Heifer mauling new born calves ? Injured new born

[Richnm]

I have a 2 year old heifer calve today then it started charging and ramming her own 15 minute old new born heifer into the corral and against a tree. She wouldn't let the calf suck. She pushed her own calf so hard the calf was half way under the panel. A couple hours before that I had another calf ( that was born today ) that I found injured and laying against the water trough. I now assume the same heifer attacked this new born calf also. I separated the injured calf and it's dam. The calf can not stand on its back injured foot, I did not see this calf nurse. I took the calf from the heifer that was charging it and bottle fed it colostrum and separated it from its mom. How should I try to get the calf on it's mom tomorrow? Is this a genetic trait ? The heifer that's charging is aaa# 19848795 . Thanks

 

[ccr]

Wow, she needs a new address.

 

[Richnm]

Wow, she needs a new address.

Should I try and get her to raise the calf or buy some milk replacer and start bottle feeding ? And send her to slaughter? The calf took a bottle instantly and gulped down 2 quarts of colostrum easily from a bottle.

 

[kenny thomas]

Should I try and get her to raise the calf or buy some milk replacer and start bottle feeding ? And send her to slaughter? The calf took a bottle instantly and gulped down 2 quarts of colostrum easily from a bottle.

If you have a chute I would try letting the calf suck tomorrow morning

 

[Richnm]

Any advice for the inured newborn that can't put weight on its leg ?

 

[Double R Ranch]

I would keep her separated from everyone. Put her in the chute to allow the calf to nurse multiple times. We tube as little as possible once the calf can get up. Within 12-24 hours we usually have known if the heifer will settle down or not. Hormones, confusion and the pain from delivery have caused this a few times over the years. Once they have settled down we work on getting them back together and all has gone well. Never had a repeat in following years nor had it pass down to offspring. Is that picture of her newborns foot? It appears the hoof capsule is gone if I am looking at it correctly? Appears sensitive lamini is visible? Hopefully that's just an illusion of the photo. If so though that's a pretty nasty injury that I wouldn't even know about treatment with. A vet would be required and a LOT of treatment I would think.

 

[faster horses]

It's been our experience that they seldom, if ever, get better. I'd get her gone asap and keep the calf on a bottle until you can graft her on a cow.
And it can be genetic.
And it can be other things.
I sure wouldn't give her another chance to do it again.

Cow/heifers have to do 3 things.
Have a calf.
RAISE IT.
And breed back.
If she fails at one of those things, she's history.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

We managed a farm that had some Red Angus cattle. Had 1 cow, everytime she calved, she would try to kill her calf - UNTIL - she cleaned. Then she was the nicest, sweetest mom ever!
I would do as advised - put in chute and see if calf will latch on. If she respects being tied, I would let her out of the chute and let calf continue to suck. Leave her tied for a day or so, letting calf suck at will.
If she takes the calf, I would not breed her and would ship her as soon as weaned the calf.

 

[MurraysMutts]

@Richnm

I've fixed up a bunch. But even I don't know if I'd try that cow. Maybe one more try supervised....

Honestly I've gotten to where I don't have time for that kind of nonsense.

Injuring her own calf earns a ride to have her head cut off. Post haste

 

[sunnyblueskies]

Heifers are stupid teenagers who don't know what they are doing. Some are natural mothers, others need a bit of help and yet others are hopeless cases. I'd say that heifer is walking a very fine line.
If it were mine I would lock her up, away from the others and away from her calf. Give the calf a bottle of colostrum and a few hours rest. Put heifer into a squeeze, try to make calf suck, even if you have to hold it there. Wouldn't leave the calf with that heifer in one pen, but close by so she can see it and smell it.
And then what Jeanne-Simme Valley said, if she let's it suck, if she calms down after having cleaned out....... maybe it's worth while to put in the effort. But if she doesn't change her mind ....... here is a one way ticket.
I guess decisions like that are made differently depending on how money tight a herd is run. Some here will ship a heifer/cow if there is no calf by her side come fall, even if it wasn't the heifers/cows fault that the calf died.
Others, like me, are suckers and might give a heifer a second chance if the first year wasn't successful. Of course depending on what the problem was.
What I'm trying to say is, the decision for that heifer is going to be based on how much of a sucker you are. Depending how how the next few hours will go with her. =D

 

[Mat Man]

The hoof will grow back . Keep it as clean as possible .
Its about like a finger nail but grows quick

 

[R lazy 7]

So she injured another calf AND won't take her own? She might not even live long enough to get a ride to town on this place!

 

[Travlr]

Put her in a headgate and let the calf nurse. If she kicks and tries to injure the calf send her packing...

 

[faster horses]

We managed a farm that had some Red Angus cattle. Had 1 cow, everytime she calved, she would try to kill her calf - UNTIL - she cleaned. Then she was the nicest, sweetest mom ever!
I would do as advised - put in chute and see if calf will latch on. If she respects being tied, I would let her out of the chute and let calf continue to suck. Leave her tied for a day or so, letting calf suck at will.
If she takes the calf, I would not breed her and would ship her as soon as weaned the calf.

Mr FH has noticed that they calm down after they clean, but he wouldn't put up with what this heifer did. That's just too much.

 

[Richnm]

I put the heifer in the chute this am and evening. The calf sucked for about 20 minutes each time. I tried putting the heifer with the calf, she again tried ramming it. The hurt calf I took to the vet. 1cc of Draxxin and 1cc Banamin and bandage, she is walking and nursing. Here is the heifer ramming her calf.

 

[coachg]

My dad was tough , tough on his kids but tougher on his animals . I saw him take a long switch/ hickory and whip a heifer that was treating her calf like that . Every time the heifer butted or kicked the calf he switched her . After a couple rounds she decided she loved her calf . Never had another problem with her . I think sometimes they are in such pain with labor they act like that . I'm not saying to whip her but putting her in a chute is the way to go and then supervised visitations.

 

[Richnm]

Her calf runs to me and takes the bottle with ease. It seems almost easier to bottle feed than move the cow in and out of the chute daily?

 

[50/50Farms]

I won't tell another man what he should do, but I'll bet the starry eyed animal lovers who would say keep her don't have hundreds under their belt. She's bad enough on the calf right now, she won't get better except by miracle, and in the process thereof, don't be a fool and think she can't do it to you. Only seen one man win a fist fight with a cow.

 

[Nesikep]

I'd try for a few days.. sure wouldn't be a cow I want to keep around, but if I can get her to raise that calf I'd give it a shot

 

[GoWyo]

A couple cc's of rompun knock her on her butt for a timeout. They seem to love their calf when they wake back up.