Starting Drop Calves
ARRIVAL AT HOME:
1. You will need a warm, dry and well bedded area which has good ventilation.
2. For the first couple of months, that area can be as small as four feet wide by twelve feet long.
3. A heat source is usually unnecessary unless the calf becomes ill or outside temperatures drop
very low.
FEEDING:
1. Water (free choice)
2. Milk
a. As a rule of thumb, a calf drinks about 10% of its body weight in milk daily. That works out to
be about 2 quarts of milk daily for a 50 pound calf.
1. This is split into a minimum of two one quart feedings 12 hours apart. (Three smaller
feedings daily for the first week is even better.)
2. For best results, start calves for the first week on about 2/3 of the calculated volume. If they are doing well after 1-2 weeks, their milk volume can be slowly increased to 10% of their body weight daily.
b. Most calves will have a little diarrhea during the first 2 weeks of life. Slightly reducing the amount of milk for 2 days will usually resolve the problem. They generally will not appear ill. If a calf appears dull and listless or the diarrhea persists, you should contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.
3. Weaning
a. Calves can be weaned as early as 2 months of age, but they will do much better if fed milk
until they are at least 3 months old.
b. In order to wean, they must be eating hay and grain readily.
c. Wean them slowly. Decrease feeding milk to once a day for 1 week, then once every other day for a second week.
4. Solid Food
a. Starter grains can be started any time, and calves generally begin eating as early as 1 week old. Feed only small amounts and change it if it gets wet.
b. Calves may be given free choice hay at about 2 weeks of age.
1. You will need a warm, dry and well bedded area which has good ventilation.
2. For the first couple of months, that area can be as small as four feet wide by twelve feet long.
3. A heat source is usually unnecessary unless the calf becomes ill or outside temperatures drop
very low.
FEEDING:
1. Water (free choice)
2. Milk
a. As a rule of thumb, a calf drinks about 10% of its body weight in milk daily. That works out to
be about 2 quarts of milk daily for a 50 pound calf.
1. This is split into a minimum of two one quart feedings 12 hours apart. (Three smaller
feedings daily for the first week is even better.)
2. For best results, start calves for the first week on about 2/3 of the calculated volume. If they are doing well after 1-2 weeks, their milk volume can be slowly increased to 10% of their body weight daily.
b. Most calves will have a little diarrhea during the first 2 weeks of life. Slightly reducing the amount of milk for 2 days will usually resolve the problem. They generally will not appear ill. If a calf appears dull and listless or the diarrhea persists, you should contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.
3. Weaning
a. Calves can be weaned as early as 2 months of age, but they will do much better if fed milk
until they are at least 3 months old.
b. In order to wean, they must be eating hay and grain readily.
c. Wean them slowly. Decrease feeding milk to once a day for 1 week, then once every other day for a second week.
4. Solid Food
a. Starter grains can be started any time, and calves generally begin eating as early as 1 week old. Feed only small amounts and change it if it gets wet.
b. Calves may be given free choice hay at about 2 weeks of age.
