TexasJerseyMilker
Well-known member
That's great. I'm so glad. 
Is this Udder Edema?
- Thread starter AmandaQ
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AmandaQ
Well-known member
We are home, the calf is a little confused about which cow is her mother. She is going to my heifer's teets instead of her mama's. I got the two back teets expressing but not the front two.
chevytaHOE5674
Well-known member
Is it possible to keep the calf and mom separate from the other heifer? At least for a while.
If mom isn't mean to the calf then a small little stall is often best.
If mom isn't mean to the calf then a small little stall is often best.
TexasJerseyMilker
Well-known member
The first few weeks of a bottle calf (thats what she is when she came home) baby calves or any calf is very vulnerable. They require proper nourishment and amount of nourishment 2 or 3 times a day to survive. What frequently kills them is dehydration and electrolyte imbalance from diarrhea. This is a vulnerable calf that has just been pulled back from dying of pneumonia. As much as you have put $ and love into this heifer I would hate to loose her due to dinking around trying to get her to nurse a clueless cow. The advice of the people who took care of her when she was sick and the vet I would value more for her survival.
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chevytaHOE5674
Well-known member
You can make sure the calf is fed (with a bottle) while also getting it nursing from its mother. The two can go hand in hand until mother and calf both get the hang of things. If your able to hand milk mom you can use that in the bottle.
Keeping them confined together is the best. With today's wifi/cell cameras is super easy to monitor their interactions. Both mom and calf just need some help to figure things out.
In this case I can think of ZERO reason where I wouldn't try my hardest to get the calf nursing from its mother.
Keeping them confined together is the best. With today's wifi/cell cameras is super easy to monitor their interactions. Both mom and calf just need some help to figure things out.
In this case I can think of ZERO reason where I wouldn't try my hardest to get the calf nursing from its mother.
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AmandaQ
Well-known member
That is what my plan is. This afternoon I bottle fed for the first time ever with supervision. This evening I did it with a new nipple and all by myself. When the calf finished, she ran over to her mother and was attempting to find a teet. Mama turned in circles to keep her at bay but I think with some patience while still bottle feeding, we might have some success. My mama cow's first owner is coming over tomorrow and hopefully we can tag team to get Penelope to understand her job here. Other than this important part of motherhood, she is the most attentive and loving mama. This has been a very long week and I am extremely tired on essentially day one. Hopefully it will get easier. My calf is cute and I am so happy she is doing well so far!
Travlr
Well-known member
You do realize there is a time limit looming, right? Your cow won't stay in milk forever if it's not being milked out daily. This is why people that own cattle have some kind of facility to restrain a cow. A stanchion is easily built so the cow can be restrained when it goes to eat in the feed bunk. A headgate, even better when combined with a chute/alley.
farmerjan
Well-known member
You need to understand the hormone influence on milk production... If the cow is not stimulated by milking or nursing, after 48 hours the milk production will "stall"... after 72 with no stimulation, hormones will start to do the reverse, as nature will tell the body there is nothing to make milk for... and oxytocin will not kick in as easily... even when a cow is brought in to milk, or a calf put on them.,... the amount of milk production will be decreased as the body adjusts to the lack of stimulation and demand made on their system. Even with shots of oxy to get the production kick started, she will produce a reduced amount if she does come back to her milk. In the meantime, you will also be dealing with possible mastitis because of the "off again, on again" stimulation and then you are in worse shape.
If you do not have a place to contain the cow, and FORCE her to allow the calf to nurse... NOW... you may as well resign yourself to a bottle calf and the cow can be a nanny and do everything but feed it... going round and round for the calf is stupid... and at this age, the cow would be a poor milker anyway... years of obesity and fat deposits in the udder would pretty much relegate her to being a poor milker anyway.
In nature, the calf would be dead... I know you have them for PETS.... but cows are not designed to be pets in the natural order of things. So if you want to keep them pets, get them spayed so there are no more hormone storms with heat cycles and such... no temptations to have anymore "oops" calves which I know was not your intention to start with.
If you do not have a place to contain the cow, and FORCE her to allow the calf to nurse... NOW... you may as well resign yourself to a bottle calf and the cow can be a nanny and do everything but feed it... going round and round for the calf is stupid... and at this age, the cow would be a poor milker anyway... years of obesity and fat deposits in the udder would pretty much relegate her to being a poor milker anyway.
