Bred Heifers requiring Nursing Intervention?

[Stocker Steve]

Had a fancy heifer that calved last spring and did not love her calf. Calf would try to nurse, and she would shake it off. I supplemented the calf for a couple days thinking she would change. She did not. Butchered that heifer off pasture in August. Outstanding beef.

Have two heifers that calved so far this spring. One is the same - - calf tries to nurse and she kicks or shakes it off the teat. Calf then ends up sucking on the Bitch's belly.

Is this a common problem people just manage around when corral caving, or do I have some bad maternal genetics in my herd? Many need to buy another freezer...

 

[Brute 23]

Cull them, their mom, their grandmother... cull deep and hard... any links to that mess. That is not common.

 

[Ky hills]

I've had a few like that, and they get culled.

 

[moses388]

I agree with Brute & Ky hills. Culling is the answer for maternal problems. Sounds like it may be maternal. Think I have seen that before. She wants the calf and gets all cozy with it, but manages to keep the calf off the teats/udders. Calf eventually dies without intervention.

Another issue I have wondered about is space. I'm not saying it applies to you, but it's just from observing my own cattle. One will go into labor and a another cow comes along. The labor cow has her calf, but the cradle robber is waiting in the rear and starts licking it off.
Or a cow is in early stages of parturition when they start the up, down & all around stuff. The cow gets up and finds a puddle of fluid on the ground. Sniff and yum yum good. Oh there is a calf next it, must be mine! Nope, it's still in your belly.
Or a cow has her calf and is licking it off and starts cooing. Like flies on sh**, here comes another calf. Ugh...oh, brother!

 

[Stocker Steve]

Last year's bad mom would hang on the edge of the herd and move away if the hungry calf got close. She treated it like a stray dog. The calf was vigorous and learned to be a milk thief. We named him Shithead. He weaned light.

This year's bad mom will stand next to the calf, and knows it is hers, but still will not let the calf nurse. Calf is very small and got chilled the first night. Seems too weak to become a milk thief. Heifer calf is a Chisolm daughter...

 

[Dsth]

I had a first calf heifer calf this year that did all the right things as licking and claiming calf as she should. problem was that she always wanted to keep the calf in front of her for some reason. if calf would head back towards her udder, she would turn around, smell the calf, and start licking it. I did give it a bottle of colostrum the first couple of hours and kept an eye on it. heifer started letting calf suck after about 12 hours. no problem after that.

 

[Dusty Britches]

I've been raising Brangus heifers and cows for over 20 years and I've never had one reject her calf. My neighbor has almost 1000 Brangus head and he's only had one do it in 20 years and it was his fault. She was down trying to calve and he pulled the calf. She didn't get up as quickly as he thought she should so he hit her with a hot shot. She took off and didn't want anything to do with that calf.

Maybe you should switch to Braham influenced cows?

 

[TCRanch]

I had one 2 years ago that wasn't aggressive, but absolutely would not claim her calf. I tried rubbing amniotic fluid on her, Orphan No More, cubes, etc. None of them will work unless the heifer (or cow) wants a calf in the first place. 2-3 times a day in the chute with her back legs blocked to let the calf nurse for a week was enough for me. Some people are more patient and will spend as long as it takes, which is great, but I don't have time for that nonsense. Heifer took a ride and sold the calf to a friend that grafted it on one of her cows.

 

[Rafter S]

I've had it happen a time or two, but closing them up together in a small pen for a few hours has always gotten things straightened out.

 

[GoWyo]

I agree with Brute & Ky hills. Culling is the answer for maternal problems. Sounds like it may be maternal. Think I have seen that before. She wants the calf and gets all cozy with it, but manages to keep the calf off the teats/udders. Calf eventually dies without intervention.

Another issue I have wondered about is space. I'm not saying it applies to you, but it's just from observing my own cattle. One will go into labor and a another cow comes along. The labor cow has her calf, but the cradle robber is waiting in the rear and starts licking it off.
Or a cow is in early stages of parturition when they start the up, down & all around stuff. The cow gets up and finds a puddle of fluid on the ground. Sniff and yum yum good. Oh there is a calf next it, must be mine! Nope, it's still in your belly.
Or a cow has her calf and is licking it off and starts cooing. Like flies on sh**, here comes another calf. Ugh...oh, brother!

I dislike calving in group pens and avoid it if at all possible for this very reason. If we have to be confined due to weather we check often and get them separated from the main bunch as they drop.

 

[mtchick]

Normally a couple of times in the chute and force them to let the calf nurse is all it takes, if she still won't let it nurse after that then it a one way trip to the locker or sales barn.

 

[WalkerRanch 3-2]

I have had two heifers that didn't nurse right away. Brought new mama & calf to lot. One heifer we milked & her teats seemed plugged up. Calf nursed her that night. She has been good since.
2nd heifer didn't nurse calf in field but let it nurse while eating feed in lot. I kept both those new moms up in small field for a week or so until all bonding seemed good.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Definitely something to do with maternal thing. We only had one heifer not let to nurse her calf in almost 20 years. She would lick a calf when he was lying down, but would go mad if the calf stood up. However, she would stand still for us to be milked. She was one of our first cows, so haven't sold her. She let to nurse only for her 3rd calf, but never looked back since then. No problems with her daughters though.
Now would just cull the heifer as there are plenty of possible replacements waiting in the line.