What to do with unhappy heifer?

[Wisrose]

Ok, so we had this heifer calve this a.m. (hard pull) we left her alone with him and she never licked him or mothered-up to him. After an hour or so we tied her up and got the calf to nurse from her. She tried kicking but she eventually let him nurse. Untied her and she knocks him over! She obviously doesn't like him at all. I've got him to nurse three times today and even left him loose with her and she knocks him over(not just gently nudging either) she won't have anything to do with him unless I'm in with her and she's tied. So, how long do I fool around with them??? First time I've had this happen! Thanks in advance for any help ;D

 

[Wisrose]

I'm afraid she's going to hurt him if I leave them alone together :-\

 

[CWshorthorns]

We had the same thing this year with a heifer that was a hard pull and she never did take up to the calf we have to milk her out because if we put them in the pin together she will kick,step,head butt the calf and we tried if for about two days pinned up and we thought for the calfs saftye we will milk her out and then after we ween the calf she will prolly get the goose neck long ride.This is just what we had not saying it will happen the same for you.

 

[Hilltop]

I say kick the @##$$%%%&^$# heifer out to the dry pen........ keep the calf in and start bottle feeding....I dealt with a heifer this winter.... knocked the calf around.. put her in the chute to get the calf sucking.. she was good as gold.. let 'em out together and BOOM she was after that calf wanting to kill her bad.. split them for awhile and then run the heifer in the chute again for the calf to suck.. all was good again.. let them together again and I didn't even walk 20 ft. away and she had that calf 1/2 way through the panels...That was it...I didn't have time for this.. right in the middle  of calving in the coldest part of winter!!!!  Put the heifer out and she never bawled for that calf once..... Our daughter bottlefed that baby faithfully.  We do have a milk cow that willingly accepted this poor little baby now...all is good now but ...I just  didn't have the time and I didn"t want to see a poor little baby get killed  -------  Momma Hilltop-------

 

[rocknmranch]

We had a heifer calve twins just about a week ago. If the twins were seperate she was good, but if both were near or up at the same time, the bull calf she tossed around. We said forget it, and brought him in out of the field. He was aout two days, and had been eating some, but not a lot. He is now with our other bottle calfs for the season.

 

[DL]

I'm afraid she's going to hurt him if I leave them alone together :-\

I don't pen cow/calf together if I think the cow/heifer is going to hurt the calf. Put them in separate but adjoining pens so they have nose to nose contact. Keep doing exactly what you are doing - often times with heifers who have had a hard time calving they aren't in their "right mind" for a while and have no real experience being mothers - it may take a week but my guess is that if she is allowing the calf to nurse she will eventually take her. Also we have had some luck lathering Beef Nutridrench on the calf (go figure) and the mom licks it off - good luck

 

[frostback]

I would keep them separate. Then get a big stick and put the cow in the chute, let calf nurse when the cow kicks she just a whack on the head, and make a loud noise, say no or something she will associate with the stick. Keep doing that in the chute till she will stand. When you get to that point let the calf out with her. If she kicks then she gets a whack on the head and the noise again. Keep doing that and gradually get farther back and then just try the noise to see if that will keep her from kicking. Eventually you should just be able to warn her not to kick with the noise. Then just keep getting farther back. I just went threw this exact thing and it took about 4 days and then one morning I went out and the calf was nursing by himself. Just took them to pasture yesterday and she is running around keeping track of her calf. It should be done about every four hours. The calf will learn to nurse when he sees you, but if she is getting better let it go longer so he tries when he is hungry. He will get braver and better coordinated and try harder with her.

 

[knabe]

don't some people drench the calf with molasses and the cow licks it off?

 

[lowann]

We had this happen several years ago. Our vet told us to put sweet feed on the calf. The mother started licking the feed off the calf, and before we knew it she was licking it all over. Worked like a charm.
It's worth a try, just make sure you are there monitoring them.

 

[Wisrose]

Thanks for all the help. She is doing better. She lets him nurse when we have her tied, kicks a little. I let them out today with the others, she was getting a little too riled up in the barn. She moos and looks for him but when he went up to nurse she gently kicked him away. He had just eaten so we will keep an eye on her to make sure she lets him eat later. If not ,back in the barn for a feeding. We had 3 Shorthorns a few years ago and they where just too protective and agressive towards us at calving time so we got rid of them. My son wanted to try another Shortie so we thought we would give it a try...they are way more protective then my Herefords!!! Good thing she's halter broke. Thanks again ;D

 

[MYT Farms]

We ran every last one of our stinking purebreds through the barn two years back. We have found that not being to nice to the cow helps her get things figured out a lot quicker. I don't know why, but I seem to have done a lot of grafting and working on heifers these past couple years. Getting that leg tied up really well will help when you feed him. But, what seems to really work, if the calf will suck, get a set of good leather hobbles on her hind legs. She'll rub herself raw, but she won't kick and get the calf discouraged from drinking. When she's tried of kicking and accepts that she's a mama, you more than likely won't have problems again. Salt, molasses, etc. has just been a waste of money in our cases. Good luck.