Fostering calf to suckler cow.

pakalasa

I lost a calf this year so decided to buy one and put him under the cow. It's nearly 5 weeks now and the cow still wont let the calf drink in the field. Twice a day, I have to bring them into the yard and put her in the crush. She'll still kick in the crush, but he manages to drink her.
We did multi-suckling years ago and had no problem like this.
Cow is a black limousin and calf was about 4wks old when bought. I figured a strong calf would fight for his milk.

Any tips? I cant keep doing this. I've seen her lift him clean into the air with a puck.

whelan1

have you a dog ? would she protect it if you brought the dog near her? if you give her meal in the field will she stand... sounds like a total bitch tbh

vanderbadger

pakalasa wrote: »

I lost a calf this year so decided to buy one and but him under the cow. It's nearly 5 weeks now and the cow still wont let the calf drink in the field. Twice a day, I have to bring them into the yard and put her in the crush. She'll still kick in the crush, but he manages to drink her.
We did multi-suckling years ago and had no problem like this.
Cow is a black limousin and calf was about 4wks old when bought. I figured a strong calf would fight for his milk.

Any tips? I cant keep doing this. I've seen her lift him clean into the air with a puck.

just keep at it, eventually something will click, sounds like a stubborn cow alright though

Tora Bora

pakalasa wrote: »

I lost a calf this year so decided to buy one and but him under the cow. It's nearly 5 weeks now and the cow still wont let the calf drink in the field. Twice a day, I have to bring them into the yard and put her in the crush. She'll still kick in the crush, but he manages to drink her.
We did multi-suckling years ago and had no problem like this.
Cow is a black limousin and calf was about 4wks old when bought. I figured a strong calf would fight for his milk.

Any tips? I cant keep doing this. I've seen her lift him clean into the air with a puck.

I'm in the same boat. Killing part the calf I bought is going around sucking at least three other cows who have their own calves. But his foster mother won't let him suck unless I yard them.
I tried the dog trick, but no help and draws too much attention from the bull for my liking.

Finno59

sell the calf, dry off the cow and fatten her up. you'r as well off with an animal like that. Using up all ur time with those 2 you could neglect something else

reilig

I know its too late now, but what you should have done was skinned the calf that died and put it over the back of the new calf!! We have had to do it several times with calves and lambs. It works well.

bbam

reilig wrote: »

I know its too late now, but what you should have done was skinned the calf that died and put it over the back of the new calf!! We have had to do it several times with calves and lambs. It works well.

We've covered the calf in the cleanings to good success but never heard of that being done....

pakalasa

Thanks guys. I know about most of what you've said. I didn't have the stomach to skin the dead calf. How long do you leave the skin on for?
How long would you leave the cleaning on for?
It was a few days till I got a calf - had to wait for mart-day. Will the cleaning not smell like hell in that time? Can you freeze and re-thaw it?

I'll try the dog but ours in only a small house one - no harm trying though.

I'll keep at it. I'll change to once a day now - see if the hunger will make them drink.

Is there any other trick like spraying the dead calf with vinegar, deodorant etc and then spraying the new calf?

whelan1

said it to my dad , he said to tie a rope around her back legs leave the legs about 18 inches apart... leave the rope on her for a few days ... now i dont know if you want to risk putting it on but he said at this stage you must be well fed up

caseih

my method to adopting a calf onto a suckler is tie her up like a stall fed in a small shed or pen with a chain and leave her there for a month, she might kick and mess for a day r so but they soon quiet down, sometimes take to the calf in a week..

bbam

pakalasa wrote: »

T
How long would you leave the cleaning on for?
It was a few days till I got a calf - had to wait for mart-day. Will the cleaning not smell like hell in that time? Can you freeze and re-thaw it?

We find the cow licks off the cleaning immediately and usually continues to lick the calf....
As you mentioned it needs to be done ASAP to improve chances of it working..

I couldn't see any problem with freezing+thawing but it probably works better in combination with high levels of hormones in the cow's system after calving..


My BIL is bringing in three of his cows to calves twice daily... to be honest I think it's just hardship as the cows aren't taking to the calves and the time consumed is incredible..

We used to foster extra calves to most sucklers back in my fathers day... TBH you were better off milking as some cows just don't take to other calves.

Bizzum

Am I right to assume that the cow is also rearing her own calf?

If so isolate the 2 calves, letting them at her a morning and evening. Throw her a few nuts, she may be a bit more preoccupied then with her own calf plus the nuts and allow the 2 suck at the one one time.

It's a pain of a job speaking from experience! Keep at it though and soon it will work itself out.

deerejohn

We put the cow in a pen and the calf in the next pen if we need to foster a calf. The calf is let in to suck the cow twice a day. As the calf gets hungry it will walk up and down the gate nonstop til its fed and "hopefully" the cow will become interested in a calf that wants her but is not ducking her and pi**ing the cow off, a kinda of a tease job if you will. Bloody nuisance to do but we find it works well , ps a good idea to feed the cow as the calf is let in each time, all about teasing...

49801

keep at it.
sounds like some hobbles would help in this instance. damned unpleasant things but they work!
try and keep the pair separate from the herd to train the calf to the cow.
good luck with it.

leg wax

i dont waste my time at this because the way i look at it is the calf you buy costs money and will never be as good as any the rest[depends on what you are breeding] time and hassel better used looking after live ones. i put the cow in factory or sell for feeding and put the euros that you used for calf towards new cow or heifer.

whelan1

any progress?

pakalasa

No, still putting them in twice a day. Cow doesn't even kick much in the crush how. Creatures of habit!

Thanks for the tip on the rope by the way. I'm not far from Spancil Hill, so I should have known that one.:D
The last time I bent down to put a rope low down on a cows back leg, I got a right kick into the jaw bone that sent me flying back. 'Quiet cow' of course. Will give it a go if all else fails.

Dunedin

best of luck with it.

I lost 2 calves this year and bought 2 calves.

1 cow took to the calf like it was her own, I gave up on the other after 3 weeks of twice a day feeding. if i stayed at it any longer, I think I would have ended up in a mental hosp....... :mad::mad:

funny thing is that the one that didn't take up with the calf is the quietest cow I have ever had and the other lassie can be flighty enough by times.

pakalasa

The same with me. In other years, this cow would allow me to hold up the newborn calf to her and put the teat into it's mouth to get it sucking, outside in the field. That's how quiet she is - to me anyway.

I wonder did people loose more calves this year, than normal with the very good spring growth. Grass was dry too so great feeding in it - swelled up the calves big time.

Grecco

This is how its done lads! 3 at a time, this cow walked on her own calf last February :mad:
this is her second batch of calves shes going to rear

jerdee

hi i have tired this a couple of times over the last few years as part time famer .what i do as soon as the calf is dead i skin it and keep the skin clean . i then wrap it around the new calf and attach with four cable ties .this keeps the smell of her own calf and fosters faster it normally comes away with in a few days but she will have smelt her milk in his dung by then and away she goes .

hope it helps saved a few kicks for me

jerry

pakalasa

jerdee wrote: »

....she will have smelt her milk in his dung by then and away she goes .

You learn something everyday.
Thanks!;)