Advice please

[greenwillowherefords]

I've got a new problem that is largely my fault. My wife and I noticed that a breeding age heifer was making attempts to nurse a springing heifer. I asked LA whether I should separate them, and he said "right soon." Another person said "wait until she's a little closer to due date unless she really latches on." Should have taken LA's advice immediately. My wife spotted the younger heifer latched on yesterday. I separated them (had to erect a temporary fence, which was why I was putting it off) yesterday evening. This evening she has a 40 lb. bull calf, who seems to be healthy enough. The heifer owns it fine. Two problems, the calf seems to be slow about learning to latch on, and the heifer seems to be somewhat sore. Bad combo. The calf is about two weeks early. Worried that the heifer might not have any colostrum, but already be making regular milk, I made him a bottle and got a little down him. She is so gentle that I was able to squeeze some milk from her to see if I could work some of the soreness out, and that seemed to work. She seems to be loaded with a lot of milk. Unfortunately, the calf is still actually not showing a great deal of interest in eating, and still hasn't latched on. I've worked with him and her until I am worn out. To complicate matters, my daughter is in the hospital, and that takes precedence over anything else of course. I'm hoping the calf will gain some strength from what I got down him, and nature will take its course during the night. I'm thinking about trying to milk her in the morning and give that to him if they've still not got their act together.

I know this was a foolish, novice-type mistake, and some of you will probably rake me over the coals about it, and I apologize in advance to LA for not heeding him sooner. I still am not sure if most of the problem is not in this little calf. Give me a robust 90 pounder any day. Am I doing the right things? It is supposed to get down to 28 tonight.

 

[Medic24]

I for one make mistakes like this all the time, so don't beat yourself up over it.........So no one here would even begin to jump over you for a mistake.maybe it will work out for the better, but 40 lbs is pretty darn small.

 

[frenchie]

Well I do hope things have worked out over night with the calf catching on.

I have had good luck with vitamin B-1 injections to perk up a calf.It may take awhile for the soreness in the moms udder to subside .Keep giving him milk...Also..keep trying him on the heifer before each feeding..it works best for me if you let him get a little hungry.Alot of times I will tickle his tail as I ,m trying to get him latched on.


One last thing....I have used bull rings in heifers or cows to prevent them from sucking....Other cows.

That may not be an option with purebred stock..

Good luck

 

[sidney411]

Sounds like you've got it beat to me. I have a little bottle baby that is 3 mts old. I have weaned him for a month but anytime I put him with another cow he goes strait to her (or his) teats. He has never nursed a cow yet he still has the instincts, isn't nature grand! I have him seperate from the herd in a small rye patch. He also gets free choice calf feed, so he is not lacking food. Will he ever grow out of it?

 

[Kelly]

First off ... How is your daughter? I hope it isn't serious. She is your first priority. About the calf. Was the bottle you made colostrum or milk replacer? I have occasionally used a paste called nursemate on a slow starter calf. It is supposed to increase their appetite along with some vitamins & minerals. You are doing the right things - just put them together in a nice place out of the weather with some warm bedding & watch them. I would supplement the calf or milk mom & feed it until you see it nursing & bonding with mom. Good luck & my prayers are with you & your daughter.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Hmmm, that's a dilema. I hope your daughter gets well/home soon.
As far as that calf goes, yeah, 40lbs is small but I have seen them make it. Keep milking out mom and feeding that direct to baby and keep trying to get the little guy to suck. I'd keep those two to themselves until they get it sorted out.(with your assistance of course) As for the breeding age heifer, I had one "try" that stunt a few times, I re-separated her out and waited another month, then put her back with the herd, she tried to suck again, but by then those that she attempted gave her the "boot" and that was the end of it.
Good luck.

Katherine

 

[greenwillowherefords]

Most important news first, my daughter is home! Thank God!

Still haven't erected a very good chute in the temporary pen, and haven't been able to do more than strip a few squirts out before heifer sidles away. Trying to balance my regular job with everything else going on, we are behind at work with probably six houses sheetrocked waiting for cabinets.

Got a little more of the colostrum down the calf this morning-not much. Took off work early this evening, took the calf to the vet, who tubed him for $20. That gave him some spunk, although he had gotten up and walked around during the day.

Went back to work from 6:50-8:30, prepared another bottle when I got home after nine. Brought the calf to the front porch where my wife could help me in the light. He took two pints, became fairly excited. Took him back to momma, who was walking the fence in concern. She seemed to be positioning herself as if she wanted him to nurse, so I put him in the right vicinity and left them. If he hasn't gotten it down by tomorrow evening, I plan to milk her and give him her milk. He seems fairly vigorous except for the lack of knowledge of how to suck. He is dark red with a bit of pigment around the eyes, four stockings, about a seven inch featherneck, and pigmented scrotum. I figured it up, and he is probably at least two and a half or three weeks early, possibly as much as a month.

Thanks all.