In nature, the calf would be dead... I know you have them for PETS.... but cows are not designed to be pets in the natural order of things. So if you want to keep them pets, get them spayed so there are no more hormone storms with heat cycles and such... no temptations to have anymore "oops" calves which I know was not your intention to start with.
chevytaHOE5674
Well-known member
You guys are downers.
In 2023 I had a cow, calf un-knowingly before I moved them home. Her calf (less than 3 days old) was 10 miles away from her for 7 or 8 days. Brought that calf home and locked it with mom. Her milk came right back and oddly enough that steer was the 2nd heaviest at weaning.
Moral of the story is its not to late to keep trying.
In 2023 I had a cow, calf un-knowingly before I moved them home. Her calf (less than 3 days old) was 10 miles away from her for 7 or 8 days. Brought that calf home and locked it with mom. Her milk came right back and oddly enough that steer was the 2nd heaviest at weaning.
Moral of the story is its not to late to keep trying.
farmerjan
Well-known member
I am not trying to be downer...
In your defense @chevytaHOE5674 ... I get what you are saying... BUT... your cow had a chance to get a "start" with her calf.. the process of production was already started with the hormones... It does make a difference. And she wanted it.... and the calf knew what to do...
Case in point... had a cow that calved just before we brought them home from pasture...about 4-5 days..... brought her home with the calf....OR so we thought... turns out she had twins....we only ever saw her with one..... found the other calf nearly a week later... it was gaunt and when it finally came out of hiding, we immediately went and got it...(pasture owner called and said there was a baby calf up there)... put it with the cow, and she took it right back.... which surprised me since she had the one all along.... Granted it did not affect her milk because she was getting nursed by one calf... but to take back the twin after about a week was a testament to her great disposition....
Also had a cow that we brought home from a pasture, next to no udder, so had no reason to think she had calved yet....but she kept walking the fences... mooing.. went back and could not find a calf anywhere... finally as a last resort after 3 days of walking everywhere, took my dog (german shepherd, not a cow dog) and she ambled all around with us... and the calf finally got up.... and we finally caught it and brought it back and the cow liked to went crazy licking and mothering the calf... BUT she had obviously already gotten some colostrum and a feeding or 2. So, yes, they can/will take a calf and come back into their milk... I didn't mean to imply it was not possible...
BUT, this is an "old maid" cow, never calved before, wouldn't let the calf suck, then calf gets sick and is taken completely away which I fully understand the reasoning; but there is no way to restrain her now, to make her allow the calf to suck, so the calf can figure out where the milk comes from..Because now it associates people with food.....so the possibilities of this pair working it out are slim....
In your defense @chevytaHOE5674 ... I get what you are saying... BUT... your cow had a chance to get a "start" with her calf.. the process of production was already started with the hormones... It does make a difference. And she wanted it.... and the calf knew what to do...
Case in point... had a cow that calved just before we brought them home from pasture...about 4-5 days..... brought her home with the calf....OR so we thought... turns out she had twins....we only ever saw her with one..... found the other calf nearly a week later... it was gaunt and when it finally came out of hiding, we immediately went and got it...(pasture owner called and said there was a baby calf up there)... put it with the cow, and she took it right back.... which surprised me since she had the one all along.... Granted it did not affect her milk because she was getting nursed by one calf... but to take back the twin after about a week was a testament to her great disposition....
Also had a cow that we brought home from a pasture, next to no udder, so had no reason to think she had calved yet....but she kept walking the fences... mooing.. went back and could not find a calf anywhere... finally as a last resort after 3 days of walking everywhere, took my dog (german shepherd, not a cow dog) and she ambled all around with us... and the calf finally got up.... and we finally caught it and brought it back and the cow liked to went crazy licking and mothering the calf... BUT she had obviously already gotten some colostrum and a feeding or 2. So, yes, they can/will take a calf and come back into their milk... I didn't mean to imply it was not possible...
