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| Female calves (heifers) grow up to be cows that produce milk. Male calves (bulls) grow up and are usually used for beef. When the calf is first born it needs to drink the milk from its mom within the first few hours. This special milk is called colostrum. Colostrum has antibodies that help the calf fight off disease and stay healthy. Colostrum also has extra vitamins and protein. Dairy farmers try to feed this milk to the calf soon after it is born to make sure it gets all the colostrum it needs within the first hour. | |
| A calf drinks milk until it is about six weeks old.
During this first six weeks, it also starts to eat a little grain and hay.
After six weeks of age, the calf drinks water and eats grain and hay.
At one year of age, the heifer calf will weigh about 500-600 lb. At 15 months of age, the heifer is bred so that she will have her first calf when she is 2 years old or about 1200 lb. |
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