I worked for a neighbor who bottle fed calves; got up every morning at 4:00 am to walk over next door, and mix up their formula, and feed them. Usually no more than 5 at a time, but I really enjoyed that job. Calves at that age were so friendly, knowing that you'd be feeding them soon. Made that part of my youth a pretty special time. Getting ready to retire to Vermont in the next few years, and this video has got me thinking it might be fun to bottle feed a few calves a year...

For those asking, since these lil guys were bought at a public auction, and because calves only a few days old have virtually no immunities built up. Anti-biotics are given because they could have been exposed to who knows what bugs while in the auction barn. And also because they have no access to colostrum to give them. Travis has had issues in the past with bottle calves getting sick and dying shortly after he brought them home. It's likely a one time shot to help them get through until they can build up their own immunity.

I love your alternator fan, calf milk blender!... I made one for myself yesterday. The fan, 2 feet of all thread, 2 nuts and washers and a rechargeable drill. Super easy!... I also added a piece of tubing to slip over the all thread, so I can hold it with 2 hands. Thanks for the idea guys!!!!

7:15 I expected to hear "I'M BAAAAAAAAACK!"

My uncles who were farmers used buckets to feed the calves including the newborns. Fond memories!!!!!

Interesting I raise calf’s too I try and get them weaned onto meal asap and get them outside as fast as possible

Quite the enterprise there guys. I helped raise a bakers dozen when I was in high school about 45 years ago,,, it was both tedious and highly rewarding. I do wish you well with this.

please treat these sentient loving beings with respect.

7:15 nice Independence Day quote 😉

I love feeding calves. All calves, especially yours, are so cute. Calves like to follow me too. Your lucky, calves don't always drink for me.

just wondering do ye check the calves for signs of scour or pneumonia before ye try to buy calves

that is a ton of work. I have had bottle calves before. i hope you keep us updated on these.

7:21 made my day, thank you!

Ahh I remember bottle feeding calves, it was one of my favorite things to do. I still live on the farm and still have cows and chickens but we only used to bottle feed if the cows mom died in broth or after. Still was one of my favorite things to do.

Looking good. Are you gonna let them go free in a pen after wiening them?

need to get rid of the bottles and bucket train them. then you can save time , its cleaner and you can also keep fresh water in the bucket after they finish the milk. We also put starter grain in front of the calves after a few week of milk, just a small amount at first then build them up after a few months they are off milk and into pens then to the pasture. From your set up I don't think your raising these calves for veal. also just a thought you can put a hog panel loop around the sides a back of the cow stanchions and not need the chains safer and better for the calves. Just a thought.

our old barn is almost 70 years old and hasnt fallen down sadly but our new feed lot the ground under the floor is almost gone so we have to redo it

Would you do bottle calf's again if the price improved

Nice SOLOSHOT hat, I just started using one of those. Works pretty not too bad.

i like how u call all of them a name and u make them your friend

Hey man....good decision....I hate nothing more than an empty barn /stable........bottle calfs can be worth it.....way to go.....

Brilliant way to mix the milk

How many calves did you get

should have cleaned out that trailer and put straw and hay in there to keep them clean, safe and secure

where these Holstein calves bought to be fed out for market or for milking? Just wondering I take Holstein's every year to the fair for beef.

What did you gave them to drink exactly ? How much you bought them all of them in total?

yo man I just but 6 calfs for $50 each and thought they were expensive but hearing what you paid I feel a lot better

nice looking stock . brings back memories when I was growing up on the farm here in New Brunswick CANADA . Hope they do well for you .

Brings back memories. Are they bulls or heffers. They all have their personalitys

Shoot a lot of vids on these calves it's really interesting. Oh, I should say please!!! So.......PLEASE!!!!!

When I was a kid back in the 60s my dad bought day old dairy bull calves. We bottled fed them every morning and evening. We didn't have the antibiotics that are available today and if the calf didn't get milk from it mother they would often get sick and die. I buried many of them, that was my most dreaded chore, if you can imagine a 10 year old kid digging a hole to bury a calf, no fun.

It would take years to know what you guys know.what do these cows do while they are maturing. Providing milk I guess.

57fitter your right about the bottle we do one week on bottle then on to the bucket!!

My brother is heading to the sale barn today to try and get us some calves. Prices on them have come down a bunch over the last year or so in my area.

Not a lot of people at the auction, but hey, that maybe helps keep prices low :)

Would love to know the economics for calves. When do farmers usually sell them what weight/age? Also what price and roughly how much profit per cow.

makes me miss dairy farming. We also had Holstein.

Love watching how good of care you give

I guess I dont see the point of buying bottle calves. For us they cost more to feed and are time consuming. Can you explain why?

