Ideas on cow accepting new calf....

[Limomike]

Ok.. I want to hear your ideas on how you have gotten a cow to accept a calf from a different cow.
I have heard plenty of ideas from puttting kerosene on the calf's back and mother's nose, to skinning a calf and putting the hide on the "new" calf.
I have usually just put the cow in a chute and gotten the new calf up and had it suck until that first milk has come out; then the cow usually accepts the new calf.
I hope I explained myself well... but lets hear your ideas.

 

[syork]

When I had a cow that lost her calf I always took an old rag and rubbed the calf with it and then rub it on the new calf and never had a problem with it.

 

[bandit80]

Ok.. I want to hear your ideas on how you have gotten a cow to accept a calf from a different cow.
I have heard plenty of ideas from puttting kerosene on the calf's back and mother's nose, to skinning a calf and putting the hide on the "new" calf.
I have usually just put the cow in a chute and gotten the new calf up and had it suck until that first milk has come out; then the cow usually accepts the new calf.
I hope I explained myself well... but lets hear your ideas.

Sometimes it depends on the cow, but I have not once had a problem if I cut the skin off of the dead calf and attach it to the replacement. More than once I have drug the dead calf into one of our small calving pens with the cow following, pull the dead calf out of the pen, lift live calf in, and then they live happily ever after.

Anymore I just cut the hide off of the dead calf and put it on the live calf, and after a couple of days take it off. Works like a charm.

 

[I luv herfrds]

Did one this spring. I first poured some water on the calfs back and then sprinkled on some O-NO-MO aka. Orphan NO MOre. Might have worked better if I had kept that pair in a corral instead of turning them out. Cow took the calf pretty good especially when her bag was full.

 

[dyates]

Grafted one this year that was already two weeks old and on the bottle. I skinned the old calf and "dressed up" the new calf. Cow took the calf instantly. It took 3 or 4 days to get the calf to take the cow since it was already used to the bottle.

 

[Bez+]

Amazing at how easy you folks make it seem

I have had similar esperiences but also have had complete failures.

Bez+

 

[Limomike]

Thanks for the ideas. I will be getting the new calf Friday (its a Jersey bull calf only 4 days old) and since I have only done this one other time, I appreciate the ideas and comments. The momma cow is a really tame one, so she should take to the new calf without too much trouble. (not that anything is easy Bez..lol)

 

[Limomike]

I am putting the calf on a Beefmaster cow. Shes about 12 years old, produces enough milk for two calves.

 

[novatech]

I have a friend that used talcum powder on a hard one. Now he swears by it.

 

[Outrigger2]

i used baby powder/talcum powder. it worked just fine. also done the dead calf coat. that one is a little messy. i put the powder on the calfs' back and then around and up the cows nose. it took some time, but she took the calf and did a great job.

 

[fit2btied]

When raising rabbits we put a few drops of vanilla extract (the real stuff) on the doe's nose when we needed to place orphans or divide large litters. That was all she could smell and it usually worked.

 

[Limomike]

That is exactly what I have been doing. The cow is accepting the calf occasionally, but is still kicking her away or butting her away at times. Only time I can get the cow to stand completely still is to put her in the head gate, and then the calf can suck her dry.
I believe eventually she will accept him, but it may take another week or so.

 

[R-E]

Once you get the "new" calf to nurse, keep the pair penned up together. It may take a few days but they will eventually bond.

 

[Limomike]

They are running together now... in a small pasture I have for weaning. They seem to be getting along good.. just still gonna take some time for the momma cow to come around.