This baby calf was born Saturday but his momma is a heifer and won't let him nurse. Every time he gets near her she kicks at him. We did put her in a chute yesterday and let the calf nurse good, then hobbled her and turned her out with the calf but by this morning she had kicked the rope off of her back legs and wouldn't let the calf get close to her. My grandparents are planning on putting the bull calf on a nurse cow, but are there any other options?
Can I do anything to help this calf?
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shortyjock89
Well-known member
You might have to get that heifer in a couple times a day and make her let the calf nurse for a couple weeks until she finally lets him nurse.
How big is her bag? If she has a lot of swelling then it may be hurting her when the calf nurses. If thats the case, when the swelling goes down everything should be fine. Not really sure if you have any other options. I'd say a nurse cow would turn out better than bottle feeding it.
jbzdad
Well-known member
separate them from the rest of the herd,If you have to put her in the chute twice a day for awhile tie her back feet and let the calf nurse, grain her so she will stand still, also so she will give plenty of milk, I had the same thing and just separating them did the trick for me.... my question is if she will do better next year?
Olson Family Shorthorns said:
That's about all you can do.
Every two or three years we'll get a heifer that does the same thing. If she isn't too mean to the calf, keep them locked up in tight quarters. You may just have to turn that one into a bottle calf. We usually get rid of heifers that act like that if they don't ever take their first calf.
box6rranch
Well-known member
Be careful if you grain the mom. It always gives our calves diarrhea.
ROMAX
Well-known member
If you tie the mother uo and get the calf on her a couple times of day,she will eventually take the calf but yuo might have to do this a bunch.If her bag is real hard try milking some out to relieve some pressure,once the calf is a couple of weeks old and gets more strength he will be the one pushing her around to nurse.
randiliana
Well-known member
Get a pair of real hobbles on her (ones with chain in the middle), is the only thing I can offer. In a week or so she should give in and let the calf suck without the hobbles. Or just put her in the chute 3-4 times a day so the calf can suck. They need milk more than twice a day when they are sucking a cow, and especially a heifer, who may not produce that much milk at any one time.
Personally, I would do exactly what your grandparents are wanting to do. If she won't take it without a fight, and there is no obvious reason for that (sore udder) I would be putting the calf on a nurse cow or a bottle or selling it to someone who needs a calf for a cow that lost one. And, the heifer wouldn't get another chance.....
Personally, I would do exactly what your grandparents are wanting to do. If she won't take it without a fight, and there is no obvious reason for that (sore udder) I would be putting the calf on a nurse cow or a bottle or selling it to someone who needs a calf for a cow that lost one. And, the heifer wouldn't get another chance.....
DCC_Cattle
Well-known member
I have had heifers do this in the past. The best thing to do is put them in a pen by themselves and tie the cow up a few times a day and let the calf nurse. Just keep trying. Usually after a day or so the cow will figure out what she is supposed to do and let the calf nurse. Sometimes after calving they can be a little wound up, just give her time!
Vacanballs
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Here is the best thing that I have found. It takes some time, but I did it with a full time job so it is definitely possible to get done. I think you could train a cow to nurse a horse if you had to.
You are on the right track with the chute idea. Do this for a week or so. Make sure that the calf and the cow are separated all of the time unless you are there when you have them nursing. Allow the cow to see the calf though, just not in the same pen where she will be able to kick at it. When the cow kicks hit her with something.. or light hot shot.. this conditions her not to kick.. this may take a week or two..
The next step is to let the cow out of the shoot and try to get the calf to suck while she is eating grain.. stay close and have something in your had so the cow knows not to kick. if she kicks hit her.. and not soft.. you must continue this until she lets the calf suck without her kicking or even feeling uncomfortable. Remember that they must remain separated unless its feeding time and you are there. Pretty soon she will be used to the calf and you will be able to keep them together.
I also use a product called O-No-Mo (or something like that to sprinkle on the calf's back so get the cow to start licking the calf.
This works I promise, but I would say that it all depends on how good the cow is and what she's worth to you. If she's easily replaceable, ship her, but if you want to keep the pair than it will just take a little bit of time and patience. The cow will know what to do the next year.
message me for any questions
You are on the right track with the chute idea. Do this for a week or so. Make sure that the calf and the cow are separated all of the time unless you are there when you have them nursing. Allow the cow to see the calf though, just not in the same pen where she will be able to kick at it. When the cow kicks hit her with something.. or light hot shot.. this conditions her not to kick.. this may take a week or two..
