Master Thief

[dyates]

Just noticed I have one. This heifer calf is growing remarkably well and fat as mud. Now I know why. I watched her stealing milk from three different cows yesterday. She's good. Sneaks in while another calf is sucking and uses it as a blind, or comes in from the back where the cow can't see. They run her off when they catch her, but she just comes back later. I guess I won't worry about it too much, yet. Nobody else appears to be suffering at this point. She sure does look good, though.

 

[Bez+]

Just noticed I have one. This heifer calf is growing remarkably well and fat as mud. Now I know why. I watched her stealing milk from three different cows yesterday. She's good. Sneaks in while another calf is sucking and uses it as a blind, or comes in from the back where the cow can't see. They run her off when they catch her, but she just comes back later. I guess I won't worry about it too much, yet. Nobody else appears to be suffering at this point. She sure does look good, though.

Had one bottle calf a couple years ago that I was not allowed to sell - kept it in the field with the cows and it would come to the bottle - but it robbed like crazy for the remainder of the day - one of the best growthy calves that year - some of them are real good at stealing.

That calf taught us that we never had to keep a bottle feeder in a pen - if healthy they go to the field and we feed them there - and they often supplement that feed

Bez+

 

[hillsdown]

I have found the problem with sneaky snackers are they usually end up stealing from heifers as a heifer seems less aggressive to another calf especially if she is nursing her own at the time.

 

[Willow Springs]

Had a heifer that was orphaned at about 4 months of age. Figured she was old enough to just stay with the herd as it was June and grass quality was very good. She learned to steal and was the heaviest heifer calf I had at weaning. She was from a very good cow so I kept her. Problem is beause she didn't have a mother to be weaned from she didn't ever stop sucking. I first noticed her as a two year old sucking again; when it continued again as a 3 year old I got rid of her. Basically she was big enough and sneaky enough that the cows gave up trying to chase her away.

 

[jt]

my advice is at weaning age to either sell her or put a weaning ring in her nose, and leave it there for quite a while. 3 or 4 weeks is not long enough. like willow alluded to, those kind will not stop sucking many times. any calf that sneaks around sucking will have a greater tendency to suck something else after weaning, even if it is just another calf. not much else in the cattle business gets under my skin more than that, especially in any stock i plan to retain.

if she starts to affect the growth of other calves, you may even want to get rid of her before weaning age, or go ahead and wean her, depending on the situation.

jmo

jt

 

[jerry27150]

i seem to have some of those every year. some wean alright & others will try stealing again as yearlings. i used to sell them all, but this year i kept one but i put a bull ring in her nose with three chain lenghts on it. it so far has stopped her from sucking. i think in a year i may be able to take the ring out. we' ll see.