AGuidefor4-HMembers,ParentsandLeaders

L a s t U p d a t e O n F e b r u a r y 2 0 , 2 0 1 8

4-HBucketCalfProject

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TableofContentsIntroduction....................................................................................................................................3

ProjectGuidelines.........................................................................................................................4WheretobuyCalves.....................................................................................................................7

HowMuchDoesAcalfCost?.......................................................................................................8Housingforyourcalf?..................................................................................................................9

FeedingyourCalf.........................................................................................................................11FeedingaNewbornCalf.......................................................................................................................11BottleFeedingyourCalf......................................................................................................................11HowOftentoFeed................................................................................................................................................12MilkReplacers........................................................................................................................................................12

Table1:MilkReplacerCalculations......................................................................................13ProjectRecommendMilkReplacer.......................................................................................13FeedingCalvesAfterTheyAreStarted..........................................................................................13CalfStarters.............................................................................................................................................................13WaterisImportant..............................................................................................................................................14

WeaningYourCalf.......................................................................................................................15Weaning....................................................................................................................................................15

Table2:CalfStarterDiet...........................................................................................................15

Table3:CalfStarterRation......................................................................................................16

Table4:AlternativeCalfGrowerDiet(1/2tonMix)........................................16Table5:AlternativeCalfGrowerRation(After4monthsofage)...................17MonitorCalfGrowth.............................................................................................................................17

KeepingYourCalfHealthy........................................................................................................18IsYourCalfSickorWell?....................................................................................................................18Whatisnormal?....................................................................................................................................................18

AppearanceandBehavior..................................................................................................................18Howdoesasickcalflook?Whatisnotnormal.......................................................................................19CalfScours...............................................................................................................................................................20

Antibiotics................................................................................................................................................22Resources.......................................................................................................................................234-HBucketProject......................................................................................................................24

RegistrationForm.......................................................................................................................24

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Thereareseveralreasonsforraisingcalveswithouttheirmother.Occasionally,acowdiesgivingbirthordoesn’tproduceenoughmilktosupportagrowingcalf.Somepeoplebuycalvestoraiseforbeefandtousegrassgrownonafewacres.Someareboughttohelpcontrolweeds.Italsomakesagreatbeginning4-HorFFAbeefproject.The4-HBucketCalfProjectisdesignedtointroduceyouth5to18yearsoldtobeefanddairy4-Hprojects.Byallowingyouththeexperienceofworkingwithasmaller,lessintimidatingsizeofanimal,theybecomecomfortablewithbeefanddairycattleastheygrow.Thisprojectisdesignedtoreachcompletioninonecalendaryear.Abucketcalfisanorphanornewborncalfpurchasedwhentheyare2to14daysold.Thecalvesmustbebeefordairysteers.Thecalvesarestartedonabottle(orbucket)andnipple.Thepurposeoftheprojectis:

• Todesignacattleprojecttofitthephysicalsizeandmaturitylevelofyouthbeingintroducedintothecattleindustry.

• Toteachproperhealthcareandnutritionalrequirementsofyoungcattle.• Toteachbasicbeefmanagementskillswithoutalargeinvestment.• Toprovideabetterunderstandingofthefeedercattleindustry.

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1. Projectparticipantmustbea4-Hmemberingoodstandingbetweentheageof5

and18yearsold.

2. Onlyonecalfperyearperprojectparticipant.

3. Oncea4-H’erhasselectedand/purchasedacalf,theymustregisterthecalfintheproject.Theregistrationcostis$30.RegistrationmustbeturnedinnolaterthanApril30,2018.Afterthecalfisregisteredintheproject,thecalfwillbetaggedwithanofficialeartag.

4. Selectand/orpurchaseaBEEFBREEDcalfbornbetweenOctober1-April30

orDAIRYBREEDcalfbornbetweenMarch1-April30ofthecurrentprojectyear.Calvesshouldbeatleast120daysoldbythefinalshowinNovember.

5. Projectparticipantsareresponsibleformaintainingthe4-HBucketCalfRecordBookthroughouttheproject.TherecordbookmustbeturnedinbytheendofthefinalshowheldinNovemberofthecurrentprojectyear.

6. BeginProject-Selectand/orpurchaseacalfwithintwoweeksofbirth.Calf

ownershipshouldberegisteredatProjectKickOff.

7. Identification-Tagcalfwithofficial4-HeartagbyProjectKickOff.

8. ProjectClasses:

a. ShowmanshipClasses(dividedbyparticipant’sage)

Showmanshipisdefinedastheabilitytopresentyouranimaltothebestofitsgeneticabilityandinvolvesknowingthebasicskillsoftheshowring,whilebringingattentiontotheanimal’sstrengthsandminimizingtheanimal’sweaknesses.Thejudgemayalsotest4-H’ersontheirknowledgeoftheiranimal,projectexperienceandindustryknowledge.

b. MarketClasses(dividedbycalfweight)

A good market steer has a powerful look with a large volume of muscle. Look for muscle expression and thickness at and through his top, rump and hindquarter. Another important criteria is a correct degree of finish to indicate quality and cutability in the carcass he will yield. He will have a wide chest with depth and spring of rib with a long body and a moderate frame size, this will allow his weight to range between 1,100 to 1,300 pounds.

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c. SalesTalkClasses(dividedbyparticipant’sage)

TheSalesTalkcontestevaluatesanindividual’sabilitytoeffectivelypresentandmarkettheiranimaltoprospectivebuyers.Thisisdoneusingamocksalessituationcompletewithaliveanimalandpotentialbuyers.Contestantsarejudgedonknowledgeoftheiranimal,abilitytounderstandwhatthepotentialbuyersarelookingfor,andoveralleffectivenessinconvincingthejudgestobuytheanimal.

