Lucky again

[Down in Dixie]

I need to buy a lottery ticket. Had a cow calve yesterday afternoon while I was at work. I knew she was close so I told my wife to check on her when she got home about 7. Had a nice little heifer calf with her. I got home about midnight and wanted to go see how they were doing. Well I found a little bull calf just wondering about. Thought I for sure had a bottle calf. Tried giving it some colostrum last night but wasn't having any of it. Gave it a bottle this morning and he sucked it down. We went for a walk and found his mama and it doesn't seem she had completely rejected it. Maybe she just forgot she had two squirts. Hope she keeps up with both of them now. Going to have to keep an eye on them to make sure she doesn't forget about him again.

 

[Down in Dixie]

Update on them is she keeps forgetting she has two. Penned them up in a couple acre paddock and hopefully she won't get to far from both of them for now.

 

[TCRanch]

Define "lucky". You have 2 live calves, so there's that. With twins, which I HATE, when in doubt I'll tube colostrum replacer to the one that appears mama has ditched. Good call, keeping them penned together. But watch them closely! I've had mamas that will mother up to the least favorite twin - but won't let it nurse. And I had a mama that literally tried to kill her rejected twin when I penned them all together for a happy reunion and love fest. Epic fail and I had a bottle calf (still have her, 9 years later). Sending good luck!!!

 

[Down in Dixie]

Thanks TC. It's been around 20 years or so since we have had a bottle calf. Trying to keep a close eye on them but we will see over the next few days.

 

[Dusty Britches]

I'd say lucky because they are both still alive and the cow does let both nurse, at least that's what I'm assuming. My Brangus cows seem to do quite well with twins. I don't think there's anything wrong with twins; it can just be a little more work and worry.

 

[coachg]

Have a set of twins this year , first time I think I will raise both !

 

[Down in Dixie]

Well I spoke to soon. Been looking at different times today but the bull calf is no where to be found. The 5 acre paddock has had every stick moved looking for the calf. Searched everywhere outside of that lot with nothing. With 100* heat I don't see it lasting long if it doesn't get a meal soon. Hope the coyotes haven't found and got him. Going to war with them anyways as I believe they got one of my calves last year. Thermal optics will be out and in heavy use tomorrow night.

 

[wbvs58]

Have a set of twins this year , first time I think I will raise both !View attachment 18171

Have a set of twins this year , first time I think I will raise both !View attachment 18171

That's a great photo.

Ken

 

[TCRanch]

Wishing you the best of luck you find him! Re: my aforementioned twin that was rejected and mama subsequently tried to kill. What I didn't include was that mama (ironically named Satan) mothered-up for 3 days before she ditched the calf and took off with the other one. We searched for 3 days and finally found her near a draw in the woods and was amazed she was still alive. I held her in my lap in the back of the Polaris while Mr. TC drove like a maniac back to the barn. Started with electrolytes (which she sucked down like a champ) before switching to milk replacer. Only then did we capture mama & the other calf and brought them to the barn. That was our first set of twins and learned the hard way how bad it can go. NOT a fan of twins! Only had one other set where mama raised both, and they were dinks. And Satan? She ended up with lymphosarcoma the following year and we had to put her down. Karma's a bytch! BTW, I'm fairly certain the rejected twin received colostrum, seeing as how Satan did initially nurse her and she's now 9 with no residual effects.

 

[Down in Dixie]

Found him and got him back with mama. Penned them up in a small lot so no more getting separated. I will wait till they are about two week old to let her back out into the larger paddock. These twins are going to make my hair fall out faster than it already is.

 

[BFE]

I've had it both ways, both Simmental cows. One raised twins beautifully although they were a little small at weaning, but the combined weight beat any single calf easily.
Had another who didn't reject #2, just didn't really seem to care. I won't give a baby long if I think something is amiss, a bottle calf is better than no calf. Pulled her and sold her to a 4H'er. Add another 2-250 onto the sale price for the favored twin, I'll take twins anytime. Someone is always looking for a bottle baby to play with.

