cow on cow nursing

[TMRwife]

We have a 3 year old cow nursing on a 1st year heifer - they have all been weaned for 2 months. We've never had this before - not sure what's going on. We thought that heifer should be dry by now. Finally got them separated. The cow is not trying to nurse on anyone else. They should all be re-bred by now about 3 months. Any thoughts?

 

[dun]

Ship the one doing the nursing or get comfortable with the idea of having to keep her separate all the time from now on

 

[TMRwife]

We've just never had her do this before - thought it was strange that she would be starting at 3 years old and only on one heifer.

 

[angie1]

It is odd that she would start that at this late date, but dun is right ~ once they start this they will not stop.

 

[Gelbvieh 5]

Ship them both. One will never stop and the other will let anyone suck and short her own calf.

 

[jerry27150]

put a bull ring with 4-5 inches of light log chain in the nursing ones nose. usually works

 

[Bigfoot]

Believe it or I had one I had to sell, because she nursed herself.

 

[Double R Ranch]

We have had that happen with cows we purchased several times. We put a crown weaning ring in the cow nursing (in cow size). Left it in for 6 months or so. Took it out and haven't had a problem since. Got ours from valley vet the last time. We found if you sharpen the end that pierces the nose it makes installation much easier. Something so simple to resolve seems silly to ship the cow.
Just my opinion.
Double R

 

[Anonymous]

You left it in 6 months???
On the calfs I've used it on they had some sores after the reccomendation 7days

 

[Double R Ranch]

It's like an earing. Maybe your thinking the clamp style? Put it threw the soft tissue (not cartilage) in the nose. Nose heals like a earing and your good to go. Works great! Used them on calves before when needed. They come in cow or calf size. Put it in, turn them out. They are impossible to take the screw back out of so we use bolt cutters to remove them.

This is one of the cows we purchased and she nursed off another cow. She's one of the best producing cows in our herd now. No more weaning ring and she's good to go. You can't even tell it ever happened. They are made to stay in permanently like a bull ring.

 

[Black and Good]

We used to have a pair of 5yr old Gelbvieh cows that would nurse each other at the same time, after weaned off there calves. They would do that for a week or so then quit. :bang:

 

[Anonymous]

I was thinking more of those plastic nose flaps.

 

[Double R Ranch]

I was thinking more of those plastic nose flaps.

I thought maybe so ;-) never tried them. Once turned out its hard to monitor them so we skipped then temp ones.

 

[Nite Hawk]

I used a crown weaner on a heifer that refused to stop sucking, worked great.
I have seen cattle on dairy farms with them in their noses. If you have an otherwise great animal I would try the weaner before shipping her out.
Nite Hawk

 

[backhoeboogie]

If you had an employee stealing your profit, and the employee was going to steal your profits from now on, what would you do?

You can get better cows at any time. The very best cow in the herd can be replaced - with one who is not a theif.

Dun's advice in the initial response to this thread was as sound as it gets.