I have a mystery on my hands. Friends were replacings some windows I lost in the barn from the hail storm. When leaving the place they called me at work to say the cow I've been watching had calved. It was black with a white face. I explained it probably just looked black because it was still wet. (red beefmaster cow/bull). Got home checked on cow in pasture and she had a solid colored light red calf with her (no white face) and all was well, I thought. The next afternoon I heard a calf bawling from the brush in the general area where the cow had calved. Went to check and found a red calf with a white face recently born! This cow is about 9 years old and has never had twins before. I checked with neighbors and no one is missing a calf. They have angus and charlois. This cow is such a good mama, I can't imagine her abandoning a calf unless she got preoccupied with the second birth and forgot the first one. Gave milk replacer last night and this morning (didn't have colostrum on hand). Question....will it be okay to give colostrum after starting milk replacer? I think this calf may have nursed after birth because it sure didn't seem weak however, it was pretty hungry and took to a bottle pretty quick. I am 90% positive this calf is hers, but 10% still questioning. Wouldn't a calf be pretty weak if it hadn't nursed in 24 hours?
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backhoeboogie
Well-known member
A6gal":1rndwdg1 said:
Not necessarily. There are times that cows don't let the calf nurse and they get pretty agressive. If that calf got in a bit of nursing right after it was born, my guess is it would be hungry and aggressive 24 hours later. A nine year old cow can drop pretty healthy calves, depending on what kind of life she has had.
At this point, there is no real way of knowing. Take care of that baby and see if momma will take them both. It would be best to pen them. I had twin heifers a few years back and the momma wouldn't have anything to do with one of them, but was extremely protective of the other one. Hopefully mom will take them both. Good luck.
My plan is to put them in the pen together first thing after work this afternoon. This cow on her own took on a calf about 2 years ago when it's momma wasn't milking enough. So hopefully she won't have a problem with taking this one.
If she won't should I give colostrom before continuing with the milk replacer?
If she won't should I give colostrom before continuing with the milk replacer?
It's said the colostrum's only "effective" (not sure if that's the right word-?) up until 24 hours of age. It is said that after that it doesn't do anything.
On the other hand, a lot of dairy folks figure a cow is producing colostrum or something other than 'real milk' until about 3-4 days after calving. So you'd think a calf could absorb and use that colostrum for 3-4 days too... but who knows? lol.
Regardless, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt the calf to get bagged colostrum after giving it milk replacer, just that there's prolly no need for it now. Or any point in doing so. I think my first move would be to let the calf nurse off the suspected dam. I'm sure you can make that cow submit and let the calf nurse no matter how she feels about the matter. I'm also sure that can be done for several days and after that, if the cow is really being uncooperative, then worry about bottle feeding.
On the other hand, a lot of dairy folks figure a cow is producing colostrum or something other than 'real milk' until about 3-4 days after calving. So you'd think a calf could absorb and use that colostrum for 3-4 days too... but who knows? lol.
Regardless, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt the calf to get bagged colostrum after giving it milk replacer, just that there's prolly no need for it now. Or any point in doing so. I think my first move would be to let the calf nurse off the suspected dam. I'm sure you can make that cow submit and let the calf nurse no matter how she feels about the matter. I'm also sure that can be done for several days and after that, if the cow is really being uncooperative, then worry about bottle feeding.
DiamondSCattleCo
Well-known member
milkmaid":36l909df said:
I've always questioned this line of thought. As you say, the cows are giving colostrum for 3 - 4 days after birth, and since most things about the body (whether it be cow or other animal) seem to be almost "by design", I think calves are able to make some use of colostrum even on the 4th day.
Over the years, I've had a few calves that fooled me into believing that they'd nursed, and I didn't realize they hadn't until 2 or 3 days later. I've tubed colostrum and electrolytes into them, and never had one of them get sick.
Rod
ALACOWMAN
Well-known member
i would give it the colostrum if theres a questionA6gal":1ksuapzd said:
mnmtranching
Well-known member
There are some good colostrum supplements, replacement products now. Last year and this year I've had a couple of weak twins that I know didn't get colostrum. With some work and antibiotics you can save them without natural colostrum.
mnmt
mnmt
Thanks for all the feedback. I went ahead and gave him colostrum. Put the cow in the chute and let him nurse, milked the cow and rubbed the calf with the milk thinking she might accept it. Left them in the pen together a couple of days. Didn't work. He knows she's his mom because he runs straight to her even when other cows are around, but she's aggressive toward him and I'm afraid she's going to hurt him. He is the larger of the two calves and he's doing well on the bottle. I have a cow that lost a calf back in February, she stays close to the pen where the calf is penned. Too bad she's dried up already or she might adopt it. I don't mind bottle feeding but it's hard not to get attached.
If you think the cow can raise both calves, then hang in there. Separate the cow from both calves and let them together twice a day. Probably going to take more than "a few days" to "graft" this calf back on to the cow. Give it a week and then reevaluate. I've heard of cows that you couldn't graft a calf on, but so far I haven't run into anything I couldn't graft a calf (or multiple calves!) on if I tried hard enough and long enough. :lol:
Susie David
Well-known member
The calf's ability to asorb and utilitize the colostrum decreases rapidly within the first few hours after birth and after twenty four hours the calf get's no benefit from the colostrum...other than a liquid intake. IMO I'd try to get the calf on the cow, best for all involved.
DMc
DMc
