How much should a calf gain in first week of life?

[firesweepranch]

How much should a newborn calf gain the first week of life? Say it was 80 pounds at birth, how much should it weigh in a week?
Thanks

 

[coachmac]

depends on variables I would say!  Milk intake, stress level of environment, type of delivery, time of year, genetics.....

 

[OH Breeder]

read this

 

[3dfarms]

depends on variables I would say!  Milk intake, stress level of environment, type of delivery, time of year, genetics.....

I agree with coachmac.  There are so many variables.  Just like a child at birth, a calf can lose weight in the first few days of life, so there may be no gain at the end of one week.  This doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong, just means he is not off to a wide open start just yet.  I would watch him close, as I know you guys do, and over the course of the next week or so you should start seeing him growing good.  (I say him assuming you are asking about the baldy bull calf you but don't know).

Good luck.

 

[firesweepranch]

Gee Coach, thanks  3d Farms was much more helpful  ;D
The reason I was asking is about the bull calf, but not because there is problem. Our scale was broke when he was born, so I weighed him on Sunday at a friend's place (we hauled him and his mom along with our weanling and steer). He weighed 98 pounds, so I was wondering about what his birth weight was. Makes him a little big, worried about that and the whole bull thing. We only want to produce superior animals, and do not need a train wreck on our hands with a bull that is too big and throws big calves! But gosh, he is gorgeous! I was just wondering what his birth weight would have been if he was 98 pounds a week later. His three year old mom was 1465, pretty good for a cow that just calved! I think she was a little on the fat side, which made the calf a little big.
Oh, and April, our 8 month old, was 706 pounds (coach knows that one, she is the one that showed as the pair with our cow calf pair this last year).

So, thus the reason for the question on how much a calf gains the first week of life  (clapping) The file that was posted OH breeder did not list that specifically, but was neat to read!

depends on variables I would say!  Milk intake, stress level of environment, type of delivery, time of year, genetics.....

I agree with coachmac.  There are so many variables.  Just like a child at birth, a calf can lose weight in the first few days of life, so there may be no gain at the end of one week.  This doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong, just means he is not off to a wide open start just yet.  I would watch him close, as I know you guys do, and over the course of the next week or so you should start seeing him growing good.  (I say him assuming you are asking about the baldy bull calf you but don't know).

Good luck.

 

[kfacres]

I have a calf that just turned a week old yesterdya.. maybe ill get him up and see what he weighs tommorrow.  I can let you know what he gained in a week

 

[showsteerdlux]

I wouldn't be worried bout that weight out of a cow that big. Maybe if this was a thousand pound cow you might be a little more worried, but I don't see a problem with that. Also its more about the shape of the calf that the weight. a 100 pound hotdog will come out easier than a 70 pound cube steak. Sorry for the comparison, but its all I could think of, hopefully you'll get the picture.

 

[3dfarms]

Nice comparison showsteernc!  I agree though that your bull's birthweight is not terrible.  I really like the bull and I'm not worried about it!  With his dams size, I don't think that bw will hurt him on paper too bad either.

 

[firesweepranch]

Thanks guys! A big sigh of relief.  ;D

 

[SeannyT]

98 lbs after a few days and worried about a train wreck in possible offspring? I wouldn't be the slightest bit worried unless of course the cow was 1000lbs like showsteernc said, but even so, shouldn't be a problem for a good cow to spit out a 98 pounder.