How long without first milk can a calf live?What else can I use if the mother won't feed it?

Answer 1

Go to your feed store and ask them about calf formula and bovine colostrum.

Answer 2

The calf can live, but the odds are against it. When a calf is first born the milk is full of vitamins and such that help the calf build up the immunities to diseases that it's mother was immune to. Without the first few days of suckling from its mother the calfs immune system won't have a kickstart.

Answer 3

Not very long I'm afraid as it will soon get deshydrated - I wouldn't give it more than a couple of days. If the mother doesn't want to feed, get the vet as sth might be wrong with her. In the meantime, feed the calf with a bottle, like you would do with a baby. If you stick your hand in a calf's mouth it will start to suck your fingers, slip the bottle in at the same time and it will soon get the hang of it.

Answer 4

Ugh, I've seen where they sell colostrum (I'm assuming it's from a cow) in health food stores. Which is totally wrong--colostrum is for CALVES, not humans! So, so wrong.

So maybe you could give it some of that colostrum stuff. Some whole milk, warmed up, and some colostrum stuff from a health-food, body-builder type place.

Have you tried milking the cow? Milk her and get the calf a big nipple and feed it her milk out of a big bottle, like a 2-liter soda bottle (rinsed out, of course.)

You may just have to milk the mother for the calf.

Answer 5

if you have more than one cow then take it to another lactating cow and rub some of that cow's **** on the calf and then the cow might accept it as her own.
I heard of this working before.
Otherwise you'll have to bottle feed it.
First milk is important for immunisation, so the calf is more susceptible to diseases.All you can do is have a close watch over it and give some treatment if it gets sick.

Answer 6

You have to use this special powdered milk for calves that u can get from a veterinarian or a livestock supply place.