Emergency weaning. Help needed.

[Classyusa]

I had to put a cow down today that has a 25 day old calf. I caught the calf last night and tried to get him to eat some calf starter and drink out of a bottle. He didn't want either.

I tried rubbing the milk on his lips and he wasn't interested. I also tried putting honey on the nipple with no luck.

This calf has been grazing and munching on hay with the herd since he was born.It seems like now that his mom is gone he only wants hay and grass.

Can he survive on those? Or is my only hope to force feed him the milk replacer?

 

[Buck Randall]

Lock him up with no access to grass or hay. Offer free choice water and calf starter. Keep trying the bottle for a few days; he may get hungry enough to take it. He's old enough that he could survive on calf starter alone, but it's not ideal. He'll starve on grass or hay unless he learns to steal milk from other cows.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Exactly what @Buck Randall said!!

 

[aprille218]

Try milk in a bucket while he's penned up too if bottles aren't working.

 

[Classyusa]

I've got him in a 12x24 stall. I had to carry him on my shoulder a few hundred yards but I got him in here.

I will get him a dish of calf starter, a bucket of milk, water and hang a bottle up.

A couple questions:

1. Do I need to ration his calf starter or just leave him a big enough pale to eat as much as he wants?

2. How long is milk in a bucket good for? Does it go bad in a few hours? Half a day? Feed it in the morning throw it out at night?

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.

 

[Classyusa]

Also, will he need a mineral lick or will he get enough in the starter?

 

[Son of Butch]

Most will reject rubber nipple after having nursed for a few days on cow.
Teach him to drink milk from a bucket and he'll finish it in a few minutes as soon as it's presented after he learns.
When we had dairy cows, never used bottle, but taught them to drink from a pail out the gate. Get him to suck on your fingers
then head down into bucket. Once they get the taste doesn't take more than 3 o 4 feedings and they're off to the races.

p.s.
Except for brown swiss calves, they'd sooner die than cooperate with any idea that's not their own. lol

 

[Hereford2]

My advice if you want him to take the bottle don't give him anything for 24 hour's (Unless it's really hot by you). And 4-6 hours (Before you are going to try the bottle) Give him a B complex Vitamin shot 5cc in the muscle. It's worked for me Most of the time, for up to 6 week old calves. If you want him to drink milk from a pail, only offer it instead of water. Also some calves Won't drink milk Unless it's really Warm. Not hot enough to burn them, but slightly warmer than a human baby bottle.

 

[Rancher]

I suggest fix a quart of milk replacer in the nurse bottle make sur it's about 110 degrees. Straddle the calf holding it's chin up while forcing the nipple into the side of his mouth, keep at it for several minutes. If hard to stay astride him back him into corner keeping his head up high and nipple into side of mouth. I've had to do a bunch this way over past 50yrs. Put the remaining milk in the fridge and rewarm for another try. Sometimes takes a couple days but he will get the idea soon

 

[Buck Randall]

I've got him in a 12x24 stall. I had to carry him on my shoulder a few hundred yards but I got him in here.

I will get him a dish of calf starter, a bucket of milk, water and hang a bottle up.

A couple questions:

1. Do I need to ration his calf starter or just leave him a big enough pale to eat as much as he wants?

2. How long is milk in a bucket good for? Does it go bad in a few hours? Half a day? Feed it in the morning throw it out at night?

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.

1. He should be allowed to eat as much starter as he wants. Keep in mind that anything he doesn't eat within a couple days will get stale and less palatable, so toss it out and refresh often. Calf starter is intended to be a complete feed; no need for additional minerals or supplements.

2. Weather has a big impact on this, but I'd say toss it out after a couple hours. If he figures it out he'll drink it immediately anyway.

 

[farmerjan]

He's going to fight you until he gets hungry.... you and that nipple on the bottle are just NOT MOMMA.... don't panic for at least 24 hours... let him get hungry... keep the calf starter in front of him AND try the bottle tomorrow... as suggested.. straddle, back into a corner... and keep working on it... eventually it will "CLICK" and the light bulb will come on and he will be hungry enough that he will try it and OMG.... this stuff is wonderful.....
Don't let him have any hay so he can't try to fill up on it... his stomach is not developed enough for it if he has been on a cow... a few bites with momma in the field is just his learning to MIMIC what his momma was doing.... He could survive on it if that was all he could get out in the wild but it will stunt him... he needs protein and a complete feed... no added mineral for now either... sometimes they will try to eat it and make themselves sick on it.....
Also... all according to what her udder looked like... I prefer to use the "lamb nipple" as opposed to the calf nipple..... they will drink a little slower but it is often closer to the size of the cow's teat.

 

[Classyusa]

Thanks for all of the tips. I had to cut the hole in the nipple to get more milk to flow then force it into his mouth. But eventually last night he was reaching for the nipple on his own.

This morning he doesn't want the bottle. I tried warming it up but he is being stubborn again.

 

[Classyusa]

He is a good little cow. Half MG, 1/4 Hereford, 1/4 Jersey. His mom was a halter trained ex family milk cow. A big puppy basically. It was hard having to put her down. :/

 

[Hereford2]

He may be hungry this afternoon. I had one for a while that would drink in the afternoon and evening, but Not in the morning for about 3 days...

 

[Dsth]

My experience is that if I leave the calf with the herd, they figure out how to rob from other cows really quickly. at 25 days, it knows what to look for and will learn how to get it. my advise depends on how easy it is to keep an eye on him and/or try to get him back into his stall. good luck

 

[Nesikep]

You have to be more stubborn than the cows! and yes, hunger is the best cook!
Really sucks having to put down good cows.. I've done that more than I care to admit.

 

[Classyusa]

He is drinking a little more than a gallon twice a day now. He won't pail drink but he loves the bottle now.

He doesn't like the calf starter so I crushed some cattle cubes up and mixed it in his starter. He seems to like them and gets him to eat a little calf starter.

 

[Classyusa]

My concern now is that he isn't touching his water and he sleeps almost all day.

When he wants his milk he springs to life but pretty lethargic besides that.

 

[Son of Butch]

My concern now is that he isn't touching his water and he sleeps almost all day.

Maybe he's playing cards all night or watching TV

 

[kenny thomas]

If he is drinking a gallon twice a day.i doubt he needs water.