cow won't let calf nurse

[TMRwife]

Had 2 cows in the barn that gave birth the same night - no problems. One of the cows would not let her calf nurse. Got her tied up and she would let him nurse, but not unless she was tied up. Did this for a couple of days. When we cut her loose the last time, she about killed the calf so we put her out and will bottle feed him. She went straight out to the pasture to the other calf that was born the same night - could she be confused about whose calf is whose? How long do we need to bottle feed?

 

[shadyhollownj]

Do a search for bottle calves theres a lot out there. I have one now and feed it medicated 20/20 replacer with no soy products. One 50 lb bag should do it for about 7 or 8 weeks being fed 1 lb of replacer in 4 quarts a day. Get a good calf starter and give it free choice after a week. Mine is almost six weeks and eating almost 2 lbs a day. Everything I read says you can wean after they eat 2 to 3 lbs a day. Its my first one but thats what I learned on here. Oh and get that cow to the sale barn. Last year I had 3 cows calve all in the same hour. The weird thing is I only had four cows calve last year. What are the odds of that. I had to seperate them a little since everyone was a little confused who was who but so was I. They all took ok in my situation but im sure yours may be different.

 

[c farmer]

I would give milk replacer for at least 12 weeks.

 

[jilleroo]

Yes, TMR wife, I have seen cows (particularly heifers) who calve together both bond to the same calf, leaving one motherless.
Not much you can do about it now except bottlefeed the spare one. I usually just let the cows co-rear the other calf and he turns out an absolute cracker - two lots of milk!
Last year we had a lovely kind-natured heifer lose her calf at about two weeks old. Also in the same group was a heifer who'd had a very hard calving and was having trouble rearing her calf. The first heifer took over rearing the other's calf - well he feeds off both actually - and he's the biggest and fattest in the mob now. Adopting another calf like that is rare though and only very maternal types will do so. Good luck with your bottle calf!

 

[dun]

I found the drawbacks to a maternal cow that will adopt anothers calves. Granny (now 22) had her own calf last year and another cow died a month after she calved. We bottle fed the calf and just let her run with the herd. Got to the point that she really didn;t care for the bottle and noticed that Granny had adopted her. We weaned the calves last fall and when granny bagged this year and got ready to calve I saw both of her calves from last year nursing. They got moved out and she calved OK and is raising a dandy heifer calf this year. That;s the first time I've been POed about her willingness to feed calves other then her own.

 

[farmwriter]

We've had an adoption mix-up w/heifers, too. First year my folks got back in the cow business, we had a heifer that had trouble calving. They got the calf pulled and the heifer (who was huge and a little stand-offish) tore loose immediately after. It was dark, couldn't find the cow anywhere, so we left the calf hoping she'd come back to it if everyone got out of the way.
In the meantime, another heifer yet to calve decides that's her baby. We set up some panels in the pasture and put the right mama and calf in there together, but no dice. The calf and adopted mother cried out for each other for 12 hours while the birth mama could have cared less. At that point, we decided we'd have to bottle the calf or risk loosing it. The adoptive mama tried to kill us all when we went in to retrieve the calf and take it to the barn. Such a mess!
Calf fed out fine though, and both cows went on to calve normally in other years. Still got the one that birthed him. Adoptive mama was later culled when she turned up open.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I found the drawbacks to a maternal cow that will adopt anothers calves. Granny (now 22) had her own calf last year and another cow died a month after she calved. We bottle fed the calf and just let her run with the herd. Got to the point that she really didn;t care for the bottle and noticed that Granny had adopted her. We weaned the calves last fall and when granny bagged this year and got ready to calve I saw both of her calves from last year nursing. They got moved out and she calved OK and is raising a dandy heifer calf this year. That;s the first time I've been POed about her willingness to feed calves other then her own.

Heifer out of Granny - yahoo!!!

 

[dun]

Heifer out of Granny - yahoo!!!

And a full sister to last years again this year. Maybe she's trying to make up for having so many bulls, since this is only her third heifer.