Calf Starter Feeding Schedule

Typically the best feeding times for young calves are early morning and evening.

Calf starter feeding schedule. When the calf starts to eat calf starter mixture of grains protein source minerals and vitamins and to drink water the rumen starts to develop. Provide a handful of calf starter in a shallow bucket and gradually increase the amount of starter as calves grow. Calves can be maintained on the starter for 2 to 3 weeks postweaning and then transition to a grower diet offered with long forage. Calf bottles are usually of a common size.

For optimal calf growth and nutrition feed fresh calf starter and water daily. Young calves need routine so feed them twice a day at the same times each day. Start slow with a half of a bottle at each feeding and gradually increase it to two full feedings. Make sure calves have constant access to clean water during.

Providing 2 quarts per feeding is typical on a twice a day schedule which is the most common. Calves can also be fed three times a day. Each calf should be given 1 1 2 to 2 gallons in the first 24 hours of its life. It is suggested that calves should be consuming a minimum of 2 lb day of a high quality calf starter before weaning.

Sanitize the buckets after each use to avoid bacterial growth in soiled or damp feed. Feeding schedule most calves only need 2 3 bottles a day. Your schedule might vary. The end product of microbial digestion of forages is primarily acetic acid.

Calf and heifer feeding schedule colostrum either dam s or mixed colostrum from first milking of older cows fed to calves as soon after birth as possible ideally within 30 minutes and certainly within 4 hours protects against disease. Drives calves to start and continue eating. Calves younger than 2 weeks old will only consume a very small amount of water and calf starter feed. A suggested schedule is 2 quarts within 4 hours of birth 2 more quarts within 12 hours of birth and 2 more by 24 hours of birth.

You won t have to worry about middle of the night feedings or early morning waking. Calf starter should be fed to calves starting at four days of age. Maintains a calf s energy and protein reserves. Offer a handful of calf starter feed to begin with along with clean water in a pail or bucket so the calf can get used to the new feed and to avoid waste.

Change both the feed and the water daily so the calf will be more likely to eat and drink. Early feeding of colostrum at 4 to 5 percent of birth weight is necessary because. A palatable calf starter feed. A less palatable feed might take a calf three days to really start consuming that s 72 hours when a calf s energy and protein reserves are depleting and their immune status is in jeopardy.

Tube feeding is recommended for calves unable to suck a bottle.