Newborn calf

[32