How active should a new born calf be?

[Rob Johnson]

Had a calf born yesterday (sat.18th) about 4:00 pm. I have seen her nursing and she has been up walking around, but, she spends most of the time laying around. What activity level should I expect from a new born??

Thanks,

Rob Johnson
Foley, Mn.

 

[Bez!]

Had a calf born yesterday (sat.18th) about 4:00 pm. I have seen her nursing and she has been up walking around, but, she spends most of the time laying around. What activity level should I expect from a new born??

Thanks,

Rob Johnson
Foley, Mn.

G'day

If you had just been torn from a warm and comfortable environment - squished and pushed through a small tube and uncerimoniuosly dropped on the cold damp ground - well , after a good meal - you would probably want a nap as well.

Around here they run at three days. Wait and let us know.

Bez!

 

[KMacGinley]

That is normal for them to sleep alot, Mom stashes them somewhere and tells them to stay there like a fawn and they gather their strength for a couple of days and like Bez says on day three a gang of them are usually racing each other around the pasture.

 

[Rob Johnson]

Thanks for the replys.
I'm new at this and a bit nervous!
I'll just keep her warm and dry and see what happends in a few days. It is still dropping into the teens here at night, so should I move the calf and mom into the barn? They are in a shelter now.
I posted a pic of the new arrival in the Photo Gallery!

Thanks,
Rob Johnson
Foley, Mn.

 

[dun]

This is another one of those it depends kinds of deal. We've had calves that are up and at em and on the run withing hours and others that lay around and sleep most of the time for a few days. Some a day or two, some 4-5 days.
A shelt4er should be jsut fine as long as it's out of the wind, even if it's just mom that's breaking the wind.

dun

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Our mamas are put in a 50 x 75' pen with a loafing shed about a week before expected calving. Their calf is generally nursing within 45-60 minutes after birth. They sleep a lot the first 2-3 days. Will be walking around hour or two after birth, and running around within 4-6 hours. Nibbling on hay at about 10 days or so, mimicking mama. After a week in the pen, they are put with other mamas and baby calves in another small pasture with loafing shed. Calves by that time are running around playing with each other.

 

[fojokin]

I dont know about 3 days? I kid you not my calves out of the gelbvieh bull were kicking their heels up a few hours after birth and running around the next day. At 3 weeks old they were eating hay. I guess it depends on the bull used and the heterosis and hybrid vigor of the calves.

Some of our calves as soon as they get the embryo off are already trying to get up and run around some are just lazy, just like people everyone is different. Congrats on the newborn.

 

[MikeC]

I dont know about 3 days? I kid you not my calves out of the gelbvieh bull were kicking their heels up a few hours after birth and running around the next day. At 3 weeks old they were eating hay. I guess it depends on the bull used and the heterosis and hybrid vigor of the calves.

Some of our calves as soon as they get the embryo off are already trying to get up and run around some are just lazy, just like people everyone is different. Congrats on the newborn.

I had some semen running around kicking up their heels outside the tank the other day too! ;-)

 

[jgn]

It's not unusual not to see a calf at all for the first week except when it decides to come out to nurse.

 

[susie]

I had some semen running around kicking up their heels outside the tank the other day too!

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Ha ha !

susie