Anyone Else Had This Happen?

[Crowderfarms]

We have a first Calf Heifer, calved Wednesday night, Heifer kicks a kind of a circle when the calf nurses, knocked the calf down a couple of times. Kicks it in the head. She's loaded with plenty of milk, bag is fine. She is being a great mother as far as protective.What is the deal here? I have never had this kind of a problem. Almost wondered if I should pull the calf from her if this keeps up.What do Yall think?

 

[TLCfromARK]

Bags most likely tender. Put her in a chute and let the calf nurse or milk her down to get the pressure off. Sometimes the teats have a little pluggage and it's hard for the calf get the milk to come. Once the calf gets a little stronger and the heifer's bag isn't so strutted up it should nurse by itself. I wouldn't pull the calf off the cow just yet, work with them a little.

;-)

 

[Dee]

If you have a "cow can't kick" device, clamp that on her, or put her in a squeeze chute, so she don't kick at it.

 

[bigbull338]

put the heifer in the chute catch her tail and hold it straight up in the air an she cant or wont kick the calf you may have to climb u p the fence to hold the tail all the way in the air scott

 

[farm girl]

We had this happen a couple of years ago and we put the cow in a squeeze shute and milked her by hand to get a little of the pressure off, then let the calf suck. After a couple of times of this she was fine. Good luck and keep us posted on how its going.

 

[Medic24]

a little patience goes a long way in a situation such as this. Good luck :cboy:

 

[Crowderfarms]

Thanks for ALL the responses...Put her in the Chute this afternoon,milked her out some, all went well calf nursed with no problem . Turned them both out, and the Heifer seems to have figured out how things are gonna be.She has about stopped that kick and is now letting the calf nurse! Only thing I could figure was her bag was sore. Gotta love those 1st calf Heifers. First time for everything.

 

[jerry27150]

some don't understand that baby is supposed to suck on them at first

 

[Farmhand]

Have had that happen. Sometimes it's a sore bag. Sometimes it's a new mom that don't know the little one is suppose to be there. If it's because mom don't know better, we have a technique that works. Learned it from a very stubborn 1st timer. A 2x4 and some "bonding". Doesn't take much "bonding". Holler at her at the same time. By the end of day 2 just hollering was enough. She was down to business by day 4.

 

[Bama]

I know a guy that puts the cow in the chute and drops gate down for calf to nurse. He comes up behind with a weak cattle prod. When the cow kicks she gets hit with the prod. Eventially it works.

 

[dun]

Had an experienced cow do that this year. Udder was fine and let the calf nurse when she was in the chute. When she was tuened out she would hunt to calf down and kick the crapola out of it. After a week of this nonsense the calf was switched to a bottle and sold, the cow brough 57 cents a pound at the slaughter sale.

dun

 

[ctlbaron]

We've had that problem before. Sounds sound like you've gotten good advice. Let us know how it goes.