Calf is beginning a life of crime

[HDRider]

I had a calf that was not getting all the milk he needed from his mother. I left him with his mother for two weeks and he got progressively weaker. I brought him to the barn and bottle fed him for 5 days. I put him back with his mother. He will be a month old 3/23.

He is trying to steal from anyone that will let him.

My question - What problems will he cause trying to nurse from a heifer that has not birthed yet?

I have six heifers that have not birthed yet, but will in the next 30 days or so.

 

[cattle60]

If she lets him he could milk out the colostrum that the new baby will need. If he sucks her enough and often when she starts making milk.

 

[M-5]

I had a calf that was not getting all the milk he needed from his mother. I left him with his mother for two weeks and he got progressively weaker. I brought him to the barn and bottle fed him for 5 days. I put him back with his mother. He will be a month old 3/23.

He is trying to steal from anyone that will let him.

My question - What problems will he cause trying to nurse from a heifer that has not birthed yet?

I have six heifers that have not birthed yet, but will in the next 30 days or so.

your likely to repeat the process with that heifers calf when she calves because her calf will be weaker. Either bottle feed him or sell him.

 

[Nesikep]

Don't let him nurse on anything that hasn't had their calf yet.. I'd either supplement him with a bottle, or put him with some good producing cows that have calved so the theft doesn't matter... and get rid of the cow.. I've had them short of milk so they wouldn't grow well, but never short enough to be weakened.. that's bad

 

[dun]

Don't let him nurse on anything that hasn't had their calf yet.. I'd either supplement him with a bottle, or put him with some good producing cows that have calved so the theft doesn't matter... and get rid of the cow.. I've had them short of milk so they wouldn't grow well, but never short enough to be weakened.. that's bad

Bears emphasizing

 

[Clodhopper]

Don't let him nurse on anything that hasn't had their calf yet.. I'd either supplement him with a bottle, or put him with some good producing cows that have calved so the theft doesn't matter... and get rid of the cow.. I've had them short of milk so they wouldn't grow well, but never short enough to be weakened.. that's bad

Bears emphasizing

I'll third that. I have an old Herf (coming soon to a burger joint near you) whose calf got just enough milk to get her eating grass and hay. Calf never got weak though, yours' milk must be practically nonexistent.

 

[farmerjan]

Sucking an animal that has not calved yet is a recipe for disaster. If they are really close, then the colostrum for their own calf will be lost, compromising their own calf. If they are several weeks off, besides possibly losing the colostrum, if the udder is not really ready to begin producing, it can cause mastitis because it might be a hit or miss thing. If the udder gets mastitis, then you are again hurting the heifer that hasn't calved and her calf.

Once you took that calf away from the mother you should not put it back after 5 days. The normal response to making milk will stop after 48 hours. In other words, it was like drying her up and then she won't go back into making milk. It's the body stopping production of oxytocin which stimulates the milk let down. The thing I would have tried is leaving the calf penned in a small lot or something with the mother, and supplementing the calf with a bottle or two a day to get it stronger, all the while with it still being able to suck the cow. I also would have gotten her in and checked all 4 quarters to see if she had milk, or what the udder was/was not making. At this point you are jeopardizing the heifers not yet fresh. Sorry, it happens; get him out and keep feeding for a bit and maybe you will need a calf to go on someone that (HOPEFULLY NOT) loses a calf. Ship the heifer if she cannot feed the calf.

 

[TB521]

Keep him separated from any heifers you might keep as replacements if they let him suck the can get mastitis I've had them as young as 3 months

 

[Cross-7]

His momma get too fat before calving causing the milk problem ?
If so the rest of the heifers may have the same problem

 

[Cross-7]

Jeff how's the heifer and calf doing ?