1. DecisionsoftheSalesTalkCoordinatorarefinal.

2. Thesalestalkshallnotexceed5minutes.

3. Participantsshallmaketheirpresentationtoapanelof2-3judgeswhocanaskquestionsattheendofthetalk.

4. Youmustuseyourcalf–notapicture–duringthetalk.

Anotherexhibitormustholdyourcalfwhilethetalkisbeinggiven.

5. Contestantswillbegradedon4categories–

a. KnowledgeoftheAnimal–performanceand

accuracyofpresentation.

b. Presentation–originality,organizationandabilitytorelateinformationabouttheanimaltothejudges.

c. Poise&Delivery–articulation,composure,response

toquestions,gesturesandeyecontact.

d. OverallEffectiveness–Howconvincingwasthesalespitch?Werethejudgesactuallysoldontheanimal?

d. CostumeClass

Anoptionalcostumeclassisalsoafunwayforparticipantstoexhibittheirproject.Boththe4-H’erandcalfaredressedinacostumeforthisclass.Nocostumeshouldcauseharmtothecalforrestricttheanimalnaturemovement.

e. MasterBucketCalfProjectParticipant(combinesscoringofshowmanshipclass,marketclass,saletalkclassandrecordbook)

Thisclassisforbestoverallparticipantateachshow.Thewinnerwillbedeterminedbycombiningthescoring/placingofeach4-H’erintheirshowmanshipclass,marketclass,salestalkcontest

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andrecordbookcontest.The4-H’erwiththehighoverallscorewillbedeemedthewinner.

9. EndProject-Projectendswhencalfissoldatweaningage,asafeedercalforendof4-Hyear.

10. SaleofAnimal-Allprojectparticipantsareresponsibleforthesaleoftheir

animalattheconclusionoftheproject.

11. Inthecaseofdeathofthecalf,norefundorreplacementanimalwillbeprovided.Theparticipantmayturninarecordbookforcompetition.

12. BucketCalfRecordBooksshouldbeturnedinonorbeforeJanuary2018.Fora

copyoftheBucketCalfRecordBook,visittheLaurensCounty4-HwebpageorthevisittheLaurensCounty4-Hoffice.

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Itisbesttobuycalvesatthefarmwheneverpossible.However,youcanbuycalvesthroughdealersthatpickupcalvesatthefarmanddeliverthemtoyou.Experienceddealersknowhowtocareforcalvesintransit.Salebarnsaretheeasiestmarketforboththebuyerandsellerbutcanrequireextracareforthecalveswhenyougetthemhome.Thesecalvesareexposedtodiseasesandareunderstressfrombeingmovedtoandfromthesaleorauction.Careattheoriginatingfarmmayhavebeenlessthandesirablewithcalvessoldthroughsalebarns.Calvesmaybepurchasedatthefarmfromdairyorbeefproducers.Formorehelponlocatingcalves,contactyoulocalCooperativeExtensionOffice.

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Pricesvarydependingondemand,health,breed,andlocation.Typicallydairybreedsaremoreavailableand,thereforelessexpensive.Priceswillvaryfrom$50allthewayupto$500inextremesituations.Anaveragepriceshouldbe$150unlessthereareotherpricefactors.

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Likeallwarm-bloodedanimals,dairycalveshaveonlyaveryfewbasicrequirementsfornormalgrowthandhealth—freshwater,properfood,andadequateshelter.Abucketcalf’shousingneedsaresimple,butittakesatrulyconcernedand“caringeye”toseethatthesesimpleneedsaremet.Thereisprobablynoothermanagementprogramthatvariesmorefromoneprojecttothenextasmuchascalfhousing.Keepcalvesinindividualpensuntiltheyreachweaningage.Separatepenspreventthecalvesfromsucklingonanotherandreducethespreadofcalfdisease.Housingcalvesindividuallyallowsyoutowatchthecalf’sdailyfeedintakeandmonitoritfordiarrhea(alsocalledscours).Preferablyarrangetousebarnsorpensthatcanbeemptiedcompletelyforbriefperiodsbeforestartingmorecalves.Afteracalfisremoved,cleanandsanitizetheentirepentoprepareforanothercalf.Avarietyofhousingsystemsworkwell,providedthateachmeetsthefollowingminimumrequirements:

1. Preventdirectcontactamongcalvesfrombirthtoatleasttwoweeksafterweaning.Thisreducestheriskofyoungcalvestransmittingdiseasestoeachother.Althoughafewproducersreportsuccesswith“warmhousing”(indoors)orwithelevatedslotted-floorstalls,themostpopularmethodofhousingforyoungcalvesistheindividualcalfhutch.Suitablecalfhutchescanbemadeonfarmorpurchased.Threemajoradvantagesofhutchesare:(1)theyarerelativelyinexpensive,(2)theyareeasytocleanandsanitizeaftereachcalf,and(3)theyareeasytomovetoanew,cleanlocationaftereachuse.

2. Provideshadefromdirectsolarradiation.It’snotthatthecalfshouldn’thave

accesstodirectsunlight,butthecalfmustbeallowedaccesstoshadeifneeded.Heat-stressedcalveswillgoofffeed,becomehyperthermic,andmayevendie.Outdoorcalfpensmustbepartiallycoveredandwalledtopreventexcessiveheatcausedbythesunandtoguardagainstcoldwinterrainsandwind.Pensopentotheeastgainwarmthfromthemorningsunandprovideshadeduringthehotterpartsoftheday.Rainseldomfallsfromtheeast.

