Cow crapping on calf....

[Wisteria Farms]

Hey guys... while I'm taking a few minutes here.. I have a question...
I have a calf that eats by the back door and as such, she is CONTINUALLY getting crapped on. We've gone so far as to name her "Pooh" (just because it was nicer than "Sh__head". But, seriously, this CANT be good for her. She was born in March and I've considered taking her off momma early just to avoid any issues with her eyes. Should I? Is this a stupid calf or stupid mom or stupid me? Let me know your thoughts on this... Thanks. PS this is one of our new mommas so I can't tell you how she's done with past calves.

 

[Beefy]

i'm leaning towards stupid you. and maybe a little stupid calf too.
calves have been getting crapped on for a long long time with no ill effects (other than smelling bad). let the cows and calves do their thing.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

I always have one or two calves with pooh on their head. I never considered weaning them early because when it rains it just washes it right off. :banana:

 

[grannysoo]

I've had it on my head before too. My wife weaned me that night..... :help:

 

[TexasBred]

I've had it on my head before too. My wife weaned me that night..... :help:

hehehehehe.....rascal.................heck I think we all have calves like that. Had one seemed everytme he went to nurse his mom peed on him...had his head sort of bleached out after a while. Wisteria just change the emphasis on that word...Use to call a guy "Shi-thead"...he never figured out what I was calling him.

 

[3waycross]

Use to call a guy "Shi-thead"...he never figured out what I was calling him.[/quote]

Wasn't she that Irish singer a few years back?

 

[Frankie]

Hey guys... while I'm taking a few minutes here.. I have a question...
I have a calf that eats by the back door and as such, she is CONTINUALLY getting crapped on. We've gone so far as to name her "Pooh" (just because it was nicer than "Sh__head". But, seriously, this CANT be good for her. She was born in March and I've considered taking her off momma early just to avoid any issues with her eyes. Should I? Is this a stupid calf or stupid mom or stupid me? Let me know your thoughts on this... Thanks. PS this is one of our new mommas so I can't tell you how she's done with past calves.

It's poop. It's organic. It doesn't bother the cow or the calf; don't let it bother you.

 

[TREY-L]

I definitely wouldn't lose any sleep over it. I had a calf a while back out of a first calf heifer that did the same thing, as a matter of fact I never saw this calf for about the first six weeks of his life without crap on his head. The reason my calf was in this situation is because after he was born his mom's front set of teats were real sore for a while and she wouldn't let him nurse them very well, so he learned to nurse from the back the majority of the time. My advice is to let them do their thing. If you feel sorry for the calf, you can do like I did and pick off the crap after it dries. She'll appreciate it.

 

[bigbull338]

if the calf gets tired of being crapped on while she is sucking she will change the way she sucks.

 

[milkmaid]

>>to avoid any issues with her eyes<<

Last time I checked, not only does the calf close its eyes if poop starts landing on its head, but it's pretty hard to get anything in the eyes, period. Intentionally or otherwise. And esp not when it's coming from above. You don't get water in your eyes when you're in the shower, do you?

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I would suggest pampers for the little fellers head.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

Hi Angie-

Knowing you, I wouldn't say you were stupid - just having a "learning experience"! I am a little confused as to why you have the pair eating near your back door! But that is inconsequential in the current discussion regarding the calf getting "fecal-faced" occasionally. You might check the cow's udder and see if she is milking from all quarters, and if she may have a sore or tender teat. You might also check to see if she is getting too much protein forage, or supplement. Watch her to see if she is having a loose stool. If so, 'cool' off her rations slightly. Increase her roughage ration. If the calf persists in nursing from behind the cow - between her legs - the stimulation of the calf's nursing could instigate the cows' defacating on the calf. I don't see anything dangereous about the act, except the calf may be injesting some of the manure in the process of sucking. That is not too good an idea.

