First calf heifer doesn't know how to be a mom

[ny_grass]

That is great that the calf was able to nurse on the cow by itself. Congrats. I would next look for white froth on / around the calf's mouth to make sure she is getting milk and then I wouldn't worry too much. I have 4 first calf heifers that could calve anytime now that I am anxiously waiting for and checking 4 time a day. You just never know what you are going to have to deal with when a heifer calves.

Yesterday was definitely one of the less fun experiences I've had with cattle. I just couldn't believe that this mother was kicking her calf away! I kept thinking, a beautiful, healthy calf and it might die because of this heifer!! But, she seems to have figured it out. I put my goats in a small confinement pen so they're close by and really bond. I think it's a good thing for cattle too.

 

[KMacGinley]

Sorry, I didn't see this until now. As I was reading through the responses to your problem, I began to suspect that since your apparently lively calf wasn't hungry it had already nursed while you were not looking. Usually they will suck from a bottle, unless they are hypothermic. Then you warm them up and then they will suck.

It is not as much as an emergency as people make out to get that stuff down a calf ASAP, You got 24 hours and in spite of what people say, they can and do survive without it. and I would buy a stomach tuber in case you don't have one. And I would listen to what Dun told you about restraining a cow to get a calf on it., as that is the best way, especially in a chute.

Often times the hormonal rush at birth make especially first calf heifers a little mixed up. They usually come around.

 

[spinandslide]

That is great that the calf was able to nurse on the cow by itself. Congrats. I would next look for white froth on / around the calf's mouth to make sure she is getting milk and then I wouldn't worry too much. I have 4 first calf heifers that could calve anytime now that I am anxiously waiting for and checking 4 time a day. You just never know what you are going to have to deal with when a heifer calves.

Yesterday was definitely one of the less fun experiences I've had with cattle. I just couldn't believe that this mother was kicking her calf away! I kept thinking, a beautiful, healthy calf and it might die because of this heifer!! But, she seems to have figured it out. I put my goats in a small confinement pen so they're close by and really bond. I think it's a good thing for cattle too.

I am so glad "zelda" is up and momma is allowing her to nurse

Look at it this way..every experience you can walk away with knowledge and experiences gained.

isnt it frustrating when a mother animal completly goes nutso and causes gray hairs for ya.

I am breeding a heifer this year..she is my first heifer..so I may be feeling your pain about this time next year!

Sarah

 

[Brute 23]

Do us all a favor, bottle the calf and sell that ***** to McDonald's. When the calf is big enough make sure it stays out of the pool also.

 

[ny_grass]

Do us all a favor, bottle the calf and sell that ***** to McDonald's. When the calf is big enough make sure it stays out of the pool also.

I don't understand what this means.

 

[ny_grass]

I am so glad "zelda" is up and momma is allowing her to nurse

Look at it this way..every experience you can walk away with knowledge and experiences gained.

isnt it frustrating when a mother animal completly goes nutso and causes gray hairs for ya.

I am breeding a heifer this year..she is my first heifer..so I may be feeling your pain about this time next year!

Sarah

I hope it goes better for you! ;-)

 

[ny_grass]

Sorry, I didn't see this until now. As I was reading through the responses to your problem, I began to suspect that since your apparently lively calf wasn't hungry it had already nursed while you were not looking. Usually they will suck from a bottle, unless they are hypothermic. Then you warm them up and then they will suck.

It's possible but I think unlikely. I was out there for a long time watching them and, for most of the day, mama wouldn't let the calf get to her hind quarters at all. But, I can't explain why the calf wouldn't take more out of the bottle even when, having gotten some advice on how to actually feed from a bottle (backed up against a wall, head pointing up, nipple in, hold jaws until they swallow), I tried to feed her for going on an hour.

It is not as much as an emergency as people make out to get that stuff down a calf ASAP, You got 24 hours and in spite of what people say, they can and do survive without it. and I would buy a stomach tuber in case you don't have one. And I would listen to what Dun told you about restraining a cow to get a calf on it., as that is the best way, especially in a chute.

I had a neighbor farmer come over and look; he was pretty unconcerned. His take was get them in the pen together and eventually the mama would calm down. "So, you think it'll be alright, Jerry?" "Oh, yeah. Yeah." ;-)

 

[spinandslide]

Do us all a favor, bottle the calf and sell that ***** to McDonald's. When the calf is big enough make sure it stays out of the pool also.