The next step is to let the cow out of the shoot and try to get the calf to suck while she is eating grain.. stay close and have something in your had so the cow knows not to kick. if she kicks hit her.. and not soft.. you must continue this until she lets the calf suck without her kicking or even feeling uncomfortable. Remember that they must remain separated unless its feeding time and you are there. Pretty soon she will be used to the calf and you will be able to keep them together.
I also use a product called O-No-Mo (or something like that to sprinkle on the calf's back so get the cow to start licking the calf.
This works I promise, but I would say that it all depends on how good the cow is and what she's worth to you. If she's easily replaceable, ship her, but if you want to keep the pair than it will just take a little bit of time and patience. The cow will know what to do the next year.
message me for any questions
Vacanballs I wish I thought you were kidding.
I have raised cattle for almost 30 years, 65 plus cows, and have never had to resort to hitting, shocking, or kicking a first calf heifer or a cow to get them to stop kicking their calf. I have not been successful in getting a cow to accept a calf many times. This year in fact I have 2 bottle calves from 2 sets of twins. It never once crossed my mind to hit the cow to force the issue.
You mention that you have a full time job so I will draw the conclusion that perhaps you have not been around livestock a great deal of time. Cows remember things and people that hurt them. Maybe it hasn't happened yet to you but one of these girls will decide you need a reminder who is bigger, stronger, and sometimes smarter.
I have raised cattle for almost 30 years, 65 plus cows, and have never had to resort to hitting, shocking, or kicking a first calf heifer or a cow to get them to stop kicking their calf. I have not been successful in getting a cow to accept a calf many times. This year in fact I have 2 bottle calves from 2 sets of twins. It never once crossed my mind to hit the cow to force the issue.
You mention that you have a full time job so I will draw the conclusion that perhaps you have not been around livestock a great deal of time. Cows remember things and people that hurt them. Maybe it hasn't happened yet to you but one of these girls will decide you need a reminder who is bigger, stronger, and sometimes smarter.
knabe
Well-known member
zach said:
i wonder if the calf had voting rights if he thought it was cruel to get kicked and withheld milk and if we could legislate against that by not allowing cows to have babies. but then the know-it-alls started having cow abortions from the kickers who somehow knew how to get pregnant so they could get better feed and give false hope that they were going to raise the next great calf.
what about those dog shockers for barking? ban those too? criminy.
a cow doesn't need a bad memory to remind anyone who's boss.
Shady Lane
Well-known member
I have had the best results in these situations with the least effort by using the hobble method.
If you have agood strong healthy calf with a will to nurse, hobble that cow tight so she can't kick and that calf will get in there and get the job done. If you had had her restrained a few times in a chute or otherwise and the calf knows enough to suck and what to do the hobble method has worked really well with me when dealing with heifers that don't want to take their calf or when transplanting other calves onto a cow.
If you have agood strong healthy calf with a will to nurse, hobble that cow tight so she can't kick and that calf will get in there and get the job done. If you had had her restrained a few times in a chute or otherwise and the calf knows enough to suck and what to do the hobble method has worked really well with me when dealing with heifers that don't want to take their calf or when transplanting other calves onto a cow.
dori36
Well-known member
luvmyblue said:
One more concern other than the heifer kicking at her is smashing her with her head. Kicking is only one way to get a calf away that a dam doesn't want. I wouldn't leave them alone unless the cow is tied AND she's hobbled. I've seen mother cows that didn't want the calves kill them by using their heads. I'd say don't give up for a few more days but don't just put them together and leave them alone. Keep your eye on them and give it up for the sake of the calf is she won't take her and mother her. I agree, it's heartbreaking/sad.
LoVeShOrThOrNs
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DEFINITELY do not feed the mama cow grain. It gives the baby scours, which is no fun to deal with
linnettejane
Well-known member
hmmm....i feed my momma cows grain all the time and my babies dont get scours....i actually start giving them a little grain about a week before they calve and continue to grain them after they calve...would that be the difference? ???
and im a little confused about seperating the cow and calf...i would think you would want them to bond...not sure i understand how keeping them apart encourages bonding... ???
and im a little confused about seperating the cow and calf...i would think you would want them to bond...not sure i understand how keeping them apart encourages bonding... ???
