Bottle feeding twins

[cah]

Hello everyone.. I posted about a heifer having twins last week. We are now bottle feeding both of them. The mother is doing the best she can in mothering both of them. He milk bag is just not real big, we are feeding her a lot of grain and hay. She did not hardly eat anything for about two days after the birth. The vet had to pull both calves, they were not hard pulls but the first one the front leg was tucked and the second one was backward. Ok here is what I am doing, we are feeding each calf milk replacer they both get a bottle in the morning and one in the evening of a two qt bottle. The momma will let them both nurse but checking her, her teats are small and there is milk but just not a lot. the momma is finally starting to eat grain and hay, is there anything else I can do to help momma produce more milk. she licks her babies, and tends to them in all ways but I know right now she does not have enough to feed them. I really don;t know what else we can do. This is our first set of twins. Thanks for all the help.

 

[aprille218]

Make sure momma cow has access to fresh clean water constantly and keep up what your doing. You may eventually be able to stop bottle feeding the calves if her milk production kicks in but don't bet on it Good luck!

 

[WORANCH]

If she has enough milk for one calf ,turn her out with one and bottle feed or sell the other.
If she can't raise a calf on her own shes a cull.

 

[Bigfoot]

I'm bottle feeding a twin now. I fed one last year off the same cow. I'm pretty sure I will sell it. I think there is about as much profit in him right now as it would be 8 months from now. Just my opinion.

 

[Taurus]

If she has enough milk for one calf ,turn her out with one and bottle feed or sell the other.
If she can't raise a calf on her own shes a cull.

IMO she is not a cull, see how she is first time mother and she ended up have twins.

IMO I would just feed her more hay and grain and leave the twins with her till the twins are enough old to not need any milk replacer.

 

[skeeter swatter]

What WORANCH said. If she's a first calfer,she sure doesn't need to feed two, and still try to breed back.

 

[cah]

update on the twins.. they were a week old yesterday, the mother is doing a great job in taking care of them but still does NOT have enough milk to feed them both, i don't beleive she even has enough to feed one. she lets both of them nurse but they drain her and go right to the bottles and drink them down with no issues. they are growing, I guess I am wondering if I should just leave them in with the mother and see if she produces more milk... what are the chances of her producing more milk? I will not get rid of her because she is a heifer and had twins, I believe her body condition went down hill because of the twins and that is why she does not have a lot of milk. This is my daughters 4-H project so I don't feel real comfortable in getting rid of her at this time.

 

[Farmgirl]

CAH,

Glad for the update. I think letting the calves nurse will make her give more milk. That is not to say that she will ever give enough for both. At some point you may need to make the decision to pull one or both. Good that she is mothering both. What breed is the heifer?

In our case we just could not bottle feed the calves. It was either mama fed them or one would have to go. We have a creep feeder out with a little Calf Manna in it. They go in and nibble at 3 weeks of age.

Good luck.

Farmgirl

 

[snake67]

Hello everyone.. I posted about a heifer having twins last week. We are now bottle feeding both of them. The mother is doing the best she can in mothering both of them. He milk bag is just not real big, we are feeding her a lot of grain and hay. She did not hardly eat anything for about two days after the birth. The vet had to pull both calves, they were not hard pulls but the first one the front leg was tucked and the second one was backward. Ok here is what I am doing, we are feeding each calf milk replacer they both get a bottle in the morning and one in the evening of a two qt bottle. The momma will let them both nurse but checking her, her teats are small and there is milk but just not a lot. the momma is finally starting to eat grain and hay, is there anything else I can do to help momma produce more milk. she licks her babies, and tends to them in all ways but I know right now she does not have enough to feed them. I really don;t know what else we can do. This is our first set of twins. Thanks for all the help.

Factoring in risk, milk replacer costs, time and effort, potential additional vet costs - in my personal opinion I would probably sell the calves and take the money.

Keep those animals for 6-8 months and you still do not REALLY make money. That cheque you get is a false profit - unless your time is nothing

Throw the cow out on grass and be done with it until next time. Your life will be better and there will be more time to devote to other areas on the farm

If she does come around on the next calf she might be a keeper - if not fatten her and put her in the freezer.

Easier to look at her on a daily basis than to get into feeding and handling every day for weeks.

Best to all

Bez

 

[angie1]

Factoring in risk, milk replacer costs, time and effort, potential additional vet costs - in my personal opinion I would probably sell the calves and take the money.
Keep those animals for 6-8 months and you still do not REALLY make money. That cheque you get is a false profit - unless your time is nothing
Throw the cow out on grass and be done with it until next time. Your life will be better and there will be more time to devote to other areas on the farm
If she does come around on the next calf she might be a keeper - if not fatten her and put her in the freezer.
Easier to look at her on a daily basis than to get into feeding and handling every day for weeks.

This is excellent advice if the OP is wanting to consider cost. She will not come out ahead on this venture ~ quality milk replacer and the extra grain they are supplementing momma with will eat up any profit and more, nevermind the time it is taking.

