calf not sucking one quarter, need advice

Biscuitus

So this is a bit of a conundrum that I could do with some advice.

I have a week old calf, he is big, lively and healthy. The mother however is on her 8th calf. She was fine previous years but this year her back left quarter hangs down much lower than the rest, the ligaments must be gone and as a result she swelled up a lot.

When she calved I had to milk out her left side to bottle the calf since he wasn't sucking. The front left quarter turned out to be dead, no milk at all. So unfortunately I had to open up the back quarter. As soon as I bottled the calf he got the idea and started suckling the right side. I gave her a few days but the udder was too low for the calf to take interest in and he was content with just the ride side. I've milked her out twice but the calf still won't go near that quarter. So leaving the udder isn't an option in case of mastitis.

Right now I have her housed with the calf to take the pressure of her udder and to try and get the calf to suck the back left. She's on hay with some silage so her udder isn't nearly as puffed up now. I tried separating the calf until he got hungry and then putting him on the mother when she was in the crush but he still wouldn't suckle the lower quarter and the cow was being very uncooperative. Since the front left is dead he must associate there being no milk that side at all.

What would people recommend?

tanko

I'd let them out to a field and leave them alone. I wouldn't put her in calf again.

Bass Reeves

As tanko says let her off with the calf. Watch for mastitis and treat it if it happens. Then cull her. You could consider selling the calf at 4-6 weeks of age and selling the cow then as well.

patsy_mccabe

I find they always figure out where the milk is as they get older and hungrier. Let her off and just keep an eye on her.

_Brian

Seen my father used to dirty the other teats, rub handful of fresh dung on the other three. From memory it worked sometimes.

rangler1

Bass Reeves wrote: »

As tanko says let her off with the calf. Watch for mastitis and treat it if it happens. Then cull her. You could consider selling the calf at 4-6 weeks of age and selling the cow then as well.

surely the teat is sealed until he sucks it, even if it is when he's a mth old,
I wonder how many cows have actually got mastitis from a young calf not being able to suck her, mastitis is more likely to come from shi..y conditions than not being sucked.
Certainly wouldn't cull her jf she;s rearing a calf properly

Bass Reeves

rangler1 wrote: »

surely the teat is sealed until he sucks it, even if it is when he's a mth old,
I wonder how many cows have actually got mastitis from a young calf not being able to suck her, mastitis is more likely to come from shi..y conditions than not being sucked.
Certainly wouldn't cull her jf she;s rearing a calf properly

he has milked her out a few times.

Biscuitus

Yep, cow needed to be milked at calving. I've since milked her out 3 times. I got 5 litres the 2nd time and had to give up cause my hands were in bits.

I'd rather not let her out to swap one problem for another. If she is let out the calf won't suck the lower udder since he doesn't know how yet ,it will get covered in mud and she could get mastitis.

The swelling has really gone down so I'm going to try again in the crush today.