Hutchesagainworkwellforyoungcalvesupto2weeksafterweaning.Besurethehutchesarewellventilatedsothattheydon’tbecomeaminiatureovenonhothumiddays.Onceoldercalvesaregroupedtogether,naturalshadefromtreesorshadefromproperlymanagedshadestructures(barns,shadenetting,etc.)isadequate.Makesurethereisenoughsquarefootageofshadeforallcalves.Checktheshadedareafrequentlyandpreventitfrombecomingadamp,manure-ladenbreedinggroundfordisease.

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3. Provideaclean,dryplaceforthecalftoliedown.Calfhousingshouldbebeddedtokeepthecalvescomfortableanddry.Sawdust,shavingsorstrawaremostcommonlyusedforbedding.Ifthebaseunderthebeddingallowsdrainage,youcansimplyaddbeddingeveryfewdaystoprovideadrybedforyourcalves.Ifthebaseisconcreteorsomeothersolidmaterial,youneedtoremovethesoiled,wetbeddingatleastweeklyandreplenishitwithcleanbedding.Youmaywanttoplanforanextrapeninthiscasetoconfinethecalfwhileyoucleanitspen.Theconstantexposuretoalargepopulationofharmfulbacteriawilleventuallyoverpowerthecalf’snaturalresistanceandpredisposethecalftodisease.Ifacalfhasnoalternativebuttolieondampbedding,thebeddingwillconductbodyheatawayfromher.Thislossofbodyheatstealsenergythatthecalfcouldhaveusedforgrowth.Hutchesarefrequentlybeddedwithstraw,woodshavings,sand,orfinegravel.Oldercalvesgroupedonpasturewilltendtofindcleandryplacestoliedown,providedthereareadequateshadedareas.

4. Provideventilationwithoutbeingdrafty.Ventilationshouldprovidefreshair

atalltimeswithoutdraftsblowingdirectlyonthecalves.Anammoniasmellindicatesmorefreshairisneeded.Allowmoreairintotheareathroughbroad,continuousopeningsinthebarnorhutchtopreventdraft.Ayoungcalf’srespiratorysystemnormallyharborspotentiallyharmfulbacteria,butthecalf’snaturaldefensesystemkeepsthemincheck.Stagnantairtrapsbeddingvaporsthatirritatethecalf’srespiratorysystemandweakentheyoungcalf’snaturaldefenses.Thiscanleadtolaboredbreathing,coughing,pneumonia,etc.Toomuchventilationcanleadtodraftsthatcreateproblemsforcalvesincoldweather.Toomuchairmovement,especiallyunderacalfinanelevatedstallwithmeshfloor,canchillthecalfandrobitofenergyneededforgrowth.Thedesignofmostcommercialhutchesallowssteadyairmovementwithoutdraft.Alargepartofsuccesswithcalfhutchesdependsonproperorientationwithslopeoftheland,pathofthesun,anddirectionoftheprevailingwind.

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FeedingaNewbornCalfThefirstandmostimportantfeedgivenanewborncalfiscolostrum.Makesurethecalfhashadcolostrumafterbeingborn.Colostrumisthefirstmilkproducedbycowsandismadebythedamforabout3to7daysafterthemothergivesbirth.Itisthecalf’sprimarysourceofnutritionandfluids.Itisessentialtothewellbeingofthenewborncalfbecausecolostrumcontainsessentialantibodiesthathelpthecalfimmediatelyfightoffinfectiousdiseasesandnutritionaldeficienciesandgetsyourcalfofftoagoodstart.Theantibodiesincolostrumareabsorbedthroughthecellsoftheintestinalliningandintothebloodstreamwheretheycaneffectivelyfightoffdisease.Frombirthto6hours,nearly100percentoftheavailableantibodiesareabsorbedfromthegut.After6hours,theabsorptionratedeclinessignificantly,andby24hoursverylittleantibodyisabsorbed.Acalfneeds4to5percentofitsbodyweightincolostrumbythetimeitis12hoursoldandpreferablywithin1to2hours.Foran85-poundcalf,thismeansaminimumof2quarts(4pints).Ifthecalfdoesnotgetthiscolostrumitwilllikelybecomesickandmaydie.Eachcalfshouldreceive8to10percentofitsbodyweight,aboutonegallon,ofcolostruminthefirst24hours.Feeditfromasingle,cleannipplebottle.Continuefeedingcolostrumtothenewbornthroughthefirst3daysifcolostrumisavailable.Eventhoughantibodiesarenotabsorbed,theycanstillprotectthegutlocally,whichhelpresistinfectiousscours.

BottleFeedingyourCalfAcalfwillinstinctivelynurseitsmother,butnursinganipplebottleordrinkingfromabucketisanewlearningexperience.Teachingacalftosuckfromanipplebottleismucheasierthanteachingonetodrinkfromabucket.Anipplebottleisconvenientformeasuringthecorrectamountofliquidfeed.Theeasiestwaytoteachyourcalftoconsumemilkormilkreplaceristotakeadvantageofthecalf’sinstincts.Sincecalveswillinstinctivelynurse,insertoneortwofingersinitsmouth(yes,theyhaveteeth,butonlyonthebottom)andletthecalfstartsucking.Theninsertthenippleofthebottleinitsmouthandletitcontinuetosuck.Ifbucketfeedingisused,forcethecalf’smouthintothebucketofmilkwhileitissuckingonyourfinger.Inadditiontocolostrumfedatbirth,calvesneedmilkforthefirst6weeksoflife.Afterthat,theycandigestvegetablestarchesandsugars.Furthermilkfeedingisnutritiousbutmaybemorecostlythanfeedingcerealgrains.Thereisatendencytofeedthebabycalftoomuchandtheoldercalftoolittle.Pasteurizeddairyfarmtankmilkormilkreplacershouldbefedatarateofatleastone

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bottletwiceadayorupto10percentofthecalf’sbodyweightforthefirst6weeks.Forexample,10percentofan85-poundcalfis8.5poundsor1gallon.Allliquidsshouldbefedatroomorbodytemperature.Thisallowsthecalftomoreeasilyregulateitsbodytemperatureandmakesdrinkingofsucklingeasier.Whilenipplebottlealloweasierfeedingwithnewborns,oldercalveseasilylearntodrinkfromashallowbucket.