 

[Katpau]

I like to keep twins and their mom in a small area for the first few weeks. Once the calves are old enough to join up with the others in the calf group I call the "nursery", I let them back in with the herd. The twins will usually stick together after that, and when the cow calls or returns from grazing to where the group of calves is gathered together, both calves will respond and go over to nurse. Those first few weeks are the tough ones when the calves spend time hiding all alone. I think very few cows will bother to find the second calf or even respond to it's call, once they have found just one. When I have a cow who lost her own calf, I will put one of the twins on her, but if I don't have a spare, and the cow has enough milk and will take them both, that is a better option than raising a bottle calf.

 

[Down in Dixie]

I like to keep twins and their mom in a small area for the first few weeks. Once the calves are old enough to join up with the others in the calf group I call the "nursery", I let them back in with the herd. The twins will usually stick together after that, and when the cow calls or returns from grazing to where the group of calves is gathered together, both calves will respond and go over to nurse. Those first few weeks are the tough ones when the calves spend time hiding all alone. I think very few cows will bother to find the second calf or even respond to it's call, once they have found just one. When I have a cow who lost her own calf, I will put one of the twins on her, but if I don't have a spare, and the cow has enough milk and will take them both, that is a better option than raising a bottle calf.

They are now in a small 3/4 acre lot with my other young mama. Seems like all the calves are doing good now. Mammas are liking all this extra feed they are getting.

 

[Nesikep]

Here's my last set from 2 years ago. I pulled one at 6 weeks because I had a cow lose hers, but momma did a good job with them

 

[Down in Dixie]

Just to update I pulled the twins at 5 months to wean them. Momma was getting pulled down pretty good. I had 6 total to wean so figured why not give he cow a chance to pick up before the cold hits.

 

[farmerjan]

Glad she got through the "losing one" stage and raised them both for you.
Personally I don't mind twins at all. Pen them in a small lot like you did for a couple weeks until they are "bonded' and doing well... then like stated by a previous poster, when one goes to nurse both usually will.
That is how I do my nurse cows... I keep the calves in the lot and let the cow out. She comes right in for some grain and "her calf"... lets them all nurse while eating. Do this for several weeks. The calves learn to go on her whenever her own calf does... and they stick together quite a bit out in the big pasture too. By then they are big enough to "know " what to do. Takes a little time, but I raise an average of 3 on my dairy nurse cows... and sometimes I will start a 2nd set of 2 on them and wean off the bigger ones if they are making alot of milk and especially if they do not get bred back as soon.... Even if they only raise the 3, the total weight is way more than a single and pays for the feed I feed. The same with the beef cows; if the pasture is good, they will wean off more pounds even if the calves are both smaller. Here, sometimes that is an advantage as the lighter weaning weight calves often bring more per pound so actually make quite a bit more money total than a single heavier calf would make.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Just to update I pulled the twins at 5 months to wean them. Momma was getting pulled down pretty good. I had 6 total to wean so figured why not give he cow a chance to pick up before the cold hits.

How she do?
Good big calves that match up with the others?

Pen her arse up with that bottle calf and feed her a bit!

 

[Down in Dixie]

How she do?
Good big calves that match up with the others?

Pen her arse up with that bottle calf and feed her a bit!

Her calves grew good. Not quite as big but not by much. She did better than my heifer that got bed at 6 months. Her calf is the smallest. The twins momma was getting to thin for my liking. She is my smallest frame cow of the original 11 I bought in 2019 so she is a 1000 lb cow when in good condition. I will try and snap a pic of the twins tomorrow and momma cow. Wish I could let the bottle calf go on her but I would rather her gain weight. Plus I have a little more time on my hands so I don't mind bottle feeding it. Last one I bottle fed was about 20 years ago.

 

[coachg]

Have a set of twins this year , first time I think I will raise both !View attachment 18171

First set of twins I've raised since I got back in cattle . Heifer weaned at 500 and the bull at 475 . Almost a 1000 lbs of calf without creep . Not a bad job by mom !

 

[Down in Dixie]

Not the best pic of them but the twins are on the right. The young heifers steer is in the front. The forth red is off another heifer and all were born within 3 weeks of each other. They are all still smaller than what I would normally wean at but circumstances said to wean them.