Momma rejected calf

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CCFARMS

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I was lucky or unlucky and happened to be on top of it. I would say 18 hours went before i could tell she rejected it (was able to give it a colostrum solution at about that time). She (cow) was playing a game and she called it but this was after beating it away for an hour . When i pinned them up the calf would try to suck but she would butt it hard and kick against the rail numerous times. I let her out and she never looked back. I heard if she had twins she would do this and no she is not a heifer. Its to late to chute her and let the calf suck but i have fed the calf four quarts of colostrum in a 8 hour period (after 18 hours went by) 1 quart forced. I also forced 2 quarts of well water down (no electrolyts) it because its showing death signes (dehydration) . I think i missed the boat on this one. What do you guys think?
 
I think you have a bottle calf to nurse back to health and a cow that needs to go to the sale barn as a kill cow.
Hada cow 4-5 years ago that did the saqme thing, she had raised previous calves with no problems. She would actually hunt down the calf to try to kill it. Tried the chute deal, calf claim, mother up, vanilla, afterbirth, the cows pee, etc. Tried for 3 days. Cow went to slaughter and calf went to the vet as a bottle calf project for his daughter. That calf is going to calve for the third time in september.
 
I've raised 2 bottle calves. The heifer I fed for a friend has had several calves. The steer was a first calf that had to be pulled and cow broke free before calf nursed. Calf bonded with another heifer who had no milk. Getting them apart was a chore. He fed out fine for freezer beef. His mama has raised several great calves born unassisted since then.
 
If its dehydrated give it electrolytes and some nutritional supplements. Get it in packs at the farm store.
 
dun":2e4dljob said:
I think you have a bottle calf to nurse back to health and a cow that needs to go to the sale barn as a kill cow.
Hada cow 4-5 years ago that did the saqme thing, she had raised previous calves with no problems. She would actually hunt down the calf to try to kill it. Tried the chute deal, calf claim, mother up, vanilla, afterbirth, the cows pee, etc. Tried for 3 days. Cow went to slaughter and calf went to the vet as a bottle calf project for his daughter. That calf is going to calve for the third time in september.

I think your right about the sale barn. I planned on running them all back in October anyway. I bought all three (bred back with calves on the side) at the same sale barn and all three had some type of problems (mastitis,crazy cow, bad momma, all three calved though). I was always told thats where they run the junk cows. Guess they were right. Ole well if i can get this calf out of the woods i should be okay. Its running a fever (i think pneumonia?) I have gave it Tylan 50. I have gave it about 8 quarts of electrolytes because of the fever not from scouring and the 18 hour window of mother not feeding it. It seemed to get better but has taken a turn for the worse. The fever is at 103 and holding steady for the last 7 hours. I have a neighbor that works for a vet and she said if the fever doesn't break she'll bring me a different antibiotic? I appreciate all of your input and experianced knowledge. This calf is around 48 hours old. Thanks
 
CCFARMS":2ii032qg said:
I bought all three (bred back with calves on the side) at the same sale barn and all three had some type of problems (mastitis,crazy cow, bad momma, all three calved though).

Expensive lesson learned. There always seems to be people that believe that bred cows or cow calf pairs sold at a stockyard are good. There is a reason why there are being sold. If a stockyard is your only option, then I'd either buy weaned heifers and grow them out, or wait until the stockyard has a replacement sale - where the cows/heifers are more likely to be of sound nature.
 
i have crazy heifer who would not let her calf suck and the calf didnt want to even try. The cow broke the calfs leg and it just went down hill from there. but 4 months later she is raising the calf completely on her own. we hobbled the cow and that kept her from kicking us or the calf. we did not have a chute either. i think in the end it is worth trying to get the calf to suck. Our vet told us it is easier to get a calf to go from the bottle to the cow than vice versa. If the calf doesnt suck i have been told pouring sugar in their mouth works kind of like dogs and peanut butter. We also us an electrolite mix that u can make from stuff in your house. It has worked several times for us.
 
to all the calf seems to have recovered. It has been eating strong the last couple of days. It even plays with the kids running around chasing them and bucking. Hes going strong. Thanks for the replies.
 
Wrencattleco":2vxu4jdj said:
i have crazy heifer who would not let her calf suck and the calf didnt want to even try. The cow broke the calfs leg and it just went down hill from there. but 4 months later she is raising the calf completely on her own. we hobbled the cow and that kept her from kicking us or the calf. we did not have a chute either. i think in the end it is worth trying to get the calf to suck. Our vet told us it is easier to get a calf to go from the bottle to the cow than vice versa. If the calf doesnt suck i have been told pouring sugar in their mouth works kind of like dogs and peanut butter. We also us an electrolite mix that u can make from stuff in your house. It has worked several times for us.


You think the momma will take it back?
 
I've never used Tylan, but for Pneumonia , Baytril, for my money, is hard to beat. Fast acting.
 
Roadapple":3vaelto3 said:
I've never used Tylan, but for Pneumonia , Baytril, for my money, is hard to beat. Fast acting.

The second kind i used was micotil. I don't know if the illness just run its course or if that did it. Anyway he's great now.
 
cypressfarms":3awjxlxo said:
CCFARMS":3awjxlxo said:
I bought all three (bred back with calves on the side) at the same sale barn and all three had some type of problems (mastitis,crazy cow, bad momma, all three calved though).

Expensive lesson learned. There always seems to be people that believe that bred cows or cow calf pairs sold at a stockyard are good. There is a reason why there are being sold. If a stockyard is your only option, then I'd either buy weaned heifers and grow them out, or wait until the stockyard has a replacement sale - where the cows/heifers are more likely to be of sound nature.

Well I have 20+ commercial, bred to calve in Jan/Feb all vaccines, cows that have given me and raised a calf every year since I got them that will be going to the sale barn soon. I guarantee they are good animals or they would have gone for kill a long time ago.I think you have to know what you are looking at and also know the rep of the seller. Also some things just happen I think people are responsible sometimes for the way the cattle turn out after calving as well. There were probably more things going on that were missed.
 
hillsdown":21jjbmz3 said:
cypressfarms":21jjbmz3 said:
CCFARMS":21jjbmz3 said:
I bought all three (bred back with calves on the side) at the same sale barn and all three had some type of problems (mastitis,crazy cow, bad momma, all three calved though).

Expensive lesson learned. There always seems to be people that believe that bred cows or cow calf pairs sold at a stockyard are good. There is a reason why there are being sold. If a stockyard is your only option, then I'd either buy weaned heifers and grow them out, or wait until the stockyard has a replacement sale - where the cows/heifers are more likely to be of sound nature.

Well I have 20+ commercial, bred to calve in Jan/Feb all vaccines, cows that have given me and raised a calf every year since I got them that will be going to the sale barn soon. I guarantee they are good animals or they would have gone for kill a long time ago.I think you have to know what you are looking at and also know the rep of the seller. Also some things just happen I think people are responsible sometimes for the way the cattle turn out after calving as well. There were probably more things going on that were missed.

I would really like to hear what i could have done wrong. I didn't realize there was a mistake in setting them in pasture and expecting them to do what was natural. Pretty much common sense that people would get rid of their bad cows at a higher price rather than butchering them. Just seems like good business sense. All cows calved but they all have some problem. I don't think that is coincidence or have anything to do with me if thats where you were headed.
 
i really think it would my cow did and we called her crazy lucy. she was a horrible cow and she will be sold when i wean her heifer calf but she took her calf back and we had bottle fed and tube fed her calf. so i think it would
 

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