HowOftentoFeedCalvesarefairlyadaptabletoavarietyofmanagementpractices;however,asuccessfulcalffeedingprogramshouldbeasconsistentaspossibledaytoday.Whilecalvesaregenerallyfedtwoequalfeedingsperday,weakcalvesbenefitfrommorefrequentfeedingofthesametotalamount.Singledailyfeedingmayincreasetheincidenceofscoursbecauseofthehighintakeoftotalsolidsduringasingle,shortmeal.Theprojectrecommendsfeedingatleasttwoequalfeedingsperday.Thoroughlycleananyutensilsusedtofeedcalves.Milkresidue,colostrum,orreplacerisagreatgrowinggroundfordisease-causingbacteria.Playitsafeandensureminimumexposurebythoroughlycleaningandsanitizingallutensilsusedaftereachfeeding.Storeequipmentinaclean,dryplace.

MilkReplacersNewborncalveslacksufficientenzymestousesuchnon-milkfoodstuffsasgrains,sugars,vegetables,andforages.Therefore,goodmilkreplacersaremadefromdriedmilkandmilkbyproductssuchasskimmilk,buttermilkorwheywithanimalorvegetablefats,antibodies,vitamins,andminerals.Milkreplacerscanbefedastheonlyfoodsourceoncecolostrumhasbeenprovided.Itmaybefedalongwithagoodcalfstarterasacombinationormixedration.Differentmilkreplacersareavailable.Baseyourchoiceofmilkreplacersprimarilyonqualityratherthanprice.Qualitydependsonthelevelandsourceofprotein,fat,andcarbohydrate.Agoodmilkreplacerwillcontainatleast22percentproteinand15percentfat.Becauseoffatlevel,itiseasiertomixwhenwarmwaterisadded.Formostcalves,10percentfatinthemilkreplacerisadequate.However,at20percentfatthereislessdiarrheaandfastergrowthincalves.Calvesraisedincoldenvironmentgrowbetterwhenfedreplacerscontainingmorefat(anenergysource)duringthewintermonths.Milkreplacersshouldcontainatleast20percentproteinwhentheproteinisfrommilkproducts.Whenspeciallyprocessedsoyproteinisusedextensively,theproteinlevelshouldbehigh(22to24percent).Milkreplacermaybefedwarm,butnotabove1000F,Mixingsmalleramountsallowsforeasiermixing.Avoidchangesinamountortemperatureofmilkorreplacer.Followlabelinstructionswhenusingmilkreplacer.Holdingthelevelofliquidfeedconstantencouragesthecalftoconsumecalfstarterasitssizeandappetiteincrease.Acalfneeds8percentofitsbirthweightinmilkormilkreplaceraday.Ifacalfweighs100poundsatbirthitshouldbefed8poundsofliquidintwoequalfeedingseachday(Table1).Likewise,acalfweighting80poundsshouldbefedabout6.5poundseachdayintwoequalfeedings(Table1).

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100lbsX0.08=8lbs

8lbs=1gal 1gal=4quarts

So,feed2quartsperfeeding,twiceaday.

80lbsX0.08=6.4lbs

8lbs=1gal 1gal=4quarts 1quart=2lbs

So,feedapproximately1.75quartseachfeedingEachcalfshouldbefedfromaseparatenipplebottleorbuckettoavoidspreadingdiseasesfromonecalftoanother.Calvesraisedseparatelydobest.Separatepenswillreducediseasetransmissionandmakeiteasiertofeed.Watershouldbemadeavailableforthecalfeventhoughitisbeingfedmilkormilkreplacer.Itisbesttoofferwateratleast20minutesafterfeedingtheliquidfeedbecausewaterhelpsmaintaintheclottingenzyme(rennet),whichisneededinthecalf’sstomach.Milkreplacersdesignedforcalvesmorethan4weeksoldshouldnotbeusedforyoungercalves.Carefullyfollowthelabeldirectionsonthemilkreplacerbag.

Provider NameofProductTractorSupply NewberryFeed

FeedingCalvesAfterTheyAreStartedWithinafewdaysafterthecalfisborn,itshouldbeencouragedtoconsumedryfeed,bothcalfstarterandhay,toavoidupsetstomachsandpreventnutritionalscours.Dryfeedconsumptionisnecessaryforthecalftodevelopafunctionalrumen.Inthebeginning,feedsmallamountsofcalfstarterandagrassorgrass-legumehay.Hayqualityisveryimportant.Lookforhaywithgreencolor,finestems,andmanyleaves.Itisimportanttokeepthedryfeedfresh,sodonotfeedmorethanthecalfwillcleanupinaday.Oncethecalfstartseatingdryfeed,cleanwatershouldbemadeavailableatalltimes.

