I recently weaned some calves off their mamas. Now I see 2 of those cows nursing off of each other. Has anyone else out there everseen this & does it mean anything? How are they ever going to dry up at this rate?
Cows Nursing
- Thread starter dbloyd
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Caustic Burno
Well-known member
dbloyd":h05ggkj5 said:
Salebarn time.
mnmtranching
Well-known member
Check out one of the theads on culling. Time to go. 
mnmtranching
Well-known member
mnmtranching":1akficrf said:Check out one of the threads on culling. Time to go.
Yup, really, to answer your guestion I have had it and seen it. If I have it again, I can't wait to get em on the trailer.
Workinonit Farm
Well-known member
I had one like that, she went for a ride.
Katherine
Katherine
forageconverter
Well-known member
With all the recent talk of culling, and since I’m a big fan of culling, it’s hard not to go along with the culling option in this situation.
But just to give you another option, you could put nose rings into the cows that are nursing other cows. Nose rings are supposed to stop the behavior.
But just to give you another option, you could put nose rings into the cows that are nursing other cows. Nose rings are supposed to stop the behavior.
fourstates
Well-known member
I agree you can cull them. But they are young cows and sucking is a comfort measure, if they are stressed by losing their calf, and their bag is hurting, they just figured out a way to feel better. I think this is a learned behaviour vs genetic, like thumb sucking in kids, some babies just inherit a stronger need to suck and figure out a way to met the need. That strong need to suck is something you want calves to have!
I think you could invest $5 in a big plastic weaning ring to keep in those cows noses. They do no harm and can stay in forever. Nursing will never be a problem again and they will not teach other cows and their calves the same behavior.
I think you could invest $5 in a big plastic weaning ring to keep in those cows noses. They do no harm and can stay in forever. Nursing will never be a problem again and they will not teach other cows and their calves the same behavior.
TheBullLady
Well-known member
I would cull as well. The problem is, you have to constantly watch the ones that want to nurse to make sure they aren't stealing a newborn's colostrum. It's a hard habit to break. You can't keep the weaners in their noses forever.
Bez>
Well-known member
Any time a cow sucks the tits of another cow she is robbing YOU.
I add my vote - ship her -asap.
BEz>
I add my vote - ship her -asap.
BEz>
Seen it many times and have even seen them suck on themselves. It’s not a problem I would worry about as in most cases it stops within a week or 10 days as it becomes very uncomfortable for both the sucker and suckee.
Just give them a little time and they will kick each other off when their teats get sore, or they will stop on their own when their neck gets stiff.
I wouldn’t cull. Better the devil you know then the one you don’t.
Re:
Why did you wean the calves, are the mammas ready to spring? (give birth within 2 weeks)
SL
Just give them a little time and they will kick each other off when their teats get sore, or they will stop on their own when their neck gets stiff.
I wouldn’t cull. Better the devil you know then the one you don’t.
Re:
It could mean you weaned the calf too soon.
Why did you wean the calves, are the mammas ready to spring? (give birth within 2 weeks)
Why are you concerned about them drying up? A cow doesn’t need to dry up to produce colostrum as it is triggered by giving birth.
SL
fourstates":2w0sqlok said:
I'm not even going to get into the 'comfort measure', and 'feeling better' bs, but I will say you're proposing treating the symptom, not the problem. A cow who is still nursing will always nurse, she will steal colostrum and milk from a calf, and that is a very major problem in my book. They have to go.
mnmtranching
Well-known member
I doubt they will stop on their own. They learned of a source of food and will always be looking for it, next time might steal from a newborn.
Ryder
Well-known member
Can put pig rings in the muscle at back and sort of under the tongue. Someone that knows how has to show you. It has been so long I'm not sure I remember how to do it. I don't even know if they still make pig rings.
But they would stop a cow from sucking.
But they would stop a cow from sucking.
