bottle calf now

[Dave]

Yesterday morning there was a new calf that no one was claiming. Went round and round through the herd looking at the cows searching for signs of one who calved. Nothing. There was one cow who had a new calf. Pushed calf and thus her over to this unclaimed calf. She wanted nothing to do with him. And both calves look too big to be twins. I went back and tubed some colostrum down him. It was nice out and the sun was shining so we left him out there in the middle of the feed row. Hoped someone would claim him. No such luck. So before dark he got hauled to the barn. He didn't want to suck the bottle so he got tubed once again. I had to pack him into the barn. I say I would easily put him over 80 pounds. Which isn't huge but big to have 2 twins that size. The mystery is where did he come from? Oh well certainly not the first leppy that the wife or I have raised. And if some cow were to loose her calf we have a candidate for Dave's adoption service.

 

[Travlr]

Yesterday morning there was a new calf that no one was claiming. Went round and round through the herd looking at the cows searching for signs of one who calved. Nothing. There was one cow who had a new calf. Pushed calf and thus her over to this unclaimed calf. She wanted nothing to do with him. And both calves look too big to be twins. I went back and tubed some colostrum down him. It was nice out and the sun was shining so we left him out there in the middle of the feed row. Hoped someone would claim him. No such luck. So before dark he got hauled to the barn. He didn't want to suck the bottle so he got tubed once again. I had to pack him into the barn. I say I would easily put him over 80 pounds. Which isn't huge but big to have 2 twins that size. The mystery is where did he come from? Oh well certainly not the first leppy that the wife or I have raised. And if some cow were to loose her calf we have a candidate for Dave's adoption service.

Strange to have old cows abandon a calf. Maybe someone will bag up and start looking for her baby.

 

[kenny thomas]

Wednesday afternoon I checked cows before going to work and a Charolais/Angus cow was beginning to think about calving. Thursday morning I went by and she had a small black calf. I seen it again Thursday afternoon before work but she wouldn't let me get close. Friday before work I go and she brings out a bigger light grey calf. She had twins and Saturday was taking good care of both. It will be at least a couple weeks before she will bring them in and I will probably sell the black calf since its smaller.

 

[Dave]

No sign of a missing mother. As time goes on I am thinking real big twins. But he sucked from the bottle this morning so things are looking up for leppy.

 

[Dave]

Thursday at the sale they had Angus bull calf. Only sold for $300. If I would have had the trailer I would have bought it for insurance against a cow losing its calf. But I had the wife's car. I know better than to stuff a calf in the back of her car.

 

[farmerjan]

I will "stuff" a calf in any car I have...including my "nice " explorer/sunday go to meeting/company came to visit ride in car...... in the winter, I mostly bring home calves from the dairies in the back of the subaru forester... no wind so they don't get pneumonia... lots of cardboard and feed bags on the "floor" of the hatchback back section...

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Last week all the beef bottle calves sold for $1300-$1800. At those prices it would be a cold day in you know where before I raised a bottle calf. Haha

 

[kenny thomas]

Last week all the beef bottle calves sold for $1300-$1800. At those prices it would be a cold day in you know where before I raised a bottle calf. Haha

Where do people think there is any profit in an $1800 bottle baby. $1000 for a really good calf to adopt on a cow, maybe. But not for a bottle calf.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Where do people think there is any profit in an $1800 bottle baby. $1000 for a really good calf to adopt on a cow, maybe. But not for a bottle calf.

No idea how the math for the buyers works out. But at those prices I know how it works out for the seller. Haha

 

[Dave]

Calves are starting to pop out here. In a couple weeks the demand for graft calves will sky rocket.

 

[wbvs58]

My money is on twins, most of my twins from mature cows are not small.

Ken

 

[kenny thomas]

My money is on twins, most of my twins from mature cows are not small.

Ken

I looked at my twins today that were born 3 days ago. 1 of them will go if I dont need it soon.

 

[Dave]

Thursday at the sale they had Angus bull calf. Only sold for $300. If I would have had the trailer I would have bought it for insurance against a cow losing its calf. But I had the wife's car. I know better than to stuff a calf in the back of her car.

Found out the story on that calf yesterday. The guy who sold it said it said it could only suck while laying flat on the ground. Said doing it standing up the calf would get a few gulps and cough and fall over. Like the milk was going down the wrong pipe. Good thing I had the wife's car.

 

[farmerjan]

And it could have been the way he was holding the bottle while the calf was standing up...... if the calf does not have a strong esophogas as it sucks, and the esophageal tube does not form for the milk to bypass the rumen and go directly into the abomasum where the proper bacteria will digest the milk, the calf can often aspirate the milk into it's lungs via the trachea...
@Dave 's comment about going down the wrong pipe, is a real thing. It is often also caused by holding the bottle too HIGH when feeding the calf, and too big a hole cut in the end of the nipple ...YEP .... we ALL have taken and slit the X in the end of the nipple bigger so the calf drinks faster... and then the calf gets pneumonia or "drowns" on the fluid aspirated into it's lungs...
I preach to people all the time.... LOOK at the angle that MOST calves drink from on a cow... they are reaching under and up... the trachea is NATURALLY closed off as the calf's neck is almost in a little bit of a U shape, not that pronounced... but it bends down a bit and up at the nose/mouth...
They also go from one to another teat... taking a BREATHER inbetween.... which most people don't do with a bottle calf...
Granted there are tall/long legged cows where the calf reaches way up... BUT.... nature still works to cause the trachea to "close" as the milk goes down into the esophageal tube . And for the most part, cows teats hang straight down, so the calf has to turn his head a little which also helps with the angle the milk is being sucked in.

 

[Dave]

My guess is he had the hole on the nipple too big. But I am still happy that I did buy a calf who was having problem. I am sure that the young man who sold the calf has bottle fed hundreds of calves. But patience is not one of his strong points. However no matter who has the problem him or the calf I don't need to spend money to have to deal with it.