I don't understand what this means.

Brute means bad mothering is considered an inheritated trait.. many cattlemen/women will not retain the calf of a bad mother..
momma gets sold as hamburger and the resulting heifer calf gets sold the same when shes old enough...

I might cut this heifer abit of slack..but I have a very small herd..if it happens again, then I might start thinking she is simply a wonky cow and needs to be shipped.

 

[ny_grass]

Do us all a favor, bottle the calf and sell that ***** to McDonald's. When the calf is big enough make sure it stays out of the pool also.

I don't understand what this means.

Brute means bad mothering is considered an inheritated trait.. many cattlemen/women will not retain the calf of a bad mother..
momma gets sold as hamburger and the resulting heifer calf gets sold the same when shes old enough...

I might cut this heifer abit of slack..but I have a very small herd..if it happens again, then I might start thinking she is simply a wonky cow and needs to be shipped.

Ok. Yeah, I'd named her "Cully" last night before the calf was nursing! I guess you get the best genetics when you don't give second chances; apparently the best cows have no problems even as heifers?

 

[dun]

apparently the best cows have no problems even as heifers?

Not so. Heifers sometimes are goofy as snot when they first calve. Won;t let the calf nurse, knock them around etc. I would wager that a lot of heifers if seen shortly after calving would be considred poor mothers but since they aren;t observed until they've had a chance to calm down some they'll considred to be just dandy. The whole heifer calving deal and the aaociated problems is why so many people don;t like calving heifers, I personally don;t mind and even enjoy it, usually.

 

[ny_grass]

So, I'm thinking of letting mom and calf out of the pen today. Should I leave them in there longer? I'd think they're bounded and it should be fine.

thanks

 

[spinandslide]

NY, I think this is something to be expected when calving heifers..we run the same risk when we foal out maiden mares..heck ANY animal that is a first time mother.

the heifer did accept the calf, just needed abit of encouragment..ya did good.

 

[backhoeboogie]

My experiences with calves and colostrum are obviously different than some. The sooner the better and I prefer the calf nurse within a few hours of birth. After 4 hours, I take action. Sure it does a little good at 24 hours but why do you want a "little good?" Haul it to the vet, spend $250, get it back in a bag 2 days later and go dig a hole.

31 heifers are going to calve for me this year. So far 9 have made it with no problem. Low birth weight brangus bull and a lot of luck.

Here is a source if you care to check. You can google and see several others.

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department ... ll/faq8021

Why is the time in which a newborn receives colostrum so important?
By the 24-hour mark the gut begins to close and it becomes extremely difficult for the calf to absorb the antibodies in the colostrum. The calf's intestine becomes impermeable to large proteins. Studies have shown, that at six hours after birth, calves absorbed 66 % of the immunoglobulins in colostrum, but at 36 hours after birth calves were able to absorb only 7 % of immunoglobulins. Colostrum contains approximately 22 % solids, compared to 12 % solids in normal whole cow's milk. Much of the extra solid material in colostrum is immunoglobulin, but colostrum is also an important source of protein, sugar, fat, and vitamins A and E.

 

[KMacGinley]

I agree Backhoe, that ideally, and for the best you should get colostrum in them ASAP. I do know of 2 animals that never had colostrum, for at least 36 hours, a bull calf and a heifer, the bull became a steer and lived to be 1300 lbs, and hamburger steaks and roasts before succumbing to the "inevitable" death of not having colostrum before 24 hours. The heifer had her 5th calf last year.

As far as getting rid of this heifer,,, why? As usual, I agree with Dun, the hormones and the new experience tend to make some of them a challenge, but they usually get with the program after that. NY... try to emulate your neighbor. I think you did the right things here. Get them together and if the heifer is not trying to knock the calf into the middle of next week, things usually work out.

 

[ny_grass]

I agree Backhoe, that ideally, and for the best you should get colostrum in them ASAP. I do know of 2 animals that never had colostrum, for at least 36 hours, a bull calf and a heifer, the bull became a steer and lived to be 1300 lbs, and hamburger steaks and roasts before succumbing to the "inevitable" death of not having colostrum before 24 hours. The heifer had her 5th calf last year.

As far as getting rid of this heifer,,, why? As usual, I agree with Dun, the hormones and the new experience tend to make some of them a challenge, but they usually get with the program after that. NY... try to emulate your neighbor. I think you did the right things here. Get them together and if the heifer is not trying to knock the calf into the middle of next week, things usually work out.