Milk replacer is very expensive. Do you think you will make you're money back? I hope with the low grain prices it pushes feeder prices up for you..

Whats the nasal spray for scours? Is that antibiotic just a more expensive version of Terramycin? No losses or sick out of 20-some calves? Thats pretty good.

We have a milking barn that is almost the same style and has been standing for nearly 80 years. We milk 200 cows everyday twice a day

Travis you and Ryan handle those claves pretty well and I like Fred also good luck with the laves.

if i wanted a cow so i can suck the milk directly from its utters. would i need a filter for in-between my mouth and the utter

Give us a update please

What will you wind up doing with them?

Funny watching this video with how Travis talks about never wanting to raise bottle calfs again.

Been looking on a good video like this

different to see how we rear calfs in newzealand we just put them in a pen with fresh shavings.so to they get any meal or fresh water.

I bought 5 bottle calves 3 weeks ago. The smaller two had died on me but the other three are doing good and i only pay 30 dollars each.

Good luck with them!

Brave man, I would never hold the bottle that close to the family jewels. Calves love to head butt the bottle.

You foam the floor up, search concreat* foam. works great

that red holstein is a beauty

We don't call it the sales barn we call it the stockyard

I foresee a farm industrial economy. With services falling back. Where city folk like me start farms.

if you don't put the the bottles in the milk all the way and just put them in a little way they fill faster

I love bottle calves!!! not so mush when they grow up... we missed a testicle on the last boy we had....

Time for the dairy cows!!! Find a mud jacker they should be able to push the floor back up!!

Love your videos and that's a sharp setup

Great video and thank you guys for doing a wonderful job and because of people like we have food on the table.

great lookin calves

I wasa a dairyman for nineteen and I donot believe in chaining calves to stalls they love to be free and be in the sunshine

What is price of the calfs; 2-3 mounths age. I wonder.

I've had to bottle feed a few, I got one now I'm feeding cow would not have it I changed her zip code. The first time for the bottle I put there head between my legs and force the bottle in there mouth after they get a taste no problem.

I'm surprised you guys didn't sell the bolt tank or milk tank witch ever you guys call it down there

most comments regarding how the animals are treated are lame. Guys did good job and good luck to there project. Cows are domestic animals you can't let them off loose in resting bays. They can wonder around when they are trained.

Scours! Learned that term a long time ago. Not being a farm boy my cousin said one of the cows had the scours and I of course didn't know what he meant so he gave it to me in layman's terms. The shits. :)

Great video! I'm surprised I've never ran into you before at Blomington livestock or at Sloane IMP in Blomington before.

6:07 did he scold the calf

Hi, can you please spell out the antibiotic/med you give to the calve, pls thx

This form of holding calves ( chained) is not even allowed anymore in Germany, they have to be free and together with others have a minimum of 20cm of Straw under their Feed, endlesss amount of Water, fresh air at a certain temperatur, a ceratin amout of light for 10 houres and much more... Interessting how different America and Europe still are in terms of Milk and Meatproduction. Greets from a German Farmer ( milking 145 cows on 247acres) Keep it Up !

THATIS GREAT ARE WE GOING TO SEE HANNAT MOREG

I Love cows . Thank you, for your awesome videos.

They don’t deserve to be pushed around and thrown into tiny cages with no natural surroundings. This is messed up. They are living creatures with feelings and you do this to them? You don’t deserve the calf’s and the calf’s deserve a big open field.

So how long do you keep them Ryan or Travis? We've always had cow/calf pairs. I know you said your selling as feeders but what weight are looking to get to?

why they tied to the fence???

What will these calves be used for? Future. Milk cows or veal cows?

They were so cute. What was the red marking's I saw?

0:13 "Time to go buy some calves, got all the chains hooked up" thats torture if you have to chain up baby cow's or any animals

How are the calfs doing?

How many of those 13 are around today?

First time seeing your videos.You farm in Wisconsin?Soon as I saw that sale barn I knew something lol

That milk look so good

Awesome thanks

Great job on the video thanks!

Good video

Where is ur farm based

What is the respiratory medicine called?

Where are you getting your milk? Local farmer?

This took me back to the days when we raised veal. Thanks for posting.

how many calves did you buy?

It’s so funny but sad when the fall in the gaps why are there gaps?

+How Farms Work if you don't mind me asking but What are bottle calves and what do you do with them when they are grown?

what do u do with then when they are older???

Was cool watching this , I deliver cow bedding to dairy farms where I live, what u guys use for bedding just straw ?

Did not want to go in that trailer!!

Time to fix that barn before it falls in.. It has another 20 years if you take care of it.. I SO miss raising bottle babies.

Wow you guys have very large property

My thats the emptiness ive ever seen a sale barn in our area they sell every week day an u cant hardly find a spot to sit!!