CalfStartersThefirstdryfeedofferedtocalvesiscalled“starter.”Starterisaverypalatable,coarsetexturedorpelletedconcentrateorgrainmix.Itshouldcontain75to80percenttotaldailynutritionalrequirementsand15to20percentcrudeprotein.Calfstartersshouldbecoarselyground,rolled,orpelleted.Ifthestarterisgroundtoofine,palatabilityandfeedintakegodown.Coarse,dryfeedpromotesdevelopmentofthecalf’sfirststomach,calledtherumen,andprovidesnutrientsforgrowth.

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Abucketisconvenientforencouragingcalvestoconsumecalfstarter(adryfeed,whichcanbeputinthebucketasacalffinishesthemilkreplacer).Teachyourcalftoeatdryfeedassoonaspossible.Placeasmallamountinitsmouthaftereachmilkfeedingorplaceasmallamountinthefeedboxtoencourageyourcalftoeat.Abouthalfapint,oraquarterpoundofgrain,isallasmallcalfwilleateachday.Increasetheamountgraduallyasyourcalfiseatingabout2to3poundsofgrainat3monthsofageandabout3to5poundsofgrainat6monthsofage(dependingonthebreedandconditionofthecalf).Goodcalfstarterscontainadequateprotein,vitamins,andminerals.Youcanpurchasedpreparedcalfstartersfrommostfeeddealers.Feedthestarteraccordingtorecommendationsonthecontainer.Adairycowgrainmixwith16percentproteinisagoodcalfstarter.Itshouldn’tcontainproteinornitrogenfromurea.Calvescan’tuseureauntiltheirrumeniscompletelydeveloped.

WaterisImportantMakeclean,freshwateravailableatalltime.Topreventthecalffromdrinkingtoomuchwateratonetime,putthewaterinadifferencecontainerandlocationthanyouusedformilkfeeding.

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WeaningWeaning-meanschangingthecalf’sdietfromonecomposedmostlyofmilk(bottlefeeding)toonethatisalldryfeed.Itisnotpracticaltofeedmilkormilk-replaceraftercalvesareconsumingenoughdryfeedtocontinuegrowingwell.Calvescanbeweanedbetween4and8weeksofage.Weancalveswhentheirstarterintakeis1½to2poundsperday.Insomecases,calvesmustbemaintainedlongeronliquidfeedbecauseoflowgrainintake.Ascalvesmature,lowerorincreasetheamountofgrainyoufeedthemtomeetthedesiredweightgainandtherelativespricesofgrainandroughages.Thechangefromadietcomposedofmilkanddryfeedtoonethatisalldryfeedcancreatesomestressonyourcalf.Thisisonereasonwhyitisimportantforyourcalftoeatcalfstarterandhayatanearlyage,soitwillbesomewhatadjustedtodryfeed.Youcanquitfeedingmilkasyouweanaslongasplentyofclean,freshwaterisavailable.Calvesreceivinglargeramountofliquidfeedcanbegraduallyweanedtoreducetrauma.Ingeneral,earlyweaningreducesfeedandlaborcosts.Calvesshouldconsumesomehighproteinhayforatleastaweekbeforetheyareweaned.Thegrowthanddevelopmentoftherumenaswellasthenutritionalrequirementsofyoungcalvesdependmostlyongrainsbutalsoonforages.Thekeyfordeterminingwhenacalfcanbeweanedistheamountofcalfstarteritiseating.Calvescanbeweanedwhentheyareconsumingatleast1.5poundsofcalfstarterdietlistedbelow(SeeTable2).Calvesshouldalsobeprovidedtrace-mineralizedsaltatalltimeinalocationoutoftheweather,especiallyifitisnotprovidedinthefeedration.Analternativerationthatmakes½tonmixoffeedislocatedinTable3).

Corn,Cracked 52poundsOats,Rolled 50poundsSoybeanMeal 19.5poundsMolasses,Liquid 7.1poundsLimestone,Ground 1poundTraceMineralSalt .25poundVitaminSupplement Shouldsupply1000I.U.ofVitA,and

140I.U.ofVitE/lbofstarter.)

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Corn(Cracked)orMilo(Rolled) 400lbsOats(CrimpedorCourseGround) 200lbsWheatBranorBarley 100lbsSoybeanMealorCottonseed 165lbsDehydratedAlfalfaPellets 70lbsDicalciumPhosphate 10lbsTraceMineralizedSalt 5lbsVitaminDSupplement 250,000IUVitaminA(Stablized) 2,500,000IUAureomycinorTerramycin 15gmLiquidMolasses(Ifavailable) 50lbsPrairieHayorGreenAlfalfa FreeChoiceTheamountofnutrientsconsumedisimportanttotherecentlyweanedcalfinorderforittocontinuegrowingwell.Untilthecalfisabout3monthsold,continuefeedingallofthecalf-starteryourcalfwilleat,plusfreechoicehay.Atthattime,alessexpensivegrowermixcouldreplacethemoreexpensivecalfstarter(Table4).Analternativecalfgrowerration(After4MonthsofAge)islocatedinTable4below.

Corn,Cracked 76poundsSoybeanMeal 17poundsMolasses,Liquid 5poundsLimestone,Ground 1.2poundsTraceMineralSalt 0.3poundDicalciumPhosphate 0.3poundSalt 0.2poundVitaminSupplement VitaminA

VitaminDVitaminEAdditives:

1000IU/lb140IU/lb20IU/lbLasalocidand/orotherCoccidiostatmaybeadded

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Corn(Cracked)orMilo(Rolled) 700lbs Weaningisastressfulexperienceforcalves.Youmaynoticethatyourcalfmaybawlformilkforacoupleofdays,especiallynearfeedingtime.Becausethechangeofdietcausesstress,theonlythingyoushouldatweaningistodiscontinuefeedingitsliquidportionofthediet.Doingotherthingssuchasmovingittoagrouppen,dehorning,vaccinating,etc.,cancauseadditionalstress.Cleanwateralongwithclean,dryhousingwithprotectionfromtheelementswilleaseanystressproblems.

