I have a cow that calved about a week and a half ago. It's calf died so I bought a replacment calf (Holstien Calf) to put on her. The problem is I don't think the calf is drinking enough of her milk. She accepted him and everything and lets him drink and get a full belly but he is just not taking enough out of her. Her nipples are leaking out milk all the time. Would it be wise to put another calf on her? Or later on will she be able to sustain 2 calves. She has a big bag and plenty of milk right now but as the calves grow can she sustain 2 calves? I am just worried about her drying out because she is full all the time, will she dry out or will it be okay as long as he is taking some milk?
Cow/Calf Problem?
- Thread starter DitchBank
- Start date
I did a quick google search on nurse cows and found this...maybe it can help...or maybe you can search from there.
http://www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/article ... e_cows.htm
Alice
http://www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/article ... e_cows.htm
Alice
Black Angus/Holstien cross cow. She is the only milk breed cross I have the rest are beef but she has a real big bag on her and the one calf isn't getting it done. I am just worried that if I put another on her can she sustain 2 until weaning weight. If pictures are helpful I would post some. She has been a good mama but the calf is just small and is a little sick right now. Her bag is full all the time and leaking out milk because it's to full. I just don't want her to dry out.
KenB
Well-known member
DitchBank":37gfts5i said:
Why not milk some for your own use? Milk is over $4 a gal. now.
That is what I was thinking.KenB":1by1ht2q said:
If the calf was healthy & getting all it needed, the cow's milk production will adjust to its needs, IF the cow doesn't get mastitis.
But, I am a strong believer in NOT bringing new cattle, especially a holstein CALF, onto my farm. Don't you understand that your "healthy" herd has different "bugs" than the "other healthy herd". So, you bring calf A onto your farm, and most likely calf A will get sick - but even if it doesn't (and you already said it's "a little sick right now") it will get all your OTHER NEWBORNS SICK! - HIGH probability! Train wreck waiting to happen. And I suppose you bought it at the auction? :shock: that's even worse.
Now, before you worry about the bag, I'd be worried about keeping this new calf alive. They go down hill QUICK.
But, I am a strong believer in NOT bringing new cattle, especially a holstein CALF, onto my farm. Don't you understand that your "healthy" herd has different "bugs" than the "other healthy herd". So, you bring calf A onto your farm, and most likely calf A will get sick - but even if it doesn't (and you already said it's "a little sick right now") it will get all your OTHER NEWBORNS SICK! - HIGH probability! Train wreck waiting to happen. And I suppose you bought it at the auction? :shock: that's even worse.
Now, before you worry about the bag, I'd be worried about keeping this new calf alive. They go down hill QUICK.
I brought in a Holstien so she would have the calf ASAP and no it didn't come from an auction it came from a dairy the same day it was born. I know a few other farmers down where I have mine and when one of there calves die they bring in holstiens and they do just fine. They've been at it for over 50 years so I trust them as well. They think the reason the calf is getting sick is because I am feeding the mother to rich of hay and silage and she is just getting fed to well. I've treated the calf and he's getting better I have kept them contained in a pen and won't let them go until the calf is 100%. As I said the mother is 1/2 Holstien and 1/2 Black Angus so her bag is big.
rockridgecattle
Well-known member
Jeanne is right.
Dairy bugs are different than beef bugs with the same name.
You just risked the health of your whole calf herd for $600.00 in the fall.
It does not take long to rack up 600.00 in scour medications or pnemonia medications or oopps i lost a calf due to these complications and then add BVD into the mix.
the worst time to add a calf to the herd is at calving time. No matter if it comes from a farm or the auction barn.
this is one of those dumb mistakes we live to regret in the future.
It would have been better to leave her as a nurse cow for your herd or let her go and re breed, picking up on BCS throughout the summer, or sell her if you wanted. You would have been further ahead.
DID YOU GET THE DEAD CALF POSTED AS TO WHY IT DIED?
oohh such a train wreck...my head hurts
ohh to the thought other farmers do it so why not me....heres a thought...what do they pay for scour drugs anywhere up to 6 weeks later, three months later, or how may die few weeks or months later, or on pasture or how many get pnemonia on summer pasture, or, become chronics, poor doers for reasons they just can't understand why.
Dairy bugs are different than beef bugs with the same name.
You just risked the health of your whole calf herd for $600.00 in the fall.
