Grafting

[shawn_boroviak]

This is a first for me so I am a little unsure about a few things. I had a first calf heifer lose a very large calf this weekend. The calf had to be pulled and to my knowledge the heifer never smelled the calf or anything. I bought another bull calf and have attempted to graft him. The heifer allows him to suck and everything but will sometimes still give a nudge with her leg to the calf. Is it natural for her to do that. Secondly, each time we have been out there we have kind of showed him where to go and she will stand still while he nurses while we are in the stall with them then when we exit the nursing will only last for about a minute. Do you think she has fully accepted the calf as her own or if she is just allowing it because we are there with him. All comments are greatly appreciated ad I am always soaking up information.

 

[Bigfoot]

3 days is usually a good turning point. Has the calf been on her that long?

 

[Rafter S]

If she's just nudging him with her leg, and not actually kicking him off, I wouldn't think that's anything to worry about. Heifers will sometimes do that with their own calves until they get things figured out. Are you leaving the calf with the cow? If so, he may only be nursing for a minute after you leave the stall because he's nursing when you aren't there and he isn't hungry.

You said the nursing only lasts for a minute when you exit the stall. Why does it stop? Does the calf just quit, or does the cow kick him off?

 

[shawn_boroviak]

No it has not been a full three days yet. A full three will be tonight at around 8. The calf does stay with the heifer and they seem to get along great. The sacking normally ends because she will begin walking and he will stop trying. If I may add, she does not Lick him but does communicate with him normally using a grunting sound. Her udders were extremely full and have gone down substantially since putting him with her.

Just to make sure, she will not dry up if she is being nursed right?

 

[Bigfoot]

She will not dry up, and he would probably have all ready died if he wasn't getting enough.

 

[backhoeboogie]

3 days is usually a good turning point. Has the calf been on her that long?

Yes. That has been my experience also with grafting calves to nurse cows. After 3 days, the calves seem to have the cow's scent and she accepts them.

 

[Hook]

If she's grunting at him it sounds like she's taken him.

 

[shawn_boroviak]

Thank you all for the responses. It appears as though eeverything is working great and she has began cleaning him and he had been observed nursing without us being near. Again thank you all.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Congratulations. I appreciate you coming back and giving feedback. Lots of times that does not happen.