MonitorCalfGrowthCheckweightgainstodetermineifcalvesaregrowingatthedesiredrate.Periodicallycheckingcalfweightandheightalsohelpsyouevaluateyourfeedingprogram.Alsoobservebodyconditionandskeletalgrowth.Over-conditionedorfatcalvesmaybereceivingtoomuchfeedortherationmaybelowinprotein.Lackofconditionorskinnycalvesindicatesunderfeedingorpoorqualityfeed.Ifyoudon’thaveaccesstoscalesforweighingyourcalf,aweighingtapewillestimateitsweightaccurately.Youmaybeabletogetatapefromyourfeeddealerorbuyonefromafarmstore.Toestimateweight,placethetapearoundthecalf’sbodydirectlybehindthefrontlegs(theheartgirth).Makesurethecalfisstandingsquarelyonitsfeet.Havethetapefitfirmlybutnottight.Thenreadtheweightdirectlyfromthetape.

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Preventingdiseaseinthenewborncalfgetsthemofftoagoodstart,reducesdeathlosses,andischeaperthantreatingsickanimals.Observecalvesregularly,feedthemcorrectly,andprovidecleansurroundings.Regularuseofarectalthermometerhelpsdetectsickcalveswithfeverearly.Normalbodytemperatureis101.50F.Earlydetectionisessentialforeffectivetreatment.Seekadvicefromyourlocalveterinarianinplanningyourdiseasepreventionandtreatmentprogram.Theveterinarianknowsthediseasesmostprevalentinyourarea,appropriatevaccinations,andwillprescribepropercareanduseofdrugs.Yourveterinarianmaygiveadvicebyphoneatminimalcost.Calfraisersshouldnotvaccinateortreatcalveswithoutaveterinarian’sguidance.

IsYourCalfSickorWell?

Whatisnormal?Ifyouthinkyourcalfissick,itisagoodideatomakethefollowingchecksbeforeyoucalltheveterinarian.

• Respiration(breathingrate)-Simplywatchtheanimalbreatheandcountthenumberofbreathsperminute.Normalbreathsperminuteforcattlerangefrom20to28.

• Pulse(heartbeat)-youcanchecktheheartbeatbyholdingyourearagainstthelowerleftsideofthecalf’schestandlistentothebeats.Or,youcanfeelthepulsewithyourfingers,byputtingyourfingeronthearterythatcrossesthejawboneatthemiddleedgeofthelowerjaw.Normalheartbeatperminuteforcattlerangefrom60to70.

• Temperature-Forasmallamountofmoneyyoucanbuyananimalrectalthermometer.Besureandtieastringtotheendofthethermometertomaintaincontrol.Shakethemercurydownbelow98degrees,andtheninsertitintherectum.Whenthethermometerhasbeeninsidethecalfforonetotwominutes,pullitoutandwipeitoffwithapapertowelordryrag.Thenreadthetemperature.Normaltemperatureis101.5degreeF.Becarefulnottotakethesetestsrightafteryourcalfhasbeenexcitedoroverheated.Also,outsidetemperatureshouldbetakenintoconsiderationalongwithactivitylevel.

AppearanceandBehaviorOneofthefirstthingsjuniorcalffeedersneedtolearnishowtotellifcalvesaresick,ormaybegettingsick.Beforeyoucantellifcalvesmightbestartingtogetsick,youneedtoknowhowtheyactwhenwell.Oneofthesignsofhealthycalvesiseating.Ifcalvesstarttoeatless,ordon’teatatall,thismaybeoneofthefirstsignsofsickness.Also,if

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calvesarealert,stretchtheirbackswhentheygetup,andareruminating,thenthey’reprobablynotsick.Ruminatingisacharacteristicofanimalswithacomplexdigestivesystemcalledruminants,suchascattleandsheep,butnotswineorhorses.Ruminantseatfastandthenlater“reprocess”thecoarserpartofwhattheyeat.Theydothisbyregurgitatingthesepartsbacktothemouth,re-chewingandmixingwithsaliva,andfinally,re-swallowing.Thisiscommonlyreferredtoas“chewingthecud”,andisasignofacontented,relaxed,usuallyhealthyanimal.Ifyouobserveclosely,youcanseethephysicalsignsofrumination.Ifyou’llwatchyourcalvesregularly,you’llbetterunderstandnormalbehavior.Then,ifcalvesstarttogetsick,you’llrecognizetheearlysigns.Butifyoudon’tknowhowahealthyanimalacts,youmaynotnoticeproblemsuntilacalfisverysick.

Howdoesasickcalflook?WhatisanotnormalNowwhataresomeofthesignsofsickcalves?Well,you’veprobablyalreadyguessedsomeofthemfromwhatwe’vealreadytalkedabout.We’llfirstjustlistsomesymptomsandthentalkaboutwhatmightcausethem:

1. Leavessomefeedorquitseatingentirely2. Dulleyes,notalert,droopyears3. Diarrhea(scours)4. RunnyNose5. DryNose6. Cough7. Temperature8. Swollenorpuffyleftside9. Limping10. Unusualskinconditions

AsI’vesaidbefore,ifcalvesleavesomefeedtheymaybeintheearlystageofsickness.Or,itmayjustbethatyou’regivingthemmorethantheywanttoeat.Dulleyes,droopyears,andgeneraldepressionalsomaybeearlysignsofproblemstocome.Diarrhea,alsocalledloosebowelsorscours,isusuallyasignofproblems.Thereareseveraltypesofscours.Loose,bubblyscourswithoutothersignsmaybeduetofeedingproblems,especiallytoomuchhighgrainfeed.Scoursalongwithothersymptomsmaybeduetosomekindofinfection.Scourswithbloodmaybeduetoaparticularinfectioncalledcoccidiosis.Arunnyordrynosealongwithcoughingisgenerallyasignofadvancedsickness,oftenarespiratoryinfection(lungs,throat,nose).Ifyouseethesesignsincalves,itisagoodideatotaketheirtemperature.Todothisyouneedarectalthermometer.Besuretogetthekindwithaholeinoneendsoyoucantieastringthroughthehole.Thiswillpreventthethermometerfrombeingdrawnupinsidetherectum,whichcouldcauseseriousinjury.

