Expert: Karin - 5/8/2011

Question
Hi Karin! We had recently bought a baby cow that we have to bottle feed. We know you are suppose to feed them around the same time every day but if one day we feed her at 3:00pm and the next day 3:45pm only for one day is that bad. Also can you please explain to me why. We also have goats and bred them for the first time. One had 3 and the other 2. This is not our first time bottle feeding them and some time the time we feed them fluctuates. Why is there a difference.
THANKS!!!!!! Allison(:(:

Answer
Hi Allison,

The time you feed them depends on the calf's age.  If she's more than a week old, you should be feeding her once every 12 hours (morning and evening), not once every 24 hours.  But then again you didn't post her age so I can't really be sure.  I would also like to know her weight and how much you are giving her each day.  

Now as to the why part of not going according to schedule, it's because you could upset the calf's digestive system. Feeding too much milk will make the calf get diarrhea.  Feed too little and she'll gorge herself on the milk and also get diarrhea.  Neither case is all that great.  As to why the time you feed them fluctuates depends on your personal schedule.  I don't know what you do or where you live, so I can't really answer that sort of question.  But I do suggest, based on her age (which I believe has to be around 1 week of age or less), to split the feedings to twice a day.  If she's younger than a week old (like a few days old, typical of a calf that is recently bought), feed her once every 8 hours, the same time every day until she's a week old.  It's okay if you vary the feedings by +/- 10 minutes, but not as much as over 30 minutes or even 45 minutes.

And, congrats on the new kids! :)

Hope this answers your questions.

-Karin