# How warm does a bottle calf need to be



## joshf (Aug 14, 2012)

We just brought hhome a two week old Jersey bottle calf. Problem is it is getting down into the twenties tonight and colder in the foreseeable future. We put him in the old chicken coop and put two heat lights in it. But it is well ventilated so I doubt it will get very warm.
How warm does this little guy need to be?


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

20's is not cold to a healthy calf. Good dry pen, no drafts, dry bedding and the rest nature takes care of. Your plan may do more harm than good, but it's your calf...Topside


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## Hidden Hills (Feb 10, 2013)

A full belly will keep just about any animal warm on a cold night.


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## BlackWillowFarm (Mar 24, 2008)

I hate to disagree but my Jersey's at two weeks old need heat and draft free areas to do well. Twenty degrees is cold even with heat lamps if it's drafty. Can you tarp the coop to keep the wind out and the heat in? I would think about putting some kind of blanket on him too if it's breezy in there. I once put an old sweater on one of mine. It wasn't easy, but it helped. Make sure there is plenty of deep bedding for him lay down on. The biggest danger for him is the draft. Milk should be at around 100 - 102 degrees when you feed him his bottle. He will need to be under a heat lamp for several weeks if you're going into a really cold spell. You'll have to gradually adjust him to get used to the cold as he gets older and stronger. Three weeks is the biggest danger period in a calf's life. After that they can handle more stress without going downhill.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

Put calves out in hutches in below 0 weather. Need to be dry draft free and well bedded.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

The key is dry warm bedding, full belly to help keep warm. If you want to give the calf a leg up you can put a calf coat on him. Will help reduce his cold stress.


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

I always put calves out in hutches down to -40. Newborns go under a heat lamp when it's really cold until they're good and dry. You need to feed significantly more if they're outside though, I always give at least an extra feeding's worth when it's below freezing.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I had my last bottle calves when there was a foot of snow on the ground OR MORE. It was likely -10 in NE Kans then. Maybe lower. Ive seen it at -24 there at around that time. 
They can stand plenty of cold. What they CANT STAND is being wet, and wind/chills. That means those both together OR SEPERATE.
They also cant stand wet soggy bedding.
I think that a breeze that flows ABOVE them say, 5 ft, is better than no breeze at all, OR a breeze on them.
I found that they had to stay dry until mid springtime up there. They was pushing around 50/75lbs by then.
The ones I bought were Holsteins from Minn or Wisc. A guy came down to/through St Joe Mo with them. I picked them up in a 1947 bat wing Chevy pk. It rained pretty good before I got them the 15 miles to a barn. Never lost one.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Dry, bedded, out of the wind and a full belly and it will be fine. Really a good time to start a calf. No mud, no bugs, bacteria is dormant. I'd much rather deal with calves in cold and dry than warm and wet.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I think either works. I think a person is more attentive to the calves in warm weather and thereby more willing to work with them than when there wearing long johns, 2 pair of underwear, a pair of jeans, and a pair of overalls, a under shirt, a T shirt, 2 long sleeve corduroy or ironing flannel shirts, a HEAVY coat, gloves that aren't keeping the hands or fingers warm and snow 2 feet or higher with 2 or 3 pairs of socks shoes, and over boots.

BUT I could be wrong lol


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I forgot about a red corduroy flap CAP


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## Miss Kay (Mar 31, 2012)

I would go with the deep bedding, out of the wind, belly full of warm milk, and no heat lamp. The heat lamp could cause problems by going from hot to cold.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

I have calves born year round in open pastures. They do fine as long as momma feeds them.cold weather is not a issue with healthy well fed calves.


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