cow dead what to do with week old calf?

[moloss]

found one of my cows dead this afternoon after work.....she has a week old calf (he was trying to suck off of her even though she was dead)....what has been y'alls expierence with how well we can bottle fed this calf? have you ever had another momma adopt one?

 

[cow pollinater]

I've always had good luck grafting orphans on to other cows but you really have to know who the mamas in the herd are.
A calf that got a good start of clostrum for a week should be a breeze to raise on the bottle as he's young enough that he can't fight much but had a good start.

 

[piedmontese]

i have put an adopted calf on a cow and we have bottle fed orphans,doing 1 now.putting a calf on a cow can work but it takes time and patience and a willing cow.bottle feeding 1 calf is easy and u know that calf got fed.it sounds like with u working and not being around your cattle alot that would b the best way to go.make sure and buy a quality milk replacer.try and get an all milk product and at least 20/20.

 

[msscamp]

found one of my cows dead this afternoon after work.....she has a week old calf (he was trying to suck off of her even though she was dead)....what has been y'alls expierence with how well we can bottle fed this calf? have you ever had another momma adopt one?

Whether or not you can get the calf transitioned over to a bottle is going to depend on you and the calf. Some take to a bottle like they were born to it, some don't. Yes, we've had success grafting rejected/orphaned calves onto other cows, too. How well it works depends on the cow. Usually we have to keep the calf penned and bring the cow in twice a day so we can make sure she is allowing him to suck, but some cows have accepted the new calf so well that they can be turned out after a week or so with no problems.

 

[moloss]

well we just came in from trying to bottle feed him, no dice.....try again in alittle while.....then when I get up in the am before work

 

[msscamp]

well we just came in from trying to bottle feed him, no dice.....try again in alittle while.....then when I get up in the am before work

What kind of a nipple did you use? Was the milk very warm or just warm? I know this sounds stupid, but different calves have different preferences as far as temperature is concerned. A regular red calves nipple can sometimes be too big. If you have a sheep's nipple, it usually works better for younger calves because their mouths are smaller and they can latch onto it easier. If the nipple is brand new, it tends to be stiff and boiling it for a few minutes tends to make it more supple. You might also think about coating the nipple with molasses or Karo syrup to try to entice the calf to suck. See if the baby will suck on your finger, and then insert the nipple and he might continue sucking on it. Just a few things I've learned over the years.

 

[moloss]

thanks we'll try the molasses.....we'll see.

 

[Suzie Q]

I agree with putting on another cow and this is more easily done if she has a calf of her own. You want a cow with a lot of milk, so a quiet dairy cow can be quite useful and can raise 3 or 4 calves at a time.

You lock her calf up away from her, as well as the calf you want to put on her.

It is easier then with a cattle crush, you put the calf out to his mum and open the bottom. Her calf goes on and drinks and you make sure it is on a front teat. You let the other calf on to a back teat.

A small yard works well also. As long as the cow is quiet enough and doesn't try to kill you. You are in with the cow and stand in the middle so as she can not turn around. When she turns her head she comes in contact with her own calf so settles. You let the other calf on the back teat to drink.

You then separate the calves from the cow again. You do this twice a day.

it takes about a 5 days. Eventually she will let both calves drink and you can let her back out with the herd.

 

[moloss]

well he took the bottle with some molasses and in just two feedings you don't have to hold him to feed just hold out the bottle....next will be trying to get him to match up with one of our cows....thanks so much for everyone's advice.....Chris.

 

[Beef Man]

We have grafted many calves through the past years. Grafteing onto a cow that has lost a calf is really quite simple,just skin the dead calf, tie the hide on the live calf and 99% of the time its done in about 3 days you remove the dead calfs hide . So a lost cow to us would mean keep the little fellow alive until you lose one and everybody is happy. Big sheep outfits have been doing this ffor years.We use one of a set of twins quite often for graft and no of outfits that keep a few old cows for spare calves.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I just put the cow in a chute and milk about a pint out of her.

I take that pint and sponge it all over the calf that I am grafting. Rub that milk down deep into the hide.

After the calf has nursed the cow for about 3 days, he has her scent anyway. If you make it three days, you are home free.

Here at the house I have a nursing crate to put the nurse cow in. One of the best tools I have ever built.

 

[TexasBred]

I just put the cow in a chute and milk about a pint out of her.

I take that pint and sponge it all over the calf that I am grafting. Rub that milk down deep into the hide.

After the calf has nursed the cow for about 3 days, he has her scent anyway. If you make it three days, you are home free.

Here at the house I have a nursing crate to put the nurse cow in. One of the best tools I have ever built.

Always heard you could do the same with the cow's pee....never had time to follow her around and catch a pail of it and try it but "heard it". ;-)

 

[cowgirl252]

At a week old you can also start offering pellets. I believe its called menna , its pellets with milk in them . You only start with a hand full though, over feeding can make them sick, just like too much milk. Also at 7-10 days they can eat hay. My father in law was a vet for 45 years, and we have a cattle farm, am dealing with the same thing right now with a little 3 day old heifer. I feed her 2 bottles a day, supplemented by water in the bottle if shes still hungry, and have small amounts of hay out. Its also good to treat with amoxicillin 3 cc once a day for 5 days, just to prevent them from coming down with something or treat if they do.

 

[tytower]

Well just some experience notes .
Bottle feeding needs two fingers in its mouth ,when its sucking bring the teat between your fingers then extract your fingers.
Moving a calf to another cow- get the cows sh**t and wipe it over the calf. The cows sence of smell is compareable to a dog .
Use a crush or a post for the cows head but tie one back leg back with a good rope. with this pulled tight she can't kick the calf. Get it right as one kick can kill it .

 

[1982vett]

Personally,I'd swap it for $150 at the nearest sale barn. But that's just me...

 

[msscamp]

Personally,I'd swap it for $150 at the nearest sale barn. But that's just me...

$150? Try about $350 to $500 in my area.