That being said ~ read between the lines. This is a 4-H calf, belongs to daughter, and "we" are bottle feeding. Its not about money Bez, so you can't answer from a financial view point. cah, based on what you have said, if you are going to keep the calves, you need to continue bottle feeding hopefully she will start producing more but calf behavior indicates they are not getting enough she should be coming full into milk at a week. Typically the demand will dictate supply, but this does not seem to be the case here. Creep feeding them would be a very good idea. If, on the other hand, your daughter is not actively helping to take care of the calves, sell at least one (or both) of them and make your job easier and cheaper.

Its not necessarily about her being a heifer. I had a heifer calf twins, and she took care of both of them without any help or supplement ~ but I considered myself very lucky.

 

[snake67]

Factoring in risk, milk replacer costs, time and effort, potential additional vet costs - in my personal opinion I would probably sell the calves and take the money.
Keep those animals for 6-8 months and you still do not REALLY make money. That cheque you get is a false profit - unless your time is nothing
Throw the cow out on grass and be done with it until next time. Your life will be better and there will be more time to devote to other areas on the farm
If she does come around on the next calf she might be a keeper - if not fatten her and put her in the freezer.
Easier to look at her on a daily basis than to get into feeding and handling every day for weeks.

This is excellent advice if the OP is wanting to consider cost. She will not come out ahead on this venture ~ quality milk replacer and the extra grain they are supplementing momma with will eat up any profit and more, nevermind the time it is taking.

That being said ~ read between the lines. This is a 4-H calf, belongs to daughter, and "we" are bottle feeding. Its not about money Bez, so you can't answer from a financial view point. cah, based on what you have said, if you are going to keep the calves, you need to continue bottle feeding hopefully she will start producing more but calf behavior indicates they are not getting enough she should be coming full into milk at a week. Typically the demand will dictate supply, but this does not seem to be the case here. Creep feeding them would be a very good idea. If, on the other hand, your daughter is not actively helping to take care of the calves, sell at least one (or both) of them and make your job easier and cheaper.

Its not necessarily about her being a heifer. I had a heifer calf twins, and she took care of both of them without any help or supplement ~ but I considered myself very lucky.

Time to get another 4H project then - this one is essentially a bust in my mind

Best to you Angie

Bez

 

[angie1]

Time to get another 4H project then - this one is essentially a bust in my mind
Best to you Angie
Bez

Financially yes, it is a bust ~ but this is not, I think, about money.
You know as well as I do, and better than most, that there is more to life than financial profit.

(You didn't seriously think I was going to let you have the last word on this did you??)

Have a groovy weekend!

 

[cah]

Thank you all for your input and concern. The twins will be feeder calfs for my daughters 4-H project, maybe I should have said from the get go that we raise club calves, both twins are very nice and I don't think I will have any trouble selling either of them in 9-10 mts. BUT with that said my daughter is a senior and this is her last year in 4-H. I have a neighbor that works at a feed supply store and can get my milk replacer with a discount, not a lot but every little bit helps. My Daughter does help out in feeding them both A lot and treats them both as little dogs. LOL, they will be nothing to halter break and a easy year of that. With that said, yea we may not make much of a profit if at all but I will cherish these memories with the time I am spending in the barn with my daughter. I look at it as I can't get this time back, we at least got two calfs that are alive and are cute as can be. I guess I just really wanted everyones input as to if the heifer will eventually make more milk. It has been a week. granted she had a rough couple of days and did not each much after the birth of the twins but now she is eating well. I know everyones opinion is different and I respect that. If the mother does not produce a calf and milk next year she will go to the sale barn. Thanks

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

I agree, let her raise the calves with your help. She is learning to be a mommy. We had a set of twins a few years ago, and the cow was able to raise them both without assistance. Two days later we had a first calf heifer lose her calf of 10 days of age (the calf was crushed between the bale feeder and a cow on a cold night). Vet advised us to transfer the free martin heifer to the heifer that lost the calf so she could learn how to raise her own for next time. That is what we did, and that heifer is now raising her own set of twins by herself! That foster calf allowed her to establish her production and keep it going.

 

[snake67]

Time to get another 4H project then - this one is essentially a bust in my mind
Best to you Angie
Bez

Financially yes, it is a bust ~ but this is not, I think, about money.
You know as well as I do, and better than most, that there is more to life than financial profit.

(You didn't seriously think I was going to let you have the last word on this did you??)

Have a groovy weekend!

LOL

I have been married for more than 33 years - and I NEVER let the old gal have the last word - she has learned who is boss in this house and I dammed sure remind her as often as I think she needs it - which is at least a couple times a day

However I have given up trying to beat you - so yeah - last word is yours !!

Again - best to you Angie - my groovy weekend will be moving small squares for my neighbour - ugh, ugh ....

Cheers

Bez

 

[snake67]

Time to get another 4H project then - this one is essentially a bust in my mind
Best to you Angie
Bez

Financially yes, it is a bust ~ but this is not, I think, about money.
You know as well as I do, and better than most, that there is more to life than financial profit.

(You didn't seriously think I was going to let you have the last word on this did you??)

Have a groovy weekend!

LOL

I have been married for more than 33 years - and I NEVER let the old gal have the last word - she has learned who is boss in this house and I dammed sure remind her as often as I think she needs it - which is at least a couple times a day - you would think she would have learned by now

However I have given up trying to beat you - so yeah - last word is yours !!

Again - best to you Angie - my groovy weekend will be moving small squares for my neighbour - ugh, ugh ....

Cheers

Bez