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Don’tbeconcernedifthetemperatureisalittlehigherthanyoumightexpect.Cattlehaveahighernormaltemperaturethanpeople.Thenormalrectaltemperatureofcattleisbetween101to102degrees,andthismaygoupadegreeorsoforsomeanimals,especiallyduringtheheatofthedayinsummer.Ifahumanhasatemperaturethishigh,they’reprobablysick,sincethenormaltemperatureofhumansisbetween98and99degrees.Someexpertsconsider104degreestobethedividinglineofaseriousconditionincattle.Respirationratealsocanbeaguide.Thenormalrateincattleisabout30breathsperminute(oneeverytwoseconds),overtwiceasfastashumans.Butthisratecanvaryalot.Ifcalveslookswelledorpuffeduphighontheleftsidejustinfrontofthehip,thisisduetoaconditioncalledbloat.Cattleordinarilybelchlargeamountsofgasduringdigestion.Butvariousthingscaninterferewiththisnormallossofgas.Severelybloatedcalvescandiequickly.Asuresignofproblemislimping.Thismaybeduetoinjury,hoovestrimmedtooclose,orinfectionssuchasfootrot.Swellingandheatjustabovethehoofaresignsoffootrot.Watchforvariouskindsofskinproblems.Lossofhairmaybecausedbysuchthingsasringworm,lice,ormange.Wartsalsocanbeaproblem.Thesearesomeofthemorecommonsignsofsicknessorunusualhealthconditionsincattle.Again,studyyourcalvescloselyeverydayandyou’llbemoreawareofpotentialproblems.Itisagoodideatowritedownsymptomsandconditionssowhenyoutalktoyourparents,CountyExtensionEducator,AgTeacher,veterinarian,orotheradvisorsthey’llhaveabetterideaofwhatmightbewrong.Onceyoudeterminethatyourcalfissick(ifyouhavenopreviousexperiencewithsickcalves)callaveterinarianimmediately.Thequickeryouinvolvesomeonewithanimalhealthexpertisethebetterthechanceyourcalfhasofaquickrecovery.Youngcalvesgetsickveryeasilyandwithaquickresponseandchallengingthedisease,youincreasetheirchanceofsurvival.Also,differentdiseasesrequiredifferentmedicinesforbestresults.Yourveterinarianwillbethemostuptodateonmedicationforspecificinfections.Thefollowingisprobablythemostcommonproblemwithbucketcalves.

CalfScoursOneofthemoredevastatingproblemswithyoungcalves,scoursmaybecausedby:bacteria,viruses,andnutritionalorenvironmentalfactors.Diarrheacausesdehydration,alossofwaterandmineralsfromthebody.Anirritationtothedigestivetractcausedbyoneoftheabovefactorsresultsininefficientdigestionoffood.Itissometimesdifficulttodistinguishscourscausedbyinfectionorganismsfromscourscausedbyotherfactorssuchasoverfeeding,irregularfeeding,orrapidchangesinfeed.Infectionscoursusuallyaffectsseveralcalveswithfoulsmellingdiarrhea,andsomeanimalsmaydiequickly.

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QuickTreatmentNecessaryByfar,themostimportanttreatmentforscoursisreplenishmentofvitalfluidsandelectrolytes.Numerouspowderedformulasareavailablecommerciallythathelpreturnfluidsintothecalfthatarelostinthediarrhea.Youshouldkeepasupplyonhandtomeetascoursproblem.Consultyourveterinarianforthebestproductandfortheamountofmixtureyouneedtogivesickcalves.Scouringcalvesareusuallylosingbodyweightbecauseofdehydration,andareunabletodigesttheirfoodwellenoughtomaintainorgainbodyweight.Thegreatestconcernforascouringcalfshouldbetoreplacethelossofmineralsandavoidbodyweightloss.Therefore,theimmediatetreatmentshouldbetoreplacethelostmineralsbyfeedinganelectrolytesolutioninadditiontomilkormilkreplacer.Effectiveelectrolytepowdersformixingwithwaterareavailablefromyourveterinarian.Theelectrolytesshouldbemixedaccordingtoinstructionsandfed10to15minutesafterthemilkormilkreplacer.Itisimportantnottofeedtheelectrolytesolutionimmediatelyafterthemilk,sincethesolutionwilldilutethemilktoomuchandwillaffectthedigestiveenzymes.Sinceascouringcalf’sdigestivesystemisupset,thefeedingscheduleshouldbechangedtoavoidoverloadingthesystem.Milkormilkreplacershouldbefedattherateof1percentofthecalf’sbirthweight,butthistotalamountshouldbedividedintofourequalfeedings.Agoodfeedingschedulewouldbe:morning,noon,evening,andbedtime.Thesameamountofelectrolytesolutionshouldbefedapproximately15minutesafterthemilk.Whenthescouringconditionbeginstosubside,thenumberoffeedingscanbereducedtothreetimesperdayandthentwotimesperday.Finally,theuseoftheelectrolytesolutioncanbewithdrawnduringathree-dayperiod.Formoreinformationaboutcalfscours,callorvisityourlocalcountyofficetheClemsonUnversityExtensionServiceoryourlocalveterinarian.Thefollowinglistcontainssomeotherdiseasesandproblemsthatyoushouldbeawareof:

• Bangs(Brucellosis)Heiferskeptforreplacementsmustbevaccinatedforthisdisease,atsixmonthsofage,whichcausesabortionsincattle.

