Cows Udder too big calf can't nurse

[Taurus]

You should know this that bred cows get sold for slaughter. I'd rather bred her instead of stay open then get in heat constantly and possibly start to losing the body condition from not getting bred. Not mentioned that a cow in heat may bring some unwanted attention from the bull. Plus it's too much work to keep an open cow separate from the herd and that you have to feed her. Anyone with brain cells can see that a cow with huge udder is a cull and they won't bring her home to calve her out.

This is just poor management and laziness.

Or it's a smart move. Get real, many bred cows get slaughtered daily, even there isn't anything wrong with these cows.

 

[Taurus]

If the calf survives bottle feed it but keep it with the cow. Milk her if you can and use that milk for the calf. Once the calf gets to bottle calf status, meaning they get old enough to come after you for a bottle and suck on anything within reach, that calf will go to town on that cow. I'd try whatever you can do to get the calf to nurse the cow. Let her raise it and then sell her when you wean the calf. If it were me, i wouldnt breed the cow so she'd go to slaughter. But, some people would let her get bred and then sell her as a bred cow and anyone buying from a sale barn should know that they get what they get. Just depends on your situation. If she goes to the sale bred she'll bring more money..I just never want another calf to suffer, but thats just me.

You should know this that bred cows get sold for slaughter. I'd rather bred her instead of stay open then get in heat constantly and possibly start to losing the body condition from not getting bred. Not mentioned that a cow in heat may bring some unwanted attention from the bull. Plus it's too much work to keep an open cow separate from the herd and that you have to feed her. Anyone with brain cells can see that a cow with huge udder is a cull and they won't bring her home to calve her out.

Its been my experience that a open cow gains weight because she's not supporting a calf fetus. Up until a couple weeks ago, i had hundreds of open cows with no bulls with them. Didnt hurt a thing. When i get a cow i want to sell unbred, i put her in the bull pasture that is empty of bulls(they will be in the herds). If there is a pasture you can put the cow in without a bull thats what i'd do. This buying frenzy to snatch up any bred cow could bring you more money, but if they are just thrown out on a leased pasture and no one is there to watch her, her calf will die. To me that would be sad. But, do what you want. My husband would insist bred.

Yes open cows gain weight...WHEN the calf quits suckling her! Yes hundreds of open cow riding each other and injuring or fighting each other because they are not getting bred, its quite common thing. A pasture full of cows in heat will bring someone's bull in from many miles away or even from a next pasture. Unfortunately this isn't uncommon thing. As I said this before, anyone with a single brain cell can see that this cow is a cull, they have no reason to buy her to add her to their herd.

 

[branguscowgirl]

You should know this that bred cows get sold for slaughter. I'd rather bred her instead of stay open then get in heat constantly and possibly start to losing the body condition from not getting bred. Not mentioned that a cow in heat may bring some unwanted attention from the bull. Plus it's too much work to keep an open cow separate from the herd and that you have to feed her. Anyone with brain cells can see that a cow with huge udder is a cull and they won't bring her home to calve her out.

This is just poor management and laziness.

Or it's a smart move. Get real, many bred cows get slaughtered daily, even there isn't anything wrong with these cows.

Oh I agree that "it happens." A lot of things happen in this world, but that doesn't make them right! If you are managing your herd responsibly, you would separate "slaughter cows" from the bull. Makes no since to kill a healthy calf because you were too lazy to do that. And that is shear greed wanting to drive the weight up at the sale barn breeding a cow to go to slaughter.
Just my honest opinion. I know many long time breeders/ranchers that feel the same way. They have some morals. :tiphat:

I sincerely apologize to the op wanting advice on helping her calf nurse. I am sorry that we hijacked this thread to discuss slaughter cows. :? I need to get better about staying on the subject matter.

 

[Taurus]

Oh I agree that "it happens." A lot of things happen in this world, but that doesn't make them right! If you are managing your herd responsibly, you would separate "slaughter cows" from the bull. Makes no since to kill a healthy calf because you were too lazy to do that. And that is shear greed wanting to drive the weight up at the sale barn breeding a cow to go to slaughter.
Just my honest opinion. I know many long time breeders/ranchers that feel the same way. They have some morals. :tiphat:

Well perhaps they shouldn't sell their bred cows to the sale barn. These cows can either got sold to another rancher or to the slaughterhouse. I'm really glad that I always got rid of my culls before the breeding season starts. :tiphat:

If it were me, I would haul that cow out right away and raising the calf all yourself.

 

[salebarn junkie]

This is the most insane thing I think I've ever heard the thought that is immoral comes right out of a PETA video. What's the difference between slaughtering a fetus a calf for veal or a 18 month old steer????? As for it being shear greed. They have uses for the fetus that's why there's not a price difference between breed and open slaughter cows.

