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Anonymous

Howdy all,

Against everyone's sound advice, I picked up a 3 month old calf yesterday that was at "too good a price" to pass up. Up until yesterday, she's been well fed and on her mama, and looks very healthy, but now with stress of being taken from her mama, a haul, and a new herd has me concerned as to how to keep her that way. I have a cow that will nurse orphans, only she's starting to dry up from her last calf, so I'm wondering if I ought to suppliment this little gal's feed any with a milk replacer, or just let her get what she can from the nurse cow and pasture. Even at this late date in the season, my pasture is putting alot of weight on the heifers that are out here. Frankly, I'm amazed.

How would you tackle this? Shoot her with LA 200 when she gets here as a preventative? Offer milk replacer? Let the cow take over? I don't think she's ever seen feed, so I'm sure it would take a while for her to catch on to that idea, and I was hoping to keep her as healthy as I can during the transition. I plan on penning her with the cow and her calf until she stops looking for her mother, then turning the 3 of them out on pasture again. Any suggestions would be a great help.

Thanks!

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I'ld give her a blast of Nuflor and start creep feeding her while she is with the other two. If she gets into the creep reallly well, she can be weaned at anytime now.

dun

> Howdy all,

> Against everyone's sound advice, I
> picked up a 3 month old calf
> yesterday that was at "too
> good a price" to pass up. Up
> until yesterday, she's been well
> fed and on her mama, and looks
> very healthy, but now with stress
> of being taken from her mama, a
> haul, and a new herd has me
> concerned as to how to keep her
> that way. I have a cow that will
> nurse orphans, only she's starting
> to dry up from her last calf, so
> I'm wondering if I ought to
> suppliment this little gal's feed
> any with a milk replacer, or just
> let her get what she can from the
> nurse cow and pasture. Even at
> this late date in the season, my
> pasture is putting alot of weight
> on the heifers that are out here.
> Frankly, I'm amazed.

> How would you tackle this? Shoot
> her with LA 200 when she gets here
> as a preventative? Offer milk
> replacer? Let the cow take over? I
> don't think she's ever seen feed,
> so I'm sure it would take a while
> for her to catch on to that idea,
> and I was hoping to keep her as
> healthy as I can during the
> transition. I plan on penning her
> with the cow and her calf until
> she stops looking for her mother,
> then turning the 3 of them out on
> pasture again. Any suggestions
> would be a great help.

> Thanks!
 
Thanks Dun, The calf is doing great! Not into feed yet, but eating grass and hay like a champ. No scours, no runny nose, no listfullness. Guess her real mama wasn't providing much for her, 'cause she sure knows how to eat and so far is keeping condition. She wasn't a sale barn calf, so that might have been helpful too. She was wormed on her way in, and we'll get through this cold front that's on its way through, then vacc her in another week or so. So far, so good! Thanks again!

> I'ld give her a blast of Nuflor
> and start creep feeding her while
> she is with the other two. If she
> gets into the creep reallly well,
> she can be weaned at anytime now.

> dun



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Good luck with the calf. I think Dun's advice is excellent. Additionally, I would not hesitate for a second in giving her a shot of LA200 before letting her off the trailer just to give her an advantage on any illness that may creep in while she is stressed. Again, good luck. It sounds like she is a good one and will be fine.

Duncan

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