Haybelly or am I getting an OOPS calf?

[Lannie]

To find out if a calf has been nursing when you're not looking, wet your fingers with water (not spit!) and feel her teats. Any that have dried calf saliva on them will feel slippery. If none of them feel slippery, then bottle or tube him, however you can get some milk in him. Chances are, though, if he's nursed once, he knows where the milk bar is and he's doing it on his own just fine, but I'd check her teats to make sure. Sometimes (ALL the time?) bull calves can be a bit slow on the uptake, and especially one that had a hard birth.

Good luck with him. I hope he continues to get better. (I have no experience with bloat in calves, so I don't know what that is, but I hope it's nothing serious.)

 

[Nesikep]

Didn't know of that trick, I'll keep it in mind

I'll just help in onto the teats a couple times a day if I don't see him nurse.. I got extra milk in town I'll try and supplement him with, but once they've had real teats the rubber nipples can be a bit of a fight.. for the first couple days here I don't think I'll push him to drink a whole lot more than momma is making, maybe a cup here or there until he settles in.. I'll take more pics today

 

[Nesikep]

Went out today and he had found the teats on his own, tail wagging! I'm calling him Victory, because this is a bit of a victory, and it's also victoria day



He's out exploring a bit (a great sign), his right front knuckle buckles over, but that will pass... I'm really happy with momma too

 

[Lannie]

Hooray for Victory! He's got it now. Tail wagging equals happy calf with a bellyful of milk. He sure is a little cutie-pie. I can't wait for my next calves. We missed last year so I've been without calfie cuteness for far too long! (Thanks for the video!)

 

[Nesikep]

Hooray for Victory! He's got it now. Tail wagging equals happy calf with a bellyful of milk. He sure is a little cutie-pie. I can't wait for my next calves. We missed last year so I've been without calfie cuteness for far too long! (Thanks for the video!)

Here's a cutie.. I gave this cow to a friend because she wasn't productive enough for me.. first thing she did was had 2 sets of twins for him.. this is her most recent calf.. Quite the markings on her, and she's a real shyte disturber too

 

[farmerjan]

So great for Victory and the momma for being so good at such a young age. A bit of a testament to you too, for having such calm and gentle animals.... she may have calved but you can hardly call her a cow when she is still a "kid".

Of course, that cow went and had 2 sets of twins for your friend.... she's saying, "see, serves you right for not wanting me, I'll show you"..... Love the red and white colorful markings on the calves, they look so clean and pretty.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Went out today and he had found the teats on his own, tail wagging! I'm calling him Victory, because this is a bit of a victory, and it's also victoria day



He's out exploring a bit (a great sign), his right front knuckle buckles over, but that will pass... I'm really happy with momma too
View attachment 4534

From the sound of all that slurping, hes spot on! Good for lil victory!

And that chromed up twin calf is nice.

 

[Nesikep]

So great for Victory and the momma for being so good at such a young age. A bit of a testament to you too, for having such calm and gentle animals.... she may have calved but you can hardly call her a cow when she is still a "kid".

Of course, that cow went and had 2 sets of twins for your friend.... she's saying, "see, serves you right for not wanting me, I'll show you"..... Love the red and white colorful markings on the calves, they look so clean and pretty.

That's definitely why she went and had twins.. Same friend got a bottle baby Jersey/angus/Dexter cross calf for free from another friend of mine, she's 4 years old and has also had 2 sets of twins
The momma used to be a bit stand-offish, but the last 2-3 months she slowed down and became a total sucker for attention... it was shortly after that I noticed she was probably pregnant.
It's pretty hot out in the sun here in the daytime, I brought him a bottle of electrolytes again at noon, quite prepared to have to fight him to drink it, but he found it good and drank most of a quart heartily.. I think I'll continue that on hot days until he learns to drink water on his own, I might give him a quart of milk in the evenings too just for a little something extra. Figuring I'll keep the two of them up here for about 2 weeks then they can go join the others on pasture

 

[Nesikep]

From the sound of all that slurping, hes spot on! Good for lil victory!

And that chromed up twin calf is nice.

OH, that one isn't a twin, she's just had two sets of twins previously

 

[wbvs58]

To find out if a calf has been nursing when you're not looking, wet your fingers with water (not spit!) and feel her teats. Any that have dried calf saliva on them will feel slippery. If none of them feel slippery, then bottle or tube him, however you can get some milk in him. Chances are, though, if he's nursed once, he knows where the milk bar is and he's doing it on his own just fine, but I'd check her teats to make sure. Sometimes (ALL the time?) bull calves can be a bit slow on the uptake, and especially one that had a hard birth.

Good luck with him. I hope he continues to get better. (I have no experience with bloat in calves, so I don't know what that is, but I hope it's nothing serious.)

Great tip Lannie, thanks for sharing it.

Ken

 

[farmerjan]

@Nesikep ; you might want to tap into this friend's water.... must be something in the water to get all those sets of twins.... you could get to the point like sheep farmers and raise 150% calf crops.....

 

[Nesikep]

@Nesikep ; you might want to tap into this friend's water.... must be something in the water to get all those sets of twins.... you could get to the point like sheep farmers and raise 150% calf crops.....

with as much as a lot of people curse twins, I'm happy with having a set every couple years

 

[Nesikep]

Here's a vid from yesterday when he was feeling frisky after supper

New video by Efrem Hug

photos.app.goo.gl

 

[farmerjan]

with as much as a lot of people curse twins, I'm happy with having a set every couple years

I don't mind twins either...

 

[Nesikep]

I don't mind twins either...

They make for good pictures This is the cow I gave to my buddy when she had hers, she was sooo proud


This is her full sister, but not twins, she just adopted an orphan





Another set

This is the momma of the twins above, apparently having two wasn't enough, she had to let a 3rd in to steal milk (middle one)