calf trying to suckle on young heifer

[moomoocowlover]

Hey y'all! Thanks in advance for any advice! A heifer calf is suckling on a young (under a year) heifer. The young heifers utters just started to hang and the day after I noticed her utters, I saw the calf suckling her. The calf is approximately 5 months old. What should I do in this situation?

 

[MurraysMutts]

Seperate Them!

U can try a weaning flap but I've not had good luck.

 

[coachg]

Is the older heifer due to calf ? If so , definitely separate them . If not I've never seen one do that without getting milk . Pacifier I guess ? I'd still separate them and not keep the younger one .

 

[Bestoutwest]

I'd separate. Are you trying to wean that one that is suckling the other one? If so, you need to find a better pen mate, like a steer.

 

[moomoocowlover]

No the older is not due to calf.I separated them today, but she it definitely seems like she was using her as a pacifier! thank you!

Is the older heifer due to calf ? If so , definitely separate them . If not I've never seen one do that without getting milk . Pacifier I guess ? I'd still separate them and not keep the younger one .

no the older heifer is not due to calf, I'm going to separate them in the morning,

 

[moomoocowlover]

I'd separate. Are you trying to wean that one that is suckling the other one? If so, you need to find a better pen mate, like a steer.

So when I received her she was weened, but I separated them and put the calf with a few other calves and a steer. Hopefully soon she will stop trying to suckle and I can reunite everyone to one big pasture! Thank you!

 

[farmerjan]

I would be very careful about ever putting the sucker back with animals bigger than her... I never put any weaned heifers in with bigger animals, and they will not go with any lactating animals until after they have calved themselves.

If they go to sucking a heifer they can damage the udder and you could wind up with the one being sucked, as a 3 quarter animal when she calves. Have seen way too many over the years in the dairy animals...

I also have not had much luck with nose flap weaners ....

Had a group of heifers raised together, bred and calved all in the same field... 2 of them went to sucking on other fresh heifers... the heifers' own calf sucking from the side and the other newly fresh heifer sucking from the back... couldn't break one and she went down the road... the other one got stuck out with older cows and they beat her up enough that she stopped trying to suck.... some just never quit....

 

[GoWyo]

Some are just wired wrong. Have never had one quit once they started that crap. They are basically milk addicts that do not see any problem.