BUT, this is an "old maid" cow, never calved before, wouldn't let the calf suck, then calf gets sick and is taken completely away which I fully understand the reasoning; but there is no way to restrain her now, to make her allow the calf to suck, so the calf can figure out where the milk comes from..Because now it associates people with food.....so the possibilities of this pair working it out are slim....
chevytaHOE5674
Well-known member
Guess I've just had good luck. I've had a many calves over the years that even after being taken away and human intervention/bottles went back and I was able to get them back with mom. Guess I'll go by a lotto ticket.
Even if this "old maid" cow doesn't have enough milk it's easy to supplement a bottle while also letting it nurse what it can from mother.
Even if this "old maid" cow doesn't have enough milk it's easy to supplement a bottle while also letting it nurse what it can from mother.
farmerjan
Well-known member
Just to add... I hope that they do get it figured out and the calf learns to suck, the cow lets it, and she can raise it...
I supplemented the extra calf I bought to put on the jersey cow, because she did not have the milk I thought she would... stockyard purchase... the calf got 1 bottle a day and sucked the cow along with the calf she came with.... that was not hers... and has done great...
ANYTHING is possible...
I supplemented the extra calf I bought to put on the jersey cow, because she did not have the milk I thought she would... stockyard purchase... the calf got 1 bottle a day and sucked the cow along with the calf she came with.... that was not hers... and has done great...
ANYTHING is possible...
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AmandaQ
Well-known member
Does the vet put them under anesthesia in the pasture or do you take them to a large vet hospital?
We had a cold spell last night so I slept in the stable with them
We had a cold spell last night and according to the google, it was too cold for a less than one week old calf. I went out at 4:00 am and spent the rest of the night with them in the stable with a warm blanket for my calf. Glad I was there because I watched the calf and her mama figure out how to use two of her teets. And it has continued all day today too. Slowly but surely everyone is learning their role.
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Travlr
Well-known member
Spaying only takes a few minutes and can be done with the cow restrained in a head catch. It's not major surgery like with dogs and cats.
chevytaHOE5674
Well-known member
Good progress. Just keep watch to make sure they both keep doing their jobs.
If the calf seems to continually try and nurse it's a sign it's still hungry and may need a bottle. If the calf nurses, quits and then seems content it's probably getting a full belly. Watch for it to pee and poop and see what it looks like.
Often times people (myself included) are too quick to intervene and try to "fix" things. I've learned thru the years that sometimes the best course of action is to let nature do its thing while keeping a close eye on things and being ready.
farmerjan
Well-known member
Hip Hip Horaay... if she figures out how to use 2, she will get to rooting around and find them all...
Baby calves that @chevytaHOE5674 's cows have can be born in snow banks and 0 -zero- temps. A week old calf, in a protected area, can deal with most temps... If she is nursing, the regular milk will keep her system functioning and the cold will not be a problem.. It is cold biting wind and wet that causes most of the problems. I realize you just had to deal with her having the pneumonia... and are being extra cautious.
Glad they are both on the right road...
Travlr
Well-known member
I Googled the average weight for cows in the United States a few weeks ago and it said between 700 and 900 pounds. Perhaps it was averaging all bovines regardless of age.
And I've had other answers from the Google AI bot that made similar mistakes.
I've had calves born in forty below blizzards and as long as they were dried off by their mother and given the warmth of a full belly, and were in a windbreak, they did just fine. It's cold rain and wind that kills calves. Dry cold isn't a problem.
TexasJerseyMilker
Well-known member
I have made those coats out of fleece blankets and bathrobe belts.
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AmandaQ
Well-known member
Tonight it will be 31 degrees, tomorrow the low is 38. I'm bringing her in tonight to sleep with me in the laundry room. But how should I handle dips into the 30s when I just have a three sided, no electricity run in stable with the door propped open. I wasn't dressed appropriately for how cold I ultimately felt but my husband is likely only going to be okay with one calf sleepover. I was thinking of plastic wrapping the wooden railings and that would keep some of the wind out. Still just seems too cold for a five day old calf.
TexasJerseyMilker
Well-known member
Dairy calves are more delicate than beef calves. Lots of dairies use store bought coats for new calves.
Another way is to give them deep hay or straw to nest in. It needs to be deep enough that you can't see their knees when lying down.
Another way is to give them deep hay or straw to nest in. It needs to be deep enough that you can't see their knees when lying down.