• Blacklegisabacterialdiseasethatcanbepickedupfromsporesinthesoil.Signsinclude:swellinginneck,hipandshoulder,alongwithfever,lameness,anddepression.

• Bloatisanutritionaldisorderthatcausesexcessgastobetrappedintherumen(stomachcompartment).Avisibleswellingoftheleftsideabovetheflankistheprimarysignal.

• BVD(BovineViralDiarrhea)isaviraldiseasetransmittedthroughcontact.Clinicalsignsinclude:diarrhea,fever,soresonlipsandgums,lameness,anddrycough.

• ClostridiumToxoidsarebacteria(includingBlackleg)thatdestroytissuecells.Vaccinationforcontrolofthesebacteriamaybegiven(2-wayto8-way)forimmunity.Oneofthemostcommonlyusedvaccinesis7-wayplusHaemophilus.

• Coccidiosisistransmittedinfeedorwaterandischaracterizedbydiarrhea,dehydration,lossofappetite,depression,andweakness.Keeppensandfeedbunkscleananddry.

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• Diarrheainvolvesmanyaspectsincludingnutrition,environment,andinfectiousagents.Fluidlossresultsin:dehydration,electrolyteimbalance,lossofappetite,coma,anddeath

• IBR(InfectiousBovineRhinotracheitis),alsocalledRedNose,isaviraldiseaseoftherespiratorysystem.Clinicalsymptomsareelevatedtemperatureandcrustynose.

• Lepto(Leptospirosis)isabacterialdiseaseofanimalsandhumans.Transmittedbycontaminatedfeedorwateritcausesfever,bloodyurine,lossofappetite,andanemia.

• Pinkeyeiscausedbyanynumberofirritants(weeds,flies)totheeye.Theeyeturnsreddishandfluidsdripfromthecorner.Ifleftuntreated,awhitefilmeventuallyformscausingblindness.

• Pneumoniaiscausedbyanynumberofviralorbacterialagents.Shallowrapidbreathing,listlessappearance,andhightemperaturescharacterizepneumonia.

• Scours(diarrhea)causeextensivefluidlossandsuddendeath.Immediatetreatmentwithanelectrolytesolutionwillhelppreventdehydration.

• Ringwormcausesunsightlypatchesontheskin.Ringwormiscausedbymicroscopicmoldsorfungiandcaneasilybetransmittedtopeople.

• Wartsareskintumorscausedbyavirusthatenterstheskinthroughanabrasioninthehead,neck,orshoulderarea.Minorsurgeryorvaccinesmaybeusedtotreatwarts.

AntibioticsFeedingantibiotics(terramycinoraureomycin)stimulatesthegrowthofyoungcalvesandreducestheincidenceofcalfscours.Feedrecommendedlevel(50-100mg.Once-a-day)inthemilk,startingwiththefirstbucketfeeding.Antibioticsshouldalsobecontainedinthecalfstarterration.

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4-HBucketCalfProject.(n.d.).RetrievedDecember9,2014,fromhttp://web.extension.illinois.edu/jsw/downloads/43649.pdfAdams,J.,Brouk,M.,&Pretz,J.(n.d.).Kansas4-HBucketCalfProject.KansasStateUniversityResearchandExtension,4H1024.RetrievedDecember9,2014,fromhttp://www.ksre.ksu.edu/bookstore/pubs/4H1024.pdfCattleEvaluationYoubetheJudge.(2014,December9).RetrievedDecember9,2014,fromhttp://www.angus.org/pub/judging.pdfGosz,R.,&Bacon,C.(n.d.).BeefShowmanship.OklahomaCooperativeExtensionService,ANSI-3284.RetrievedDecember9,2014,fromhttp://www.ansi.okstate.edu/outreach-extension/uploaded_files/4-h-files/files/beef-handouts/BeefShowmanship_ANSI-3284web.pdfLienemann,D.,&Karmazin,D.(n.d.).4-HBucketCalfProject:AGuideforParents,Leadersand4-HExhibitors.UniversityofNebraska-LincolnCooperativeExtensionService.RetrievedDecember9,2014,fromhttp://knox.unl.edu/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=d39cdca1-a047-4df1-8278-81fb9c4c288cPace,D.(n.d.).OklahomaCooperativeExtensionService4-HYouthDevelopment.4-HBucketCalfProject,133.RetrievedDecember8,2014,fromhttp://www.ansi.okstate.edu/outreach-extension/uploaded_files/4-h-files/files/beef-handouts/bucketcalfproject.pdf

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Nameof4-HParticipant:________________________________________________________________________Address:__________________________________________________________________________________________ City:_______________________________State:______________ZipCode:_____________________TelephoneNumber: Home:_______________________________________Cell:________________________________________EmailAddress:___________________________________________________________________________________BreedorBreedsInvolvedorDescriptionofAnimal:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Returnthisregistrationformand$30registrationfeetobyAPRIL30,2018:LaurensCounty4-H219W.LaurensStreetLaurens,SC29360

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