It does not take long to rack up 600.00 in scour medications or pnemonia medications or oopps i lost a calf due to these complications and then add BVD into the mix.
the worst time to add a calf to the herd is at calving time. No matter if it comes from a farm or the auction barn.
this is one of those dumb mistakes we live to regret in the future.
It would have been better to leave her as a nurse cow for your herd or let her go and re breed, picking up on BCS throughout the summer, or sell her if you wanted. You would have been further ahead.
DID YOU GET THE DEAD CALF POSTED AS TO WHY IT DIED?
oohh such a train wreck...my head hurts
ohh to the thought other farmers do it so why not me....heres a thought...what do they pay for scour drugs anywhere up to 6 weeks later, three months later, or how may die few weeks or months later, or on pasture or how many get pnemonia on summer pasture, or, become chronics, poor doers for reasons they just can't understand why.
rockridgecattle
Well-known member
last thought the calf you got did it get good colostrum?
Contrary to other opinions... I have no problem with bringing a new calf in. I run nurse cows (well, at the moment I'm down to one) and so it doesn't bother me a bit to bring healthy calves in to put on a cow. The cow I have right now has two calves on her that both came from different dairies.
Personally I'd put at least one other calf on her if she's as heavy a producer as you describe. Yes, she may eventually adjust her milk production, but you may also lose a quarter or two in the process. Dealing with dairy breeds is different than beef breeds. I have an angus/holstein cross heifer that calves in May and I'm expecting I can put at least two other calves besides her own on her. I wouldn't dare not put other calves on.
Your call though.
Personally I'd put at least one other calf on her if she's as heavy a producer as you describe. Yes, she may eventually adjust her milk production, but you may also lose a quarter or two in the process. Dealing with dairy breeds is different than beef breeds. I have an angus/holstein cross heifer that calves in May and I'm expecting I can put at least two other calves besides her own on her. I wouldn't dare not put other calves on.
Your call though.
hillrancher
Well-known member
milkmaid: very good advice. No argument here.milkmaid":2gqg7pkh said:
There is no difference between dairy bugs & beef bugs - the difference is between HERDS of BOVINES. And, a herd that has cattle coming in & out constantly doesn't have as big a problem as a somewhat closed herd - which most BEEF herds are more prone to be this way.
MM - your situation is different. First, you can handle any health issues on your own without asking for assistance - you give assistance most of the time. But, mainly, in your situation, you have cattle coming & going, I don't think you have a regular type calving season, where a bunch of calves will be born & run together (I may be wrong on this).
I don't care what this farmer or that farmer does - I do know it is proven research, fact, that you have your cattle with certain immunities built up in your herd. Calves are born & get those immunites from their dam. If you bring in a healthy animal (especially a calf prone to get sick), you are mixing bugs that "your herd" has not been exposed to, therefore the immunites have NOT been passed on to your newborns. It's a crap shoot. You may have a problem, or you may get lucky and not have any issues. But, if a problem breaks out, and you are catching & treating calf after calf, and having calves die, you will NEVER forget the lesson.
Goodluck. I know I would never jeopardize the health of my newborns. It's way too much work, money lost, and heartbreaking.
MM - your situation is different. First, you can handle any health issues on your own without asking for assistance - you give assistance most of the time. But, mainly, in your situation, you have cattle coming & going, I don't think you have a regular type calving season, where a bunch of calves will be born & run together (I may be wrong on this).
I don't care what this farmer or that farmer does - I do know it is proven research, fact, that you have your cattle with certain immunities built up in your herd. Calves are born & get those immunites from their dam. If you bring in a healthy animal (especially a calf prone to get sick), you are mixing bugs that "your herd" has not been exposed to, therefore the immunites have NOT been passed on to your newborns. It's a crap shoot. You may have a problem, or you may get lucky and not have any issues. But, if a problem breaks out, and you are catching & treating calf after calf, and having calves die, you will NEVER forget the lesson.
Goodluck. I know I would never jeopardize the health of my newborns. It's way too much work, money lost, and heartbreaking.
rockridgecattle
Well-known member
The way our vet explained it to me and may be she was just dumbing it down for me to understand the gravity of the situation was:
I wanted to buy a dairy calf or auction barn calf to replace a dead one. I believe if memory serves it was a dairy
She said:
A dairy and a beef cow get the same diseases but it's strains are different. Rotovirus is still rotovirus but the strain is different.