Thanks KMac. I feel a lot friendlier toward the mama now that she's gotten it figured out. I suspect that if he calf grows well and looks good, I'll give her another chance ;-)

BTW, do you think it's okay to put the both of them back with the whole lot? I probably would have done it already but I was busy with work all day.

 

[dun]

I agree Backhoe, that ideally, and for the best you should get colostrum in them ASAP. I do know of 2 animals that never had colostrum, for at least 36 hours, a bull calf and a heifer, the bull became a steer and lived to be 1300 lbs, and hamburger steaks and roasts before succumbing to the "inevitable" death of not having colostrum before 24 hours. The heifer had her 5th calf last year.

As far as getting rid of this heifer,,, why? As usual, I agree with Dun, the hormones and the new experience tend to make some of them a challenge, but they usually get with the program after that. NY... try to emulate your neighbor. I think you did the right things here. Get them together and if the heifer is not trying to knock the calf into the middle of next week, things usually work out.

The lack of colostrum and surviving isn;t really all that uncommon, but more frequently the calf just doesn;t thrive without it. I look at it like insuarance. I don;t expect the house to burn down but having it only makes sense.

 

[angus9259]

One of my toughest cases as a heifer just calved her second. I was quite surprised at how calmly she stood to be nursed - no spinning and turning or kicking - just stood there and talked to her calf.

 

[KMacGinley]

I agree Backhoe, that ideally, and for the best you should get colostrum in them ASAP. I do know of 2 animals that never had colostrum, for at least 36 hours, a bull calf and a heifer, the bull became a steer and lived to be 1300 lbs, and hamburger steaks and roasts before succumbing to the "inevitable" death of not having colostrum before 24 hours. The heifer had her 5th calf last year.

As far as getting rid of this heifer,,, why? As usual, I agree with Dun, the hormones and the new experience tend to make some of them a challenge, but they usually get with the program after that. NY... try to emulate your neighbor. I think you did the right things here. Get them together and if the heifer is not trying to knock the calf into the middle of next week, things usually work out.

Thanks KMac. I feel a lot friendlier toward the mama now that she's gotten it figured out. I suspect that if he calf grows well and looks good, I'll give her another chance ;-)

BTW, do you think it's okay to put the both of them back with the whole lot? I probably would have done it already but I was busy with work all day.

Sure, once they are bonded, they are bonded. Sounds like you are doing good.

 

[KMacGinley]

I agree Backhoe, that ideally, and for the best you should get colostrum in them ASAP. I do know of 2 animals that never had colostrum, for at least 36 hours, a bull calf and a heifer, the bull became a steer and lived to be 1300 lbs, and hamburger steaks and roasts before succumbing to the "inevitable" death of not having colostrum before 24 hours. The heifer had her 5th calf last year.

As far as getting rid of this heifer,,, why? As usual, I agree with Dun, the hormones and the new experience tend to make some of them a challenge, but they usually get with the program after that. NY... try to emulate your neighbor. I think you did the right things here. Get them together and if the heifer is not trying to knock the calf into the middle of next week, things usually work out.

The lack of colostrum and surviving isn;t really all that uncommon, but more frequently the calf just doesn;t thrive without it. I look at it like insuarance. I don;t expect the house to burn down but having it only makes sense.

Mine both thrived, but that may be due more to the fact that I do not calve in the early spring/late winter, in muddy lots and bring baby calves into a disease infested barn.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

The whole idea of colostrum is to provide the calf with antibodies. Every hour after the calf is born, it's stomach starts shutting down the ability to obsorb the antibodies. It is almost nil by 12 hours, although they will get "some" past 24 hours. Plus, the colostrum in the cows BAG starts losing quality - so it's a double sword. Sure, a calf can THRIVE and do great without it. But, that same calf might die from simple exposure to mud & bad weather because it gets sick without any antibodies to fight off any exposure.
You did the right thing, finally getting them together & quickly trying to feed the calf.
This is a good lesson learned. All cattle, especially heifers, should be in an area that you can get them to confinement with a working facility. What if this idiot heifer was in labor & needed help & just ran off. Eventually, she has to lay down & will get to the point of not being able to get up, but they might be a long way away from facilities. Vets REALLY don't like trucking thru a field to find an animal to assist labor.
You did good. Congratulations & good luck with the rest.
Hasn't this weather been AWESOME!!!!