Fostering calfs- Sucklers

millertime78

I lost a calf this morning (too long coming) . The question is whether to get a foster calf or dry off & fatten the cow. She's a young cow so I'm thinking of fostering. I've never done this before (only doing sucklers for 3 yrs and 1st loss at calving)

Any recommendations/tips/tricks etc???

vanderbadger

millertime78 wrote: »

I lost a calf this morning (too long coming) . The question is whether to get a foster calf or dry off & fatten the cow. She's a young cow so I'm thinking of fostering. I've never done this before (only doing sucklers for 3 yrs and 1st loss at calving)

Any recommendations/tips/tricks etc???

if you still have dead calf and you could get your hands on a replacement fairly quick you could try rubbing the dead calf off the new one, in order words try and get the slime off the dead calf onto new calf and put scent on new calf, worked for me last year, sometimes it can work grand if cow is kinda looking for new calf, sometimes can be major hassle and will take a long time for cow to take to new calf and you will end up asking yourself why you bothered..if she is a young cow though its worth a gamble i reckon

wiggy123

is she a quiet cow? also is she being very motherly? and has she plenty of milk? to rear a good calf...if so--maybe its worth the work+hazzle of trying to get a calf on the cow..any calf men close by?to get a calf today like for her! get a hungry+a gd calf,like strong! that will be eager+handle the cow maybe kicking it..

if shes not,any of the above! maybe your best to fatten her up..as i think cows are making good money at mo,in the mart!...and maybe buy in another cow+calf...

Melodeon

If you can do it quickly enough, dousing the 'new' calf in the cow's own amniotic fluid is an almost certain way of doing it.
You pretty much need to have the spare calf on standby though, and be able to introduce it straight away while the cow is still gathering her thoughts following the birth and you can remove her own dead calf before she has too much chance to bond with it.
We did it a few times most years by removing a twin from a cow with a poor milk supply and putting it on another cow following a stillbirth.

If the immediate opportunity has passed, it can still be done but will likely be more difficult.

A hungry calf will try to suckle anything that will stand for it, so any problems are likely to be with the cow.
Do the introduction as soon as possible after the birth, while the cow is still looking to bond with 'her' calf.
If you still have the dead calf or the afterbirth, use them to put a scent on the new calf, and keep a close eye on them in case she gets violent with the interloper.
You may be lucky enough that the cow will take to the calf without any great issue, or you may be facing into a week or two of restraining her while she gets used to the new arrangement.
Certainly, keep the two of them in their own pen without any other distractions (other cattle and other new calves), and if you have any doubts about her attitude to the new calf, pen if off in a corner where she can see and smell it, but not get at it to flatten it. Put the pair together to suckle under strict supervision until you're happy that they've bonded.

A dog sniffing around the place can encourage a powerful mothering instinct in a recently calved cow, but be careful she doesn't kill him, or yourself if you get in the way. :eek:


Watch the new calf for digestive upsets, as the cow will be producing full strength colostrum for a couple of days. It might be an idea to milk her by hand to remove the first/strongest of it; you can freeze it for future emergency use, and it'll reduce to likelihood of the new calf getting a scour.

If she's a nice young cow with the potential of a productive career in future years, it's certainly worth trying; if she's a poor type, it might be better to fatten her up and get a replacement.

pakalasa

You can also 'skin' the dead calf and wrap the skin over the new calf.
I've only ever read about it to be honest.

I don't think I'd have the stomach for it myself, but apparently it works.

jmurf100

Tried this two years ago and it worked.....

Spray the new calf all over with Lynx deodourant or similar before introducing to the cow, also spray it on the cows nose, (dont poison either of them!). When she smells the calf her sense of smell is confused and she wont recognise him as a stranger.

whelan1

over on british farming forum they where saying to put vinegar on cows back to stop them fighting maybe it would work on the calf ?

Melodeon

jmurf100 wrote: »

Tried this two years ago and it worked.....

Spray the new calf all over with Lynx deodourant or similar before introducing to the cow, also spray it on the cows nose, (dont poison either of them!). When she smells the calf her sense of smell is confused and she wont recognise him as a stranger.

Hmmm...

Don't know about that!
You could have this lot trampling across your fields, knocking down fences and frightening the livestock:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw0nMQxqL6s

:D:D

milkprofit

IF YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESFUL SKIN DEAD CALF AND PUT ON NEW CALF