Cutting Calf Loose

[Anonymous]

I have a seven month old calf that we bottle feed up until a couple of months ago and I want to turn her loose with some heifers that one has dropped her baby last week and two others are due in May. My wife has treated this calf as pet and is worried she would be kicked and hurt by the heifers.

I worry if the calf is turned out with the heifers, will she try to suck on them or the new mamma?

Thanks,

 

[dun]

They'll probably mess with her some till she learns her place in the group. The only way to tell if she'll try to nurse, or if she does if any of the others will let her, is to turn her in with them.

dun

I have a seven month old calf that we bottle feed up until a couple of months ago and I want to turn her loose with some heifers that one has dropped her baby last week and two others are due in May. My wife has treated this calf as pet and is worried she would be kicked and hurt by the heifers.

I worry if the calf is turned out with the heifers, will she try to suck on them or the new mamma?

Thanks,

 

[lazyhill]

I wouldn't be too concerned about a 7 month old bottle fed calf wanting to nurse off of another cow. She most likely will not associate a cow with milk. As far as getting hurt, she most likely will be run around a bit as she finds her place in the pecking order. However, I wouldn't be overly concerned. I'd be more concerned with her developing a little depression as she may not see your wife as much as she does now. We have a bottle fed baby from a few years ago that was truly a pet in every sense of the word. She never really has integrated with the herd. Tends to be a loner. I'm not sure she realizes that she is a cow.