I'm stumped

[D OSBURN]

Hi everyone,
First I would like to thank all of you regulars that so kindly give thoughts and opinions to all of us newbies. I've been reading the boards for a couple of months and have learned so much. Thanks again. This one really has me stumped. I weaned 6 calves 5 heifers and one steer as of the first of the year. I fence-lined weaned and it went really well. I turned the calves back out after 45 days. Only the steer attempted to check his mom. He tried, saw there was nothing there and let it alone. Only every few days he still checked. I watched things and thought all was well. On Sunday, I kid you not, after their evening cubes, this little guy goes and checks Mom again and she had milk after being dry all this time. I know she didn't have milk before this. We are lucky this time in one respect. She had gotten re-bred but aborted between the 2nd and 3rd month. Of course they'll both have to go. I would have kept her but the fact that she let him drink. Sorry this is so long but have any of you experienced this?

 

[KNERSIE]

the fact that he continually "checked" as you call it might be an indication that she still had a little milk all along and that he did get a few sips every time he tried.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

the fact that he continually "checked" as you call it might be an indication that she still had a little milk all along and that he did get a few sips every time he tried.

thats right.. and he no dought stimulated her to drop more

 

[bigbull338]

Hi everyone,
First I would like to thank all of you regulars that so kindly give thoughts and opinions to all of us newbies. I've been reading the boards for a couple of months and have learned so much. Thanks again. This one really has me stumped. I weaned 6 calves 5 heifers and one steer as of the first of the year. I fence-lined weaned and it went really well. I turned the calves back out after 45 days. Only the steer attempted to check his mom. He tried, saw there was nothing there and let it alone. Only every few days he still checked. I watched things and thought all was well. On Sunday, I kid you not, after their evening cubes, this little guy goes and checks Mom again and she had milk after being dry all this time. I know she didn't have milk before this. We are lucky this time in one respect. She had gotten re-bred but aborted between the 2nd and 3rd month. Of course they'll both have to go. I would have kept her but the fact that she let him drink. Sorry this is so long but have any of you experienced this?

most times 45 days will wean the calves.but some calves are harder to wean than the others.an of those hard to wean calves you find 1 thatll never wean.an a calf that wont wean needs to go to the sale.

 

[novatech]

I would bet that calf was doing a awfull lot of trying while you were sleeping. I go at least 60 days.

 

[Bez>]

Some go 45 - some go 60 days. I never turn them back together. When they are weaned those that are for sale leave - those that are staying go into another field until bred.

I have seen yearling offspring suck on mom - pushing the new born out of the way. They leave or go into another field.

Bez>

 

[Cowdirt]

Some go 45 - some go 60 days. I never turn them back together. When they are weaned those that are for sale leave - those that are staying go into another field until bred.

I have seen yearling offspring suck on mom - pushing the new born out of the way. They leave or go into another field.

Bez>

Bez, your practice and experiences are the same as mine. Just have had too many problems when turning them back together. Had some heifers ready to breed; turned them back with ma and two started trying to nurse the same cow. They probably worked okay for someone else but I sent them on their way.

 

[Sir Loin]

D,
You might want to try an anti sucking device if all else fails.
Here is a picture of a commercial one. http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/liv ... nostag.htm
I have used a home made one that is similar, for the occasional cow that decides to suck herself or another cow.

Or you can just hog ring a peace of barbwire to his nose. That’s what my dad use to do!

 

[Beefy]

man, its hard weaners like that that make you wanna get a job at a kill plant. I have this one cow whos heifer i retained that is now a 3 year old. the mama cow had a bull calf this year and her daughter had a heifer (older than bull). at one point i saw the momma cow nursing her bull and her daughter who was nursing her heifer at the same time. well i sold the heifer calf and the next thing i know the mama cow is nursing the daughter and the bull calf is nursing his sister. i suppose i will need to sell the daughter now too.

 

[Bez>]

D,
You might want to try an anti sucking device if all else fails.
Here is a picture of a commercial one. http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/liv ... nostag.htm
I have used a home made one that is similar, for the occasional cow that decides to suck herself or another cow.

Or you can just hog ring a peace of barbwire to his nose. That’s what my dad use to do!

Probably works well if you are running a few - but for someone who is running any number - too much trouble for the time.

In all honesty I am not really in favour of these rigs because often they simply delay the inevitable - when they come off the animal goes back to sucking.

Bez>

 

[D OSBURN]

Thanks all for the responses. I was hoping to keep all but the steer now I'm wondering. I still think it's Momma. She is so proud of him and overly attentive. When I saw him check her out he couldn't have tried more than 20 seconds at a time so I figured he just realized nothing was there but by golly if Mom thought he was hungry she just finally made some milk.
Donna

 

[msscamp]

Some go 45 - some go 60 days. I never turn them back together. When they are weaned those that are for sale leave - those that are staying go into another field until bred.

I have seen yearling offspring suck on mom - pushing the new born out of the way. They leave or go into another field.

Bez>

That is how we always handled the weaning calves, too, and we've also had the occasional offspring go back to sucking - the mother was almost always a 2nd calf heifer.

 

[cowwrangler]

my dad used to have a holstein that would lay down and suck herself,we always thought another cow was doing it till i walked out to get them one day and seen her doing it,she was a very good cow,ended up putting a pole between her legs so she couldnt get her head back that far,was funny sight seeing her walk around lol

 

[KNERSIE]

from my experience the cow is usually the problem. If she allows this calf back to nurse, she'll do the same with the next one, and the next, etc. Replace her with a better animal since she is open/short bred anyway.