Bad udder.

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John1987

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Morgan county, KY
First off, I'm new here and I'm not sure how to go about asking questions, so I hope I'm asking this in the right area, I'm sorry if not. I had a calf born yesterday morning while I was out of town. Brother-in-law checked on the cows and let me know this morning that somthing was wrong, the calf was up walking around yesterday all day, but he didn't see it suck. This morning, it wasn't getting up. The cow is middle aged, angus cross, has a bag with front 2 teats, no milk, and the back 2 are huge, which according to my b-I-l, are too big for the calf to suck. He milked her out this morning and bottle fed the calf 6 pints, and it ate fine. My question is this: how big is too big for the calf to suck, and if this really is the case, how long should I bottle feed it before I can send it down the road? Not trying to sound cold hearted, but I've bottle fed several times before, but with the job I have now, there's just no way I can raise it on a bottle, just want to know it will make it before I sell it to someone else. Thank you for any and all replies in advance.
 
Depends on the individual calf. I've seen new borns suck a teat the size of a coke bottle and others have problems with on much bigger then a polish sausage.
 
If you can get the calf to learn that those big things back there are worth sucking on, he should be just fine.. I have a few cows with big bags, and a few milk thieving calves they'll nurse them down enough the cow's real calf figures them out... I don't think you'll have to bottle raise it, just make it learn.
 
We've had this. Put the calf on mama in the squeeze shoot. It usually doesn't take but a couple times for the calf to get it. Milk her down a bit if necessary, but get them connected and all should be well. You haven't had this problem with her in the past?
 
Thanks for all the replies, I think it may be okay. By the time I got to it, my brother-in-law had already gave it a bottle, but I went ahead and put it on her teats. It sucked a little, two different times, but wanted to lay down and sleep. Now I'm more worried about her front two teats. I thought they were just bad, but her udder is huge in the front, and no milk coming out of it. I tried milking them, but nothing. Is there anything that can be done about those two, maybe unstopping the mammary veins? Not even sure if I'm right about any of this, still new to cattle. And I haven't had any problems in the past, just bought all of my cows this spring, already bred. I'm just now learning my mistakes and the hard way. Thanks for the replies. I'll post pics if I can figure out how.
 
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Keep an eye on it make sure it is nursing. If not put it on her teat a few times. Let her raise the calf then sale the cow for slaughter.
 
That is just a goat udder, there probably is a littl emilk in the front teats, but the calf had beaten you to it. As soon as you see teh calf nursing the back teats leave it be and let the cow raise the calf, sell them both at weaning and big teats never improve with age/wear.
 
Thanks for the advice, she will definitely be culled, as I don't want any more problems than I am going to have already, even if this calf does good, not taking a chance again. I believe her front teats are blocked, whether from mastitis or injury, I'm not sure, but they have absolutely no milk in them. The front of the udder is full of milk, but none is dropping down into the teats. They feel like they have a wire running top to bottom in both, about the size of a pencil lead. Thanks again for the replies.
 
Hard to tell from any picture, but if all 4 quarters are producing, the size of those back tits don't look "too" big to me. Front tits should be easy to break loose. Calf might even do it, or has beaten you to it, and there drained appearing dysfunctional. Once again, don't make your management decisions based on my opinion. If that cow is young, and breeding back, she's making money. I understand the job part. Mine gets kinda crazy sometimes to. In the end, you gotta do what you gotta do to make things work.
 
Hmmm. Could that calf have some Jersey blood in it?

Kind of looks to me like those teats have been sucked already. But as BF says, "hard to tell just off of a picture." Just takes spending some time watching.
 
My best guess is she was bred to a Charolais bull, or at least Charolais cross. Still, I'm not dissapointed with this little bull calf. Only the second bull calf so far, with the rest heifers.
 
Bigfoot said:
Hard to tell from any picture, but if all 4 quarters are producing, the size of those back tits don't look "too" big to me. [/quote

I agree.. I had a friend in the cattle biz and he would cull any cow that didn't have perfect tits... Guess where they ended up at... My place... They will figure it out and get the milk. I would never cull a cow because she has big tits and is still capable of breeding and raising an calf that's just crazy foolishness to me. :2cents:
Click to expand...
 
I get calves like that out of char x cows and red sim bulls. And I like em, little blonde calves with dark nose and hooves, Wish I had 1000 of em.
 
Well, yesterday was another day of bottle feeding. I thought the calf was going to suck on its own, but it wasn't, so I am back to milking and feeding bottles. Last night I tried getting it on its mom, but it was just too stubborn. So I gave it a bottle, and when it was gone, it wanted more and when it seen I wasn't giving it anymore, it went straight for mama! It knew how to suck, was head butting her udder, but didn't really want to latch onto those back quarters. It did eat some, but very little. Am I worrying too much about this, should I stop feeding a bottle and let it fend for itself?
 
If you keep feeding it a bottle it will never want to go for its mama... I have cows with big tits and after the calf nurses them really well they tend to shrink down. I think personally you are worrying too much and should step back and let them do their thing.
 

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