Fostering Calves

[capparelli]

I had a 13 year old cow have a big bull calf today. She has "bananna tits" as we call them around here and the calf couldn't suck. I know, I should have sold here a while back, she has been like this for a long time and in the past has always weaned heavy calves. I knew the day would come when she couldn't care for her calf. I am 16 and got her for Christmas when I was three, so she has just stayed around. She is going to be shipped after she puts a little weight back on. Anyways, I have a Charolais X heifer that I show in the barn and she had a calf on Monday. I gave the calf that was born today a bottle of colostrum and I am ready to bottke feed it if I have to, but it seems like the Charolais X is going to take care of it. She is letting it and her calf nurse. I have a cow show next Friday that I was planning on taking her and her calf to. Do you think I should let her raise both, or bottle feed the one? And if I do let her raise it, should I take both calves to the show and say the the one is hers and she's fostering the other?

 

[msscamp]

I had a 13 year old cow have a big bull calf today. She has "bananna tits" as we call them around here and the calf couldn't suck.

Why don't you just put the 13 year old in the chute, help the calf get started, supplement mom to help her out, let her raise her own calf and - depending on her condition when you wean - either ship her then or feed her for a while prior to shipping her? I wouldn't rebreed her, but I don't see why she couldn't raise her own calf with a little help from you. But, maybe I'm missing something.

 

[randiliana]

Do you think I should let her raise both, or bottle feed the one? And if I do let her raise it, should I take both calves to the show and say the the one is hers and she's fostering the other?

If you let this heifer raise both calves, you will probably end up with 2 little ratty calves at weaning time. It takes a heck of a cow to raise 2 calves, and heifers normally don't milk as well as cows.