DOC

 

[Wisteria Farms]

Hi Angie-

Knowing you, I wouldn't say you were stupid - just having a "learning experience"! I am a little confused as to why you have the pair eating near your back door! But that is inconsequential in the current discussion regarding the calf getting "fecal-faced" occasionally. You might check the cow's udder and see if she is milking from all quarters, and if she may have a sore or tender teat. You might also check to see if she is getting too much protein forage, or supplement. Watch her to see if she is having a loose stool. If so, 'cool' off her rations slightly. Increase her roughage ration. If the calf persists in nursing from behind the cow - between her legs - the stimulation of the calf's nursing could instigate the cows' defacating on the calf. I don't see anything dangereous about the act, except the calf may be injesting some of the manure in the process of sucking. That is not too good an idea.

DOC

God luv'ya Doc... I knew after I posted, I was going to get a whole lot of "stupid you"... I guess what bothers me most is I have two heifer calves born about the same time. One is just as white as new fallen snow... pretty little thing... then you have "Pooh"...constantly with a pile on her head. Its pitiful.

THANK YOU for your suggestions... since you know our set-up, they're only occasionally getting "rations" just to keep them coming to the feed trough by the driveway when we holler (couple times a week). The calf doesn't "seem" to be ingesting manure... her nose is always clean... but from the eyeballs back she's a mess!! Give Ruthie a hug from us...A

 

[msscamp]

Hey guys... while I'm taking a few minutes here.. I have a question...
I have a calf that eats by the back door and as such, she is CONTINUALLY getting crapped on. We've gone so far as to name her "Pooh" (just because it was nicer than "Sh__head". But, seriously, this CANT be good for her. She was born in March and I've considered taking her off momma early just to avoid any issues with her eyes. Should I? Is this a stupid calf or stupid mom or stupid me? Let me know your thoughts on this... Thanks. PS this is one of our new mommas so I can't tell you how she's done with past calves.

Given the 3 choices of stupid, I would say you're worrying way to much over things that don't matter.

 

[dun]

With any luck the calf will hang aorund long enough back there that it gets a nice hot water bath to help clean it up

 

[Jogeephus]

With any luck the calf will hang aorund long enough back there that it gets a nice hot water bath to help clean it up

:lol2: :lol2: Yeah, and she will always be able to tell which calf is hers. :lol2: :lol2:

 

[msscamp]

With any luck the calf will hang aorund long enough back there that it gets a nice hot water bath to help clean it up

Ewwwww! :lol: :lol:

 

[Chris H]

Hi Angie-

Knowing you, I wouldn't say you were stupid - just having a "learning experience"! I am a little confused as to why you have the pair eating near your back door! But that is inconsequential in the current discussion regarding the calf getting "fecal-faced" occasionally. You might check the cow's udder and see if she is milking from all quarters, and if she may have a sore or tender teat. You might also check to see if she is getting too much protein forage, or supplement. Watch her to see if she is having a loose stool. If so, 'cool' off her rations slightly. Increase her roughage ration. If the calf persists in nursing from behind the cow - between her legs - the stimulation of the calf's nursing could instigate the cows' defacating on the calf. I don't see anything dangereous about the act, except the calf may be injesting some of the manure in the process of sucking. That is not too good an idea.

DOC

My new favorite term, "fecal-faced"!
You put a lot of thought into why the calf nurses that way. We had one last year like that. Heifer calved and doted on that calf -- until the calf wanted to nurse then she kicked it off. The calf learned to nurse from behind to miss the flying leg of death. The heifer's bag was pretty tight the first few days. By the time the swelling went down the calf was used to nursing that way. I don't think our calf ingested any more manure than the average calf.

 

[dun]

You put a lot of thought into why the calf nurses that way. We had one last year like that. Heifer calved and doted on that calf -- until the calf wanted to nurse then she kicked it off. The calf learned to nurse from behind to miss the flying leg of death. The heifer's bag was pretty tight the first few days. By the time the swelling went down the calf was used to nursing that way. I don't think our calf ingested any more manure than the average calf.

We have several this year that nurse from behind now that they are older. As the cow is grazing along the calf comes in from the rear and nurses for a bit as the cow is walking. If they try from the normal position they keep getting pushed aside as she walks.

 

[3waycross]

I can't take credit for that. It was Texas Bred who came up with the name.