heifer nursing cow

[rc]

I have a cow due to calf anytime now and noticed a young heifer nursing her today. I know she needs the cholustrum for the baby but am afraid it's too late for that and hope the calf will be ok. I got em seperated but wonder about the calf? Anyone had something similar?

 

[rockridgecattle]

So you ARE going to go to the farm supply store or vet and buy powder colostrum to give the baby when it calves right....
400gram package with 100 Immuglobulins would suffice

Unless you have frozen colostrum on hand

 

[msscamp]

I have a cow due to calf anytime now and noticed a young heifer nursing her today. I know she needs the cholustrum for the baby but am afraid it's too late for that and hope the calf will be ok. I got em seperated but wonder about the calf? Anyone had something similar?

Yes. A good practice to get into is to milk out the colostrum from any cow that loses her calf at birth and freeze it in pint containers - that way you can thaw out only as much as you need, and not compromise the quality of all of it. It will last a fair amount of time frozen, and is invaluable for situations like this. If you don't have frozen colostrum, I would be sure and give that calf as much powdered colostrum as he/she will drink/take via tubing. Needless to say, the heifer would grow wheels - very quickly!

 

[rc]

Got powder on hand and watching.

 

[KMacGinley]

I would guess that the cow will have adequate colostrum for the calf when it is born. How old is the heifer?

 

[Alice]

I would guess that the cow will have adequate colostrum for the calf when it is born.

I'm inclined to agree...however, an ounce of prevention...and knowing me, I'd be putting that dried colostrum prevention down that baby's throat.

Alice

 

[greenwillowhereford II]

I'd separate the heifer from the cow ASAP. This happened to me once, and within hours of the time I separated them, the cow(a first calf heifer)had a 40# preemie that lived one day. I'll always suspect that the milk stealing was related somehow.

 

[rc]

This will be the cows third calf. She's a big healthy charlais (sp) and the heifer is one I just bought a month or so ago and is around 12 months old. That's what surprised me about her nursing and the cow accepting her to nurse.

 

[TheBullLady]

The heifer would definately grow wheels. She's going to attempt any other cow you have that's in fresh. You'll have to keep her away from any other lactating cow in order to not have to worry about her all the time. It's not worth the aggravation.

 

[rc]

Yep, she may be getting an address change, no attatchment here. Cow had the calf and it appears to be doing fine.