 

[Linda]

You're doing a good job. Keep tubing that calf twice a day until he's strong enough to nurse on his own. My vet says the biggest mistake most people make is not tubing and waiting too long for the calf to nurse on its own. He said those little ones dehydrate and weaken very rapidly and die just as quickly. I believe he's right. Even if you're still tubing the calf, when he's strong enough he'll latch onto his mama when he has the strength and stamina.

I milked out one of our mother cows every evening for nearly 10 days once, tubing the milk into her heifer calf twice a day, until I was about ready to scream. One day the heifer calf walked away with kind of a staggering gait, went straight over to her mama and started nursing. Seems she'd finally started nursing on her own the night before and her tummy was a bit full. But, at least she went to her mama for comfort and I was able to see she could nurse on her own. We didn't have a chute at the time, so I had to load up the cow & haul her down to our vet's once every day, put her in a chute he used only for milking cows and milk her out. It was worth it, though. That heifer calf was off to a bad start because she came backwards (72# BW), but weaned at over 700# at 205 days.

 

[Medic24]

Just keep in mind, if you tube too often, the throat swells up and it's not good news after that. The only problem is, one cannot predict when that will happen.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Good news about your daughter

I wanted to point out for all reading. Research that I have found says a cow only produces the colostrum the one time. If anything sucks her ( or a producer milks her), she will only have milk for her newborn.

By the way, do you think the cow wants the heifer that was sucking her prior to calving. She may be attached to that heifer thinking she's hers.

Is your area Selenium deficient? If so, calf should get a shot. Selenium deficiency causes "dumb suckers" because the tongue is a muscle and lacking selenium makes large muscles weak. (it's called white muscle disease). Their legs are weak, along with their heart. Might not affect your area. If she is 3-4 weeks early, it's not surprising that she doesn't have the right instincts.
Hang in there. There are only 24 hours in the day & you can only do so much. Good luck. Keep us posted.

 

[TheBullLady]

Great to hear your daughter is home! Maybe that means good luck for the cow/ calf as well.

It sounds like you are doing everything you can possibly do. And don't feel bad for "screwing up".. I know I've been there more times than I care to remember. You do what you think is right at the time.. and if it's not, you have to figure out something else!

A 40 lb calf isn't going to have the capacity to eat very much at a time, so keep that in mind. It's really hard to tell if the calf is nursing while you're not around. It's great that the heifer is interested in the new calf, that's half the battle.

I think milking the cow and feeding it to the calf is the best bet. At some point I suspect you'll actually see him nursing the cow, or he'll no longer be interested in a bottle.

I would really watch the yearling. I would be afraid to put the new momma back out with her calf from last year. Anytime I've had a calf go back to nursing after it had been weaned, I've never had luck getting it completely weaned permanently.


Best of luck! I bet it will work out fine.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Glad your daughter is home. As for the calf, it sounds like things are getting on the right track. If you can get enough of it, mother's milk would be best. Good thing is he does suck the bottle, and does seem "energized" after having done so. Keep at it, he'll probably be okay.
When it rains it pours, sounds like that Murphy's law guy found you...daughter in hospital, work has piled up and cow/calf problem. It will work out. Good luck...keep us posted.

Katherine

 

[greenwillowherefords]

Thanks for the input. To bring things up to date, I went out this morning and to my amazement, the little tyke was lying on his side in the chute(he must have wandered into it) and making weak, distressed noises. It was obvious that he had fluid buildup in his lungs from the rattling, and his extremeties were already cold. I tried to work with him, give him the warm bottle, etc. He was too far gone. He died after I went to work. I didn't put him out of his misery because I hoped by some miracle that the sun might revive him when it came up. My wife talked to our vet, and he said he started to tell us yesterday that his lungs didn't sound like they were fully developed, but hated to discourage us. He said it was a good four weeks early by his guess.

My wife called a dairy farmer that we know, and he had a bull calf born today. Went and got it tonight, $100. Took the dead calf from the pen, got it up in the back of the pickup with the Holstein calf, and rubbed it on him. Placed dead calf behind pickup where momma couldn't see it. Took Holstein to momma, who was anxiously pacing the fence. She immediately "owned" it, sniffing, licking, nudging and making soft noises. The vigorous little fellow persistently headed for her udder while she nervously backpedaled a bit. He won. She kicked at him a few times until he worked the soreness out, and then all was fine, especially after I fed her. After a few minutes of nursing, he was crow-hopping, skipping, and playing. Heifer wouldn't even move from the spot for feed, had to take it to her. She didn't want to leave her calf.

Meanwhile, my little daughter is happy to be home! Thank the Lord.

 

[txag]

sorry to hear about the bull calf, but good news about your daughter & "adopted" calf.

 

[Medic24]

Through the rain a little bit of sun does shine.

 

[jerry27150]

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Sorry to hear the calf was lost. Glad to hear you have a replacement calf and that momma has accpted him. I hope things continue on the upward path for you.

Katherine

 

[greenwillowherefords]

Thanks all