 28, 2007
26. Can Neomycin-Terramycin in milk replacer help prevent unknown respiratory diseases in calves? Published: August 28, 2007
27. If a young calf seems to be weak and has very little energy, could you treat it with dextrose as an energy source? If so, could glucose or sucrose be used, and which of the three would be the best to use if there's a difference between those sugars? Published: August 28, 2007
28. What is the best way to get a calf to take a bottle? Published: August 28, 2007
29. Could you provide any information on vitamin D toxicity in 1000-lb heifers? Published: August 28, 2007
30. We purchased a couple of Jersey bull calves (two or three weeks old) from a local dairy farmer. They received four days of colostrum and were on Jersey milk twice daily when we purchased them. We began feeding calf milk replacer when we brought them home three days ago. We now have a source for cow's milk (from cows treated with antibiotics or freshly calved). Will it harm the calves to switch back and forth from milk replacer to fresh milk? When we have extra milk available, I would like to freeze it for days when none is available. Would this hurt the content of the milk? Published: August 28, 2007

Didn't find what you were looking for? Try asking one of our Experts.