1st calver won't let calf suck - any ideas

50HX

had a heifer calve down last week...long enough calving and eventually had to step in and give her a help, anyway once the calf was out up she got and wouldn't touch him

i shook salt on him to get her to lick him - no joy, i ended up milking her and gettin feed into him so he was fine when i went back to bed

mornin & evenin i have to crush her to let him drink...she is quiet out and stands no bother for him in the crush.

being trying her loose in the house with a bucket of nuts and same story she keeps kicking/pucking him away

anything else i can try or am i onto a looser....going to toughin on for another week and see...he's plenty strong enough now and mad to drink

White Clover

50HX wrote: »

had a heifer calve down last week...long enough calving and eventually had to step in and give her a help, anyway once the calf was out up she got and wouldn't touch him

i shook salt on him to get her to lick him - no joy, i ended up milking her and gettin feed into him so he was fine when i went back to bed

mornin & evenin i have to crush her to let him drink...she is quiet out and stands no bother for him in the crush.

being trying her loose in the house with a bucket of nuts and same story she keeps kicking/pucking him away

anything else i can try or am i onto a looser....going to toughin on for another week and see...he's plenty strong enough now and mad to drink

Did you try bringing a dog in near them?

50HX

no...might give that a go in the morning.. thanks

grassroot1

White Clover wrote: »

Did you try bringing a dog in near them?

ya might want to rethink that plan might be a little dangerous

patsy_mccabe

Separate them and let calf in twice a day. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

50HX

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Separate them and let calf in twice a day. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

i tried that over the w/end and the fuppin bitch just won't stand for him, wouldn't mind but she a 5 star with oodles of milk....sure isn't it always the way

White Clover

grassroot1 wrote: »

ya might want to rethink that plan might be a little dangerous

Emphasis on the word near....as in outside the gate from them.

RD10

50HX wrote: »

had a heifer calve down last week...long enough calving and eventually had to step in and give her a help, anyway once the calf was out up she got and wouldn't touch him

i shook salt on him to get her to lick him - no joy, i ended up milking her and gettin feed into him so he was fine when i went back to bed

mornin & evenin i have to crush her to let him drink...she is quiet out and stands no bother for him in the crush.

being trying her loose in the house with a bucket of nuts and same story she keeps kicking/pucking him away

anything else i can try or am i onto a looser....going to toughin on for another week and see...he's plenty strong enough now and mad to drink

i had a few heifers like that this year. all took to the calves after about 1-3 days.
all but one fecker who loves her calf to pieces but WILL NOT let the calf suck.
At the beginning, anytine the calf got up to go suck she would kick and puck the calf like mad to keep it away, yet she wouldnt stray more than two feet away from the calf otherwise and would always be lying lovingly next to him, heaven forbid the calf would jump out the barrier for a run. she'd go ballistic wanting it back beside her.
spent manys a morning and evening putting her up the crush to tie her leg to let the calf suck. after about 2 or 3 weeks of that, with calf getting stronger (and better at dodging kicks) that progressed to just having to corner this heifer while holding a stick over her while the calf sucked(heifer still at about 80% kicking and 20% standing still)
i dont know how many times ive brought them in and out to the shed wen she wont let him suck...their out in the field for about a week now and the bitch is still kicking at him. ive givin up trying to help the calf, im worn out! he's about a month old now and is strong and stubborn enough to follow her around and is getting bits off two teats in between the kicks and seems to be doing ok, just keeping a close eye on them. this heifer is one really dumb heifer though and is showing absolutely no sign of giving in any time soon. only for the calfs persistance she wouldnt give a damn if he never sucked.

50HX

Everything tried and still no joy with her

on week 3 with calf drinking twice a day, she's a speckled park calf

giving it one more week and see then

tellmeabit

Have some thing similar here. First calver and not loaded with milk. Calf is getting a suck not and then himself but she stand when thrown ration. And he gets a suck off another cow. So I'm going to pick up a fresian cow to fill the gap and dry his mother if she is now giving him milk. Hoping that will ease the bother and make certain Calf is getting plenty milk. Other calf will get plenty milk from its own mother then also.

