Problem with calf I bought today

Tomjim

I bought a calf today in the Mart to rear on powdered milk and when I brought him home, he wouldn't suck the blue drinker. I then tried him with the hand held drinker/ sucker and he won't take that either so I tried to coax him by squeezing the tit but this hasn't worked either.

Given his date of birth and his size and his condition, it is obvious he was on a cow

What should I do, will he ever suck a blue drinker

Willfarman

Tomjim wrote: »

I bought a calf today in the Mart to rear on powdered milk and when I brought him home, he wouldn't suck the blue drinker. I then tried him with the hand held drinker/ sucker and he won't take that either so I tried to coax him by squeezing the tit but this hasn't worked either.

Given his date of birth and his size and his condition, it is obvious he was on a cow

What should I do, will he ever suck a blue drinker

How old is he?

Tomjim

as per his card he was born on Jan 16th so hes at least 9 weeks old

However he is not eating meal I left some in to him

limo_100

Tomjim wrote: »

as per his card he was born on Jan 16th so hes at least 9 weeks old

However he is not eating meal I left some in to him

leave him till he gets hungry tomorrow and then try him again with the tit bucket i'v had a few calves like that. Just remember that hunger wont do him any harm

Reggie.

limo_100 wrote: »

leave him till he gets hungry tomorrow and then try him again with the tit bucket i'v had a few calves like that. Just remember that hunger wont do him any harm

Yeah hunger is a great sauce

Bullocks

If he was taken off a cow he will probably be off form for a few days so might need a bit of TLC . Did you try him with just normal bucket ? Will he suck your finger ?
As the rest said hunger should get him motivated but keep an eye out that he doesnt get a chill or anything if he is just weaned /changing enviroment

mf240

Let him get hungry. Then feed him with hand feeder.

It will take patients but once the penny drops he will fly it.

A bit of caster sugar in the tit will help persuade him.

CloughCasey1

Had two like that last yr. Leave him without water for a few hours and he will drink out of bucket after a few attempts.

Hurling Hereford

The current Beef Data Programme differs so greatly from the old Suckler WELFARE Scheme.

With the current scheme the cow & calf can be separated almost immediately. From an animal welfare point of view I definitely preferred the old scheme and you don't be deafened at the marts by weanlings bawling because they haven't been weaned properly.

Think the Dept didn't put as much thought into the BDGP as they should have had. Interesting, to see what BDGP II will be like.

Bullocks

Hurling Hereford wrote: »

The current Beef Data Programme differs so greatly from the old Suckler WELFARE Scheme.

With the current scheme the cow & calf can be separated almost immediately. From an animal welfare point of view I definitely preferred the old scheme and you don't be deafened at the marts by weanlings bawling because they haven't been weaned properly.

Think the Dept didn't put as much thought into the BDGP as they should have had. Interesting, to see what BDGP II will be like.

The old scheme was way ahead with welfare besides this stars crap

tanko

Hurling Hereford wrote: »

The current Beef Data Programme differs so greatly from the old Suckler WELFARE Scheme.

With the current scheme the cow & calf can be separated almost immediately. From an animal welfare point of view I definitely preferred the old scheme and you don't be deafened at the marts by weanlings bawling because they haven't been weaned properly.

Think the Dept didn't put as much thought into the BDGP as they should have had. Interesting, to see what BDGP II will be like.

The farmers that buy weanlings have no one to blame only themselves for this.
Buyers have made it crystal clear that they prefer to buy a Weanling in the mart straight off the cow bawling his head off, with a nice shine off his hair rather than a calf which is properly weaned a few weeks but has gone back a bit with the bloom gone of him.

Skerries Steve

I thought you would be penalised if you sold a calf before five months of age

Lady Haywire

Skerries Steve wrote: »

I thought you would be penalised if you sold a calf before five months of age

Dairy herds aren't part of the BDGP scheme or it could be someone who's not in the scheme either.

Skerries Steve

In an earlier post it was said that in the current scheme the cow and calf can be separated almost immediately, was this in relation to weaning or could it be sold before five months of age without incurring a penalty

Lady Haywire

Skerries Steve wrote: »

In an earlier post it was said that in the current scheme the cow and calf can be separated almost immediately, was this in relation to weaning or could it be sold before five months of age without incurring a penalty

It was in relation to weaning, we used to have to wean a calf properly before selling it, now it can be taken straight off the cow & brought to mart.
I've heard people sell a twin calf in the scheme and not incur and fines, so I presume that's allowed, you would prob not be paid for an animal if you sold a single calf if the cow died etc.

Hurling Hereford

Skerries Steve wrote: »

I thought you would be penalised if you sold a calf before five months of age

Yep, we don't get paid for the calves if we sell them before 5 months. But, allowing calves to be taken off the cows near immediately p!sses me off big time

Hurling Hereford

Lady Haywire wrote: »

It was in relation to weaning, we used to have to wean a calf properly before selling it, now it can be taken straight off the cow & brought to mart.
I've heard people sell a twin calf in the scheme and not incur and fines, so I presume that's allowed, you would prob not be paid for an animal if you sold a single calf if the cow died etc.

If ANY calf is sold before it's 5 months old a Penalty will be incurred

Lady Haywire

Hurling Hereford wrote: »

If ANY calf is sold before it's 5 months old a Penalty will be incurred

Few people on here have sold twins and got no penalty.

tanko

Hurling Hereford wrote: »

If ANY calf is sold before it's 5 months old a Penalty will be incurred

Are you certain about that?
I've sold several twins here just before six weeks old and im pretty sure it didn't affect the payment.

charolais0153

Skerries Steve wrote: »

I thought you would be penalised if you sold a calf before five months of age

If you have enough other cows to cover the reference number it's OK to do it

grassroot1

tanko wrote: »

The farmers that buy weanlings have no one to blame only themselves for this.
Buyers have made it crystal clear that they prefer to buy a Weanling in the mart straight off the cow bawling his head off, with a nice shine off his hair rather than a calf which is properly weaned a few weeks but has gone back a bit with the bloom gone of him.

I could not agree more.

Hurling Hereford

tanko wrote: »

Are you certain about that?
I've sold several twins here just before six weeks old and im pretty sure it didn't affect the payment.

Another aul system in the Department must be fecked! Whisht and they'll never 'cop on' Lol!

Hurling Hereford

charolais0153 wrote: »

If you have enough other cows to cover the reference number it's OK to do it

I was informed by a snotty official that a penalty would be incurred if I sold ANY of my calves before they reached 5 mths

Tomjim

Update

I got the calf sucking the hand held sucker yesterday Monday and he sucked the blue thing himself this evening so all well