CowpanionCattle care guides
Plain-English guides for people raising a few cattle: bottle calves, steers, the family milk cow and small breeding herds.
Bottle calves
Bringing Home a Bottle Calf: The First 48 Hours
What to set up before you pick up a bottle calf, what to do the first day home, and the signs that mean you should call your vet.
Read guide →Bottle calvesHow Much Milk Does a Bottle Calf Need? Bottle Feeding Basics
How much milk to feed a bottle calf per day and per feeding, how warm it should be, and when to start calf starter. With a quick feeding table.
Read guide →Bottle calvesWhen and How to Wean a Bottle Calf
Wean bottle calves by starter intake, not just age. How much starter they should eat and how to cut back milk without setbacks.
Read guide →Health
Calf Scours: Signs, Dehydration Check and What to Do
How to score calf manure, check for dehydration, use electrolytes and know when calf diarrhea needs a vet.
Read guide →HealthCalf Pneumonia and Coughs: Early Signs to Watch
The early signs of respiratory disease in calves, why a thermometer is your best tool, and when to call the vet.
Read guide →HealthCalf Vaccines and Routine Care
A simple routine-care plan for calves: vaccines to discuss with your vet, disbudding, castration, ID and parasite control.
Read guide →Growing
Breeding & calving
Cow Heat Detection: Signs, AI Timing and Breeding Heifers
How to spot a cow in heat, the AM/PM rule for AI timing, when heifers are ready to breed and when to pregnancy check.
Read guide →Breeding & calvingGetting Ready for Calving: Signs, Normal Labor and When to Call the Vet
Cow gestation length, a calving kit checklist, the stages of normal labor and the signs that mean you need help. With a due date calculator.
Read guide →Everyday care
Body Condition Scoring for Cattle (1–9 Scale)
How to body condition score beef and dairy cattle by eye and by hand, and what score to aim for at calving.
Read guide →Everyday careHow Much Water and Hay Do Cattle Need?
Daily water and dry matter needs for cattle, plus pasture rotation, hay quality, minerals and safe diet changes.
Read guide →Everyday careHeat and Cold Stress in Cattle and Calves
Signs of heat stress in cattle, how cold is too cold for young calves, and simple ways to protect them.
Read guide →Everyday careCattle Handling and Safety for Small Farms
Why bottle-raised bulls can become dangerous, and calm, safe ways to handle cattle and keep children safe around them.
Read guide →