It's the same idea as moving animals from farm to farm.
It may be roto or corona or what ever virus, it's a different strain. This is where we encounter the problem.
My farm might have roto virus scours and i bring in a calf that has roto on it's farm, and i get an outbreak of roto scours. Reason, my farm did not have that strain as the animal that i brought in. So now I have to treat for roto even though it's here, there is an immunity, but not to that strain.
Just like there is the flu bug, but there are different strains due to mutations from the enviroment and such. Apples to oranges but the idea is there.
When I talked about what other farmers do and have no troubles doing it, I was making the point of "was that the immediate picture that was given Or the the whole picture up to weaning and beyond"
...it worked no problem but did the other farmer take into account any sicknes he/she had until they were sold? Or did they just figure the sickness is something to deal with and well the introduction of a calf during calving had no bearing on any further disease or sickness outbreak.
Long winded but having trouble putting into word what i want to say.
I wanted to buy a dairy calf or auction barn calf to replace a dead one. I believe if memory serves it was a dairy
She said:
A dairy and a beef cow get the same diseases but it's strains are different. Rotovirus is still rotovirus but the strain is different.
It's the same idea as moving animals from farm to farm.
It may be roto or corona or what ever virus, it's a different strain. This is where we encounter the problem.
My farm might have roto virus scours and i bring in a calf that has roto on it's farm, and i get an outbreak of roto scours. Reason, my farm did not have that strain as the animal that i brought in. So now I have to treat for roto even though it's here, there is an immunity, but not to that strain.
Just like there is the flu bug, but there are different strains due to mutations from the enviroment and such. Apples to oranges but the idea is there.
When I talked about what other farmers do and have no troubles doing it, I was making the point of "was that the immediate picture that was given Or the the whole picture up to weaning and beyond"
...it worked no problem but did the other farmer take into account any sicknes he/she had until they were sold? Or did they just figure the sickness is something to deal with and well the introduction of a calf during calving had no bearing on any further disease or sickness outbreak.
Long winded but having trouble putting into word what i want to say.
Rockridge,
You are correct - I just stated "bugs" - every farm has it's own set of "bugs" (named, mutated, diff strains - whatever - they are never exactly THE SAME from one farm to the next).
And you are also correct, that if a calf gets even just "a little sick", it may have lasting affects from it til harvested.
We said the same thing - just different.
You are correct - I just stated "bugs" - every farm has it's own set of "bugs" (named, mutated, diff strains - whatever - they are never exactly THE SAME from one farm to the next).
And you are also correct, that if a calf gets even just "a little sick", it may have lasting affects from it til harvested.
We said the same thing - just different.
randiliana
Well-known member
Bringing in a dairy calf is not the end of the world. We have done it before, and will do it again. Now, I am not saying go out to the auction and buy one, I won't do that. But the dairy I have gone to, I trust. The calves get colostrum, the cows are vaccinated. The calves are good, strong, and healthy calves. If you are going to buy a replacement calf, going to a dairy is no different than going to a beef producer. If you know and trust the source, go right ahead. WE have gotten 4 or 5 calves from the same dairy in the past # of years, and have had no problems.
The calf being sick could very well have been because he is getting too much milk, milk scours do happen. Some calves are pigs, and will eat til they burst, especially if they got overhungry. Watch him, keep him separate from your other calves until he has been healthy for a week or more, and then clean the area he was in as well as you can.
And, yes, it would probably be a good idea to get another calf for this cow.
The calf being sick could very well have been because he is getting too much milk, milk scours do happen. Some calves are pigs, and will eat til they burst, especially if they got overhungry. Watch him, keep him separate from your other calves until he has been healthy for a week or more, and then clean the area he was in as well as you can.
And, yes, it would probably be a good idea to get another calf for this cow.
rockridgecattle
Well-known member
Jeanne - Simme Valley":i4sl4z5r said:
So we did, thanx
I have a steer calf that has not stood up in 4 days. He was banded 3 weeks ago and lost his sack. It is yellowish in color. I feel it is infected. My question is: Is this enough to keep a 300-400 pound animal down? I have given him meds and he is still eating feed and drinking water. He is alert and tries to get up. I am going to put the hotshot to him this afternoon....is this a good idea?
