Have a 1/2 Holstein cow that is about ready to calve. Her udder is huge, is it hard to get a cow to adopt a calf. Would like to buy a dairy bull calf and have her raise two. Thought I would ask and get feedback from someone who has tried it before. Thanks
How to get a cow to take another calf??
- Thread starter Buckhorn
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frenchie
Well-known member
Buckhorn":1mf1hd2w said:
In your case you will want to let her calf and mother up her own calf.After it has had a good belly full of milk ,I would try to graft on the other calf ..I usually like to wipe an orphan calf all over with the cows afterbirth especially around the tail area..I would then halter the cow and help the orphan calf get started on a teat.
I have on occasion skinned a dead calf and tied it on an orphan complete with tail and grafted it on the dead calfs momma.Its kinda of gross but works
Good luck
myersfarm
Well-known member
i put calfs on my milk cows all the time.....the real good milkers i put hers and 3 more then when they get big i put 4 more on..........if cow is gentle take her spit from the cow rub down calfs back more to the tail.......take her calf away for a few hours....she will almost take it every time.....but be sure her calf has the colostram....also milk out and freeze the rest of colostram to give to new calf also if you get a new born........ if that doesn't work....let new calf suck her for three days then it will smell like her calf..but most the time when you do thast the cow will never lick the new calf just hers
texhallMT
Active member
Here's what worked for me a few weeks ago: I rubbed a towel all over the original calf enough to get his scent, then rubbed it on the new calf to transfer his scent; milked the cow some -- enough to give the new calf a decent taste and spill some along his back. The first couple of times I put the cow in the squeeze chute and had the new calf suck from behind. She didn't take him after the first time he sucked (she tried to push him away in the lot) but after the second time in the chute she let him suck without being tied in. Of course she crapped on his head a few times like that, but it seemed like she expected that smell on him when she was out of the chute. Might explain the successful urine method that younggun uses.
I've heard lots of folks use the dead calf hide method with varied success. It would have to be really fresh so that you don't get the 'dead smell' as well.
What seems to be common in all of these methods mentioned is scent(s) whether from the mother cow or her calf.
We also kept her and the new calf in the lot by themselves, without a bunch of interference from the others (kind of like they stay away from the herd after calving anyway) before reintroducing them to the others.
Good luck with it and keep us posted on your success. Tex
I've heard lots of folks use the dead calf hide method with varied success. It would have to be really fresh so that you don't get the 'dead smell' as well.
What seems to be common in all of these methods mentioned is scent(s) whether from the mother cow or her calf.
We also kept her and the new calf in the lot by themselves, without a bunch of interference from the others (kind of like they stay away from the herd after calving anyway) before reintroducing them to the others.
Good luck with it and keep us posted on your success. Tex
In days gone by when we would graft an extra calf on a cow, they'ld only let the other calf nurse from behind. If they came around the side they'ld push them away, but from the rear they could nurse all they wanted. We alwasy had a bunch of calves we referred to sh--head.
dun
dun
Depends on the cow - I had one nurse cow that would accept any calf. Instantly. Unfortunately, I lost her to bloat a little over a month ago, and the nurse cow I have now is downright mean. She gives enough milk to easily support four (and that's how many I have on her right now), but she hates them all. The calves nurse when I tie the cow up, or when she gets tired of trying to avoid them and gives in. Either way, they get milk at least twice a day.
Workinonit Farm
Well-known member
Some cows are pretty easy and some more difficult. I have a Jersey that I bought for several reasons, this being one of them(to raise an extra amongst other reasons). I wait until she has calved. When I bring in the "extra" I keep her and the two calves separate from the rest of the herd for a week or so. To get her to accept the "new guy", I put up her calf in a pen, then put her and the "new guy" in a pen right next to that one. Usually I have to tie her at first, with her head by her baby and she is fine. Then I "show" "new guy" what he is supposed to do, let him suck a while, then I bring her calf in with them. After doing this 2 or 3 times she is fine with the new one. At first she may push him aside, but then she takes him. After a week or so, when they are a happy family, she returns to the herd. Finding a way to get the scent of the "original" calf onto the new one does help.
When we did this at the breeding farm with horses, we used to use Vicks on the nurse mare's nose and that seemed to help. Haven't tried it with cows though. Good luck.
Katherine
When we did this at the breeding farm with horses, we used to use Vicks on the nurse mare's nose and that seemed to help. Haven't tried it with cows though. Good luck.
Katherine
Rookie
Well-known member
younggun":2s64kkge said:
I just gotta ask. How in the world do you collect a cows urine???? :shock:
george
myersfarm
Well-known member
you can get the urine when the cow walks into the pen just before the calf starts to suck most of the time she will pee.....
myersfarm
Well-known member
if you want to see one of my cows with 4 calfs sucking at same time go to.........http://profiles.yahoo.com/chism63901......thre are sale barn calfs you can still see sticker from sell barn on the red white face to your right
Double R Ranch
Well-known member
Rookie":10ap80q6 said:
We put our cows in a squeeze and as soon as the calves start to nurse the cow usually starts to pee a little bit at a time. I take a disposable cup and just hold it back there til I get what I need.
Victoria
Well-known member
then go in with the other calf. Take the placenta off of her baby and put it on the calf to be adopted. That's worked in the past for us anyway. Of course that cow was amazing. After she took that orphan we put two other orphans in with her (don't ask it was the WORST year :roll: ) and she decided she wanted the four of them. We didn't ask her to take them, she just decided that if they didn't have a mother she would take them over. That cow is worth her weight in gold and she is a voluptous cow! :lol:
What if you were present when the dairy cow had her calf, and picked up the placenta and placed it in a plastic bag and place it in the freezer immediately. Then if another calf comes up needing a foster moma later on, you could thaw out the placenta and lay it on the orphan calf's back and head or anywhere else she wants to pick up a scent. It seems she would think she gave birth to it. If you anticipated another calf later on, you could cut the placenta in half before you froze it. Seems if you froze it immediately, it would keep the scent.
jerry27150
Well-known member
i'd say if you get another calf to pen cow & take her calf & the new one & keep in a seperate pen. then bring both to her twice a day for a while, then she will take both. they hate to take one if they already have one.
Victoria
Well-known member
Sounds logical to me Chuckie. Of course I am thinking of what my husband (definitely a city boy) would do if he found that in the freezer! :lol:
Victoria, it gives a whole new meaning to the skit on "Hee-Haw." "Hey Grandpa, whats for dinner?" 
Victoria
Well-known member
:lol:
