Heifer Concern

[Kate]

Has anyone had a cow to calf and the water bag come after the calf is delivered? This happened to me yesterday and I thought maybe she was having twins but have not seen another calf. Have them in a pen, mother will not let baby nurse so we do the hard way, in head catcher.

 

[hillsdown]

Did you check to see that there was not a twin in her ?

 

[Kate]

No I didn't and husband did not either. Would she not have the calf if another was in her?

 

[kenny thomas]

Are you sure it was another waterbag or just some fluid in a pocket from the previous calf. If it is truly a waterbag there is another calf. It will probably be a dead calf by now. Check her when you get her in the headgate. Should be very easy to feel if there is another one there.

 

[dun]

No I didn't and husband did not either. Would she not have the calf if another was in her?

Somtime the second calf doesn;t come out as common sense would say that it should. Glove up and reach inside.
The fluid you say may very well be as was previously mentioned, just fluid trapped in the sack that was surrounding the first calf.

 

[Kate]

Thanks so much for all your help. I appreciate it. :tiphat:

 

[S&WSigma40VEShooter]

Thanks so much for all your help. I appreciate it. :tiphat:

So what happened? Did she have a dead twin in her?

 

[Kate]

Sure hate to say it but I do not know. She still has not taken her calf yet. Putting her in the head catcher 2 times a day and letting the calf nurse and giving it a bottle. She still kicks the cute little thing and will not let her nurse. Will do this for about a week then off to the market she goes.

 

[Kate]

Failed to mentioned when I saw this bag she had not passed her after birth but she had passed it about an hour later so I thought probably it was just water trapped in the first bag as mentioned before.

 

[hillsdown]

How do you not know Kate........ :?

You have her in the head gate glove up lube up and go in , her cervix will still be open especially if there is a dead calf in there .........Reach around until you know for sure she is open...

There really is no excuse for this; you have her locked up anyways.

Sounds to me like she just had a difficult delivery and now hates her calf. It happens, keep at it and feed her grain or treats while she lets the calf nurse.. It seems to work better and they will accept the calf faster.

 

[Kate]

Thanks very much Hillsdown. She seems to like the calf, looks for it and moos for it, just will not let her nurse. Some heifer's are really alot of work. We've only had 1 other heifer to do this lately but she finally took her calf.

 

[kenny thomas]

Kate, you might already be doing something like this. I put them both in the same stall and using a gate I put the calf away from her but still where she can see it, they can tough noses, moo to it, but the calf cannot try to suck until you let it. Usually works after a couple of days.

 

[Kate]

Thanks Kenny. We have not tried that. We have them both in 1 pen but we have 2 pens side by side so we could but the calf in the pen beside her mother during the day and let her in with her mother at night. Thanks alot.

 

[dun]

What is her udder like. Hot, hard, really tight conversly, no milk in the udder? Any of those can cause them to not want to let a calf nurse because it hurts or is irritating.

 

[kerley]

Sure hate to say it but I do not know. She still has not taken her calf yet. Putting her in the head catcher 2 times a day and letting the calf nurse and giving it a bottle. She still kicks the cute little thing and will not let her nurse. Will do this for about a week then off to the market she goes.

I once had a Black Angus heifer, when she calved she would not let her calf nurse. I penned them up and tied the cow to a fence post and roped one rear leg and stretched her out a bit so she could not kick the calve. Once the calve nursed, they both figgured it out and that ended the problem.
Tom

 

[Kate]

Dun, her udder is normal, not too tight and not hot. She does have milk. Kerley thats a great idea. I think that may be some of our problem, she cannot see the calf nurse with her being in the head catcher but stand there and let her nurse if she is in the head catcher. At first I had to hold her tail over her back to keep her from kicking the calf but now I do not have to do that. I just hope she is coming around and we will not have to put her in a head catcher but I don't know.....Husband is getting worn out of patiences

 

[Kate]

Update: Just left heifer and calf and she still will not let the calf nurse. Fed calf a bottle, put heifer in head catcher and calf nursed back 2 dinners. 3 days now and still no luck. :cry2:

 

[dun]

Have you tried any of the calf claiming products? Or maybe molasses?

 

[Kate]

A friend of ours just told us about something he had that we are going to pick up and try. He said to just put it on the back of the calf and the cow will lick and lick it. The cows are suppose to love it. Hopefully this will work.

 

[dun]

A friend of ours just told us about something he had that we are going to pick up and try. He said to just put it on the back of the calf and the cow will lick and lick it. The cows are suppose to love it. Hopefully this will work.

That's one of the calf claiming products I mentioned. Some people have success with Karo syrup or molasses. Anything to get the cow licking the calf is a possible help