Cleveland County 4-H Dairy Steer Project Guide

Transcription

1 leveland ounty 4-H Dairy Steer Project Guide A Practical How-To Guide for Raising Your 4-H Dairy Steer loverbud Basic Guidelines Provided by: leveland ounty 4-H 130 S. Post Road, Suite 1 Shelby, N (704) For more information on the project go to: A arolina Farm redit ountry Mortgages

2 Here are some of the supplies you will need. Milk Replacer - This is the powdered milk that you receive when you pick up your calf. Milk Bottle or Pail - You will need to feed your calf milk replacer with the bottle and nipple we supply or you can teach your calf to drink from the the top of a bucket. If you want to use a bucket, we can show you how to train your calf to do this. Feed and Water ontainers You will need a clean bucket for water and a box or small bucket to put feed in. leaning and Sanitizing Supplies- You must clean your bottle or bucket after each feeding. You can have your parents help you mix Bleach, Water and Dishwashing Liquid to use for the cleaning. Feed Storage You will need a large plastic trash can (with a lid) to keep your feed in. This will keep mice and bugs out of your feed. An old soup can will make a great feed scoop. First Aid Kit- You will need help from your parents with these supplies. You will need a rectal thermometer and scour medicine. We will provide you with the scour medicine. Rope Halter- This will be used to teach your calf to lead. We are going to make these in one of our first meetings. Manure Fork and Wheelbarrow- These will help you keep your calf s stall clean and dry. Bedding- You may use any type of bedding such as Wood Shavings, Straw or Sand. You must make sure the calf s stall is clean and dry at all times. This will help your calf stay healthy!

3 Stall or alf Hutch Management Usually, your calf will stay in this area until you wean him. It is important to keep his stall very clean and dry. If you do not keep this area clean and dry, it will be very easy for your calf to become sick and possibly die. Dirty stalls and hutches are the main reason baby calves that are being raised on the bottle get sick. The best time to clean your stall or hutch is after you have fed your baby calf. It is important to keep your calf away from any other animals until he is weaned. He can get germs and become sick because of these animals. First Signs of Sickness Will not drink milk- Your calf should drink his milk at each feeding. If he does not want his milk, he could be getting sick. Droopy Ears- A healthy calf will hold his ears up and out. If he is sick, his ears will droop down. Scours- Loose manure or diarrhea is a sure sign something is wrong with your calf. If you notice your calf showing any of these signs, you must tell your parents immediately! It is very important your calf is treated with electrolytes or medicine as soon as possible. Baby calves are very fragile and will not last long if they are not treated with the proper medications. Make sure you stay familiar with your calf. By doing this, you will be better able to notice any changes in his health.

4 Feeding Your alf Since your calf does not have a mother, you will be responsible for making sure he gets the proper care and feeding. You will feed your calf milk replacer from either a bottle or a bucket. You will need to feed him twice a day. You must make sure the feedings are at the same time each day. Example: In the beginning, if you start feeding at 8:00am and 4:30pm, feed at those times each day until he is weaned. If you are a couple of hours late or miss a feeding, your calf could get sick. Make sure you supply fresh water and medicated starter feed during the first week. Only give him a small handful of feed to start. Once he begins to pick up this feed, you can start adding a little more. If you give him too much and he doesn t eat it, the feed will become stale and you will have to throw it out. When you mix the milk, you will use the cup which is included in the bag. You will mix one cup of powdered milk in a bottle full of very warm water. Put the powder into the bottle first, then add water. Hint: Have your parents cut a gallon milk jug in half and use the top half as a funnel for putting the powder in your bottle. Shake well or use a wire whisk to mix the milk. Make sure the powder is dissolved completely. Put the nipple on the bottle carefully and feed your calf. While you are feeding your calf, he may bump the bottle very hard. He may even knock it out of your hand, pull the nipple off and spill the milk. If this happens, don t worry. This is a natural action for calves. While they are nursing, they will bump their mother s udders to make them let more milk down. If the milk spills, make up enough to finish feeding your calf. Just be prepared and hold on tight!

5 leaning Your Equipment After you have fed your calf, given him fresh feed, clean water and cleaned out his stall, you will need to clean his bottle or bucket. Always wear old clothes when you are using your bottle cleaner. The Bleach can cause stains on clothing. Use the sanitizing mixture of Bleach, Water and Dishwashing Detergent to wash the bottle or bucket. If you do not have a bottle brush, you may put an old washcloth in your bottle with some sanitizer. Put your hand over the mouth of the bottle and shake it very well. The cloth will loosen any milk that might be left in the bottle. Be sure to rinse it well with clean water. Also, be sure to remember to wash the nipple inside and out. heck your calf s water and feed containers daily for any dirt or manure. These containers need to stay as clean as possible. Quality Time With Your alf After all your chores are done, you can spend some quality time with your calf. He will enjoy any attention you give him. If you have an old soft-bristle horse brush, your calf will love a good grooming once a day. By spending time brushing, rubbing, petting and talking to your calf, he will learn to trust you and be more willing to follow directions when you start teaching him to lead. If you can, try to spend some of this quality time out in the warm sunshine. Your calf will love being in the sun while you are tending to him. Good Luck!