Heifer lost calf

[shorty]

This morning one of my heifers had a bull calf and it died , will she dry off on her own or is there something I should do, also if I could get a dairy calf how soon would it have to be to get her to take it , I'm not sure how soon I could get one

 

[cattle_gal]

There's a couple of different ways to look at this heifer now. since she is new to momhood and if you want to keep her it would be best to get a calf on her. there's 2 ways this could be - tough or easy. If you are willing to take the time to graph a calf on, get a calf on her here in a day(ASAP). Three days is too long even - especially a heifer. If you still have any of her after birth keep it and rub it on the new calf.

Another option which I'm sure plenty of people one here would opt for is to sell her.

Another option is to carry her over to next calving season.

It is up to you what you want to do. If it's a mater of penciling out loss and income do so for the three situations. Situation 1 would be cost of calf, cost of extra items for her to except the calf, time and how much isthe calf going to bring when you sell the calf. Remeber heifers usually have less milk than a more mautre cow. If she has no milk the calf could end up starving and that's $$ down the drain. Situation 2. Sell her now get the income, but add what it would cost for a replacement cow next fall or now, minus the feed cost from now to fall. Situation 3. feed cost.

Also to take in to consideration - why did she loose the calf.

 

[Jake]

put her in a stantion and show the calf where the food is.... it may take her quite a while before she's ready to take that calf for good and be able to be turned out of a tight enclosure with it.

 

[Scotty]

depnding on how old the deasd calf was I have heard of people taking the skin or after birth and rubbing it all over the orphan to get the sent on it. This is to help the cow recognize and take care of the calf. If you do keep the heifer put her back with a bull. She wil dry asnd the loss of a calf will bring her around and breed back soon. The sooner she rebreeds the better.


Scotty

 

[txfbc]

I had the same thing happen last January. I bought a holstein bull calf to put on her. It took her over a month, but she finally accepted him and let him nurse on her own. Good thing, it was getting old getting up at 4:30 every morning, penning her up in the squeeze chute, letting the calf nurse, then going back home to get ready for work. Then same thing again in the afternoon. But she was a special heifer...one that my grandmother gave me for taking care of her herd right after my grandad passed away. Hope to have another calf from her in about a month or so again.

 

[frenchie]

depnding on how old the deasd calf was I have heard of people taking the skin or after birth and rubbing it all over the orphan to get the sent on it. This is to help the cow recognize and take care of the calf. If you do keep the heifer put her back with a bull. She wil dry asnd the loss of a calf will bring her around and breed back soon. The sooner she rebreeds the better.


Scotty

You can also take the hide of the dead calf and put it on the new calf.Make sure you leave the dead calfs tail still on the hide.Crude and it stinks .But works.Usually leave it on for 4 or 5 days.

 

[txag]

just another opinion, but unless you have an orphan yourself, i probably wouldn't go to the trouble of trying to graft a calf with a heifer. just let her dry up & rebreed.

 

[sidney411]

Frenchie
Why is it important to leave the tail on the hide? Wouldn't it work the same without it as long as the smell is there?

I have had luck with a couple of heifers with rubbing the placenta and afterbrith on the "new" calf and then letting the heifer clean it off. SHe thought it was hers.

 

[Scotty]

For me I would go with what TXAG said. Just let her dry. Too much trouble. I have seen cows hurt other calves that were not thiers. The tail part is the fluid secretions is my opinion. Especially if the calf did suck. I hear that each cows milk has its own smell and is the ID tool for them.


Scotty

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

First, I would never recommend getting a calf from any other farm to graft onto any cow. Even though your cattle are healthy & the other farms has healthy cattle, each farm has it's own set of "bugs" that your cattle have developed immunities to. Your set of "bugs" are different than the neighbors' "bugs". Therefore, your neighbors healthy calf comes to your farm carrying "bugs" that your other newborns do not have immunities from & the rest of your calf crop can get sick.
Second, if you have a twin, you can steal one & graft it onto your newly calfed cow. There is a product called "O-No-Mo" which used to be called "OrphanNoMore". It is a powder that you sprinkle all over the calf & on the cows nose (if possible). Cows can't resist licking it. If she licks the calf, she will usually accept it. It is inexpensive & I think all farms with newborn calves should keep on hand. I rarely need it, but when I do, I don't want to be looking for a place to buy it. Also, after the calf has sucked the cow a few days, the calves secretions smell like the cow. You only have a day or two to get a new calf on her, unless you milk her out to keep her milk production going.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Also, on your question about drying her off. She will do it naturally. There are rare occasions of mastitis, so you might keep an eye on her, but this is rare. It's best not to feed her grain during this dry-off period, because that just encourages her body to produce more milk.

 

[milkmaid]

First, I would never recommend getting a calf from any other farm to graft onto any cow. Even though your cattle are healthy & the other farms has healthy cattle, each farm has it's own set of "bugs" that your cattle have developed immunities to. Your set of "bugs" are different than the neighbors' "bugs". Therefore, your neighbors healthy calf comes to your farm carrying "bugs" that your other newborns do not have immunities from & the rest of your calf crop can get sick.

Agreed...except in the case where you buy a calf from your neighbor - and your cows are already sharing a fence line with his animals! ;-)

So what did you decide to do, Shorty?

 

[certherfbeef]

Just ran across this stuff on the nasco site. Wonder if it works as good as it claims. Anyone ever use it?

http://www.enasco.com/prod/ProductDetail?sku=C25052N&title=Farm+&+Ranch

 

[shorty]

She is doing fine, I couldn't get a calf right away to put on so I left her dry off, everything seems okay, she's back with the bull so hopefully she breed back right away when she comes into heat again