RD10

50HX wrote: »

Everything tried and still no joy with her

on week 3 with calf drinking twice a day, she's a speckled park calf

giving it one more week and see then

keep at it! only in the last few days is my heifer beginning to give in to the calf and stand for him to suck. she has this funny look on her face as if to say jesus theres something underneath me but shes actually beginning to stand still and not kick while he sucks! thank the lord.
you wouldnt believe the difference in her today and 2 days ago..it has all of a sudden clicked!!
is your heifer fond of the calf at all? as in can u leave them in the pen together or wud she puck him around the place?

50HX

RD10 wrote: »

keep at it! only in the last few days is my heifer beginning to give in to the calf and stand for him to suck. she has this funny look on her face as if to say jesus theres something underneath me but shes actually beginning to stand still and not kick while he sucks! thank the lord.
you wouldnt believe the difference in her today and 2 days ago..it has all of a sudden clicked!!
is your heifer fond of the calf at all? as in can u leave them in the pen together or wud she puck him around the place?

that's positive to hear

she's not too bad with him esp with other calves nipping in and out now, she has oodles of milk so you'd imagine that when he drinks it relieves the pressure

RD10

50HX wrote: »

that's positive to hear

she's not too bad with him esp with other calves nipping in and out now, she has oodles of milk so you'd imagine that when he drinks it relieves the pressure

i'd keep at it. ive never had a heifer resist her own calf for that long but the stronger and hungrier the calf gets the more likely he is to get the better of her.

rangler1

50HX wrote: »

that's positive to hear

she's not too bad with him esp with other calves nipping in and out now, she has oodles of milk so you'd imagine that when he drinks it relieves the pressure

We had a cow here that never took to her calf, eventually had to leave her in all summer because it was a nightmare even to get her into the yard to suckle.

Sheep breeder

Seen this happen before and the guy put on a pair of shackles for a downer cow on the heifer and stopped the kicking or what we done was put a kick bar on the heifer.

50HX

Sheep breeder wrote: »

Seen this happen before and the guy put on a pair of shackles for a downer cow on the heifer and stopped the kicking or what we done was put a kick bar on the heifer.

have a kick bar on her

the bigger problem is that she won't stand still for him

no bother once in the crush, progressed this morning to the head gate in the calving house.....some time consuming stuff when your against the clock to get to work....they joys:)

Alibaba

50HX wrote: »

have a kick bar on her

the bigger problem is that she won't stand still for him

no bother once in the crush, progressed this morning to the head gate in the calving house.....some time consuming stuff when your against the clock to get to work....they joys:)

I have a lady the exact same , 1st calver.

Calf very eager to drink , but she's a kicker .

No trouble in the crush but out of it she just kicks him away everytime he goes near her.

Been at her now for 4 days. Just have to stick with I suppose.

50HX

just to update ye

have the heifer and her calf out in a field with another late calving heifer

when she sees me going up to the field morning& evening she goes to a corner and once i'm withing 10 ft of her she'll stand for the calf to drink...as soon as i move away she's fit to puck him over the ditch

it's not a bad set up - i have her out with the last 2 weeks thinking that grass would drive an extra bit of milk into her and that the pressure of milk would make her stand

it's not too bad this way i suppose

great job for the calves though twice a day milking, calf is super clean
will be throwing in a bullock with em 2mor - will see does she cycle quicker with the twice a day drinking

thanks for all the suggestions to get her to stand

RD10

50HX wrote: »

Everything tried and still no joy with her

on week 3 with calf drinking twice a day, she's a speckled park calf

giving it one more week and see then

"One more week" says he!
Thats great. You'll go out one morning and there'll be no need for sticks anymore.

Parishlad

Well done for sticking with it! Patience is a virtue............apparently!

50HX

Parishlad wrote: »

Well done for sticking with it! Patience is a virtue............apparently!

thankfully it was only the one...touch would

? now is do i put her in calf again and risk the same craic again next year

Parishlad

50HX wrote: »

thankfully it was only the one...touch would

? now is do i put her in calf again and risk the same craic again next year

Ha, that's the question alright!

If it was me and I thought she was a good cow (aside from the sucking thing) I probably would chance her for another year. HOWEVER.......I have been known to regret some of the 'chances' I take!