How to Take Care of Orphan Calves

If you raise livestock, there will be times when you have to feed and care for an orphaned calf. Then you will replace the cows to fulfill their duties when they abandon their offspring. In the event that all efforts to encourage mother cows to raise calves fail, you will need to raise the abandoned animals yourself.

Table of Contents

Steps

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Arrange the nest to keep the heat, safe and secure for the calf. You just need to find a location that protects the calves from the weather or other animals, such as a barn with a fence inside. Purchased or homemade barns can also serve as shelters for calves. The fence needs to be tight enough that the calves won’t get out in case they want to wander around.

Spread straw on the ground so that calves have a place to sleep (suitable in winter or early spring). Do not keep calves in a warehouse that is not fully lined. Calves are more susceptible to cold than adult cows, so they need a bed with thick straw to stay comfortable and warm.
For calves born in the summer, you need to prepare a shelter from the sun for them. However, calves also need to absorb Vitamin D, so you should leave room for sunlight to let them lie in the sun.

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Purchase necessary food and medical care supplies as soon as possible. You should prioritize buying colostrum at your local pet store or large animal veterinary clinic before purchasing other supplies.

You must give the calf colostrum within 24 to 72 hours of birth. Otherwise, newborn calves are at risk of health effects and diseases that can lead to death.
- Give calves colostrum every 2 to 3 hours. Depending on the weight of the calf, you need to feed them 1-2 liters of milk at a time. If the calves do not know how to drink from a bottle, you need to use an esophageal feeder to provide milk, especially if the calf is in poor health due to cold weather or difficult delivery.
  - In the case of very hungry newborn calves, they will drink the bottle immediately, especially if you rub the powder gently on their nose and mouth. Calves that have never been breastfed will accept the bottle very quickly. Older calves need time to acclimate as they get used to the mother’s nipples.

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Feed calves milk in a bottle or bucket for 2 to 3 hours a day until they are a few days old. During that time you can change from colostrum to regular calf formula. You can then feed them three times a day: morning, afternoon and evening. Calves need daily milk intake equal to 10% of their body weight.

As the calves get older, you can reduce the number of feedings. Feed twice a day until they are one month old, then once a day when calves are over 2 months old. When calves are 3 to 4 months old, you can wean them.

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Continuously prepare fresh water for calves. Choose a bucket of water so that the calf can’t spill it on the floor. They are curious animals, and will soon realize that the liquid in the bucket is drinkable.

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Feed the calves with high quality forage. Calf weaning food with special ingredients suitable for the comprehensive development of calves is available at forage stores. These foods are high in protein, calcium, phosphorus, energy, and other nutrients needed for growth.

In addition, you should feed the calves high-quality hay. You need to test the hay composition to ensure perfect quality, as there are times when the grass looks fresh and is of poor quality. The hay composition should include at least 60% legumes (alfalfa or clover) and 40% fresh grass.

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Consult your veterinarian about the vaccines and vitamins/minerals required for the calf. Depending on health status and age, as well as living environment, newborn calves need to be injected with Vitamins A, D and E, Selenium ( only for selenium deficiency areas!), etc..

You need to take calves for additional vaccinations if they are not protected against diseases such as diarrhea, or do not absorb the mother’s colostrum. Calves 2 to 3 months old need several vaccines.

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Maintain the cleanliness of the livestock barn. Change the straw with new one each day, and use a fork and shovel (or one of the forks used to collect manure) to clear away manure or dirty straw. In addition, you should check the eating area to see if they have pooped, and if so, empty the food immediately.

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Observe for abnormalities in calves. If the calf has diarrhea, an infection (eg, arthritis or umbilicus), breathing problems, or any other suspicious symptoms, you should call your veterinarian immediately.

Sometimes you will panic when you see a calf coughing for some reason. They may cough or sneeze due to food getting stuck in their throat or accidentally inhaling dust or too much food. If the calf occasionally coughs or sneezes, there is nothing to worry about. But in the event that it persists and other symptoms appear, you need to contact your veterinarian immediately.
Not feeding at a fixed time will cause stomach upset and diarrhea, so you need to feed them on a fixed schedule to avoid this.
Inspect calves for ticks, fleas, lice and other potentially infectious parasites. In addition, you need to use a spray to kill mosquitoes.

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Continue to feed, nurture and care for the calves, then they will transition to weaning and become a healthy cow!

Advice

Schedule feeding, care and health checks for calves. This helps keep things going, ensuring that the calf’s delicate digestive system is not adversely affected.
Raising calves outdoors (early spring, summer, early fall) is one of the easiest measures to implement. You can keep calves with other animals (especially goats) to allow the calves to get used to food, water, eating areas, and stables.
Always have colostrum ready in any case. There are times when you will need this type of food.
If appropriate, you can release the calves to graze. They start to eat grass when they are a few days old.
Feed the calves a daily amount of milk equivalent to 10% of the calf’s body weight. Divide milk into 2 to 3 servings daily.
The wire cage is strong enough to keep the calves inside.
Place calves in a well-ventilated and safe area.

Warning

Dairy calves are more likely to die from disease than beef calves. You need to be very careful when bottle-feeding calves.
Calves are powerful animals, so it’s important to know the right approach to minimize the risk of headbutting or kicking.
Do not keep bulls as pets. They can be incredibly dangerous because they have no submissive nature. To avoid unfortunate accidents, you should not come into close contact with male calves or should have them spayed as soon as possible.

Steps

Advice

Warning

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