 

[Putangitangi]

I put all my cull cows in calf. It's easier to run them with the bull with the others and it makes management much easier - I fear trying to load a hot cow onto a truck as she's trying to mount everyone else and they're all riding her! I used to worry about the "slaughter" of the unborn calf until reading some research done on the cortisol levels of such calves at the abattoirs, which concluded there was no stress or suffering caused to an unconscious unborn calf when its mother was killed and it then died. Here I think the fetal blood is harvested for all sorts of uses.

 

[j&lfarms]

If you raise crap - then you will have to deal with crap - sell all and start over

Best to all

Bez__

You seem to give this advice often. Everyone has a cow that may be behind the rest. No matter how good your herd is there is always that one that could be culled out. I don't believe telling this person to sell everything and start over is the best advice. I agree, I would cull her out and anything else that caused me extra work or money however just because one cow has a bad udder I'm not going to sale the entire herd.

 

[branguscowgirl]

If you raise crap - then you will have to deal with crap - sell all and start over

Best to all

Bez__

You seem to give this advice often. Everyone has a cow that may be behind the rest. No matter how good your herd is there is always that one that could be culled out. I don't believe telling this person to sell everything and start over is the best advice. I agree, I would cull her out and anything else that caused me extra work or money however just because one cow has a bad udder I'm not going to sale the entire herd.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[DLD]

Had my last calf a couple days ago, I sat and watched for 2 hours after it was born to make sure it would nurse. The calf would suck on the cows neck and eventually work its way to the udder but was never able to find the nipple. The cows bag is enormous (same thing happened last year with her bag but no problem with the calf), and the nipples are so far down that I believe the calf can't find them. Finally after a couple days I knew the calf had yet to nurse so I caught it and the mamma and put her in the cattle chute and after 5 min. finally had the calf nursing. The only way I could the calf down low enough to nurse was to lay it down. I kept them pinned up hoping that the calf would learn how to nurse, but have yet to see it find its way. Not only that but the calf when blind in one eye overnight.

I know it's been a couple of days since the original post here, but I'm throwing this in just in case the original poster is still following this thread. I know it was touched on, but just to clarify for anyone that doesn't completely understand. Anytime you feel that a calf hasn't been able to nurse by the time they're 2 - 4 hours old, you need to get them caught, milk the cow and give the calf the milk in a bottle. I'd only do two quarters at a time to start with, then four to six hours later do the other two, so the calf gets all the colostrum possible. After that, if you want her to raise the calf normally, at least twice a day you need catch the cow and milk her down to where the calf can nurse. Before you turn her loose (with the calf), milk her out completely so that the calf can nurse before she fills back up. Usually the calf will get one or two at a time under control - keep milking out the full ones twice a day, and usually in a few days the calf will be able to nurse them all.

It's not something that might be better next year - it'll be worse. If you're okay with doing this you can keep her and do it every year, but be aware her daughters may end up the same way. Just to be clear, I'm not advocating keeping her. If you choose to raise the calf on a bottle, I'd sell the cow asap if she's in good condition. If she needs a little more condition and the thought of a bred cow going to the packer is too disturbing for you, keep in mind that you can turn her back with the bull and the earliest she's at all likely to breed is six weeks - just sell her before then. If you don't have the time (or the desire) to mess with either one of them, bottle feed the calf 'til you can get 'em to the sale barn, but take them asap - it's not as many dollars as you could get if you grow the calf some and put some more weight back on the cow, but they'll sell separately and still bring pretty darn good money right now if where you're at is anything like it is here.

 

[mrs98f]

Thank you all for your replies, I shipped both the cow and calf to sale barn shortley after posting this. I decieded to do this to prevent any additional problems with her in the future.

 

[jerry27150]

you can keep putting the calf on for a few days & he should be able to suck on his own after a while, or bottle feed calf & sell her, or you can sell both now. there's always some who are looking for new calves to put on a cow or some raise bottle calves

 

[B&M Farms]

Thank you all for your replies, I shipped both the cow and calf to sale barn shortley after posting this. I decieded to do this to prevent any additional problems with her in the future.

You made the best decision. No reason to keep a cull cow or a bottle baby around IMO. I would have sold them both and maybe come home with a heavy bred to take her place.

 

[wacocowboy]

Thank you all for your replies, I shipped both the cow and calf to sale barn shortley after posting this. I decieded to do this to prevent any additional problems with her in the future.

I would say that is a wise choice

 

[Suzie Q]

You have done the right thing.

This is what we in Australia call bottle teated and it is a genetic trait. What this means is that you should sell to be culled the cow and calf which is good as they won't degenerate any other person's herd. I am afraid it also means to cull any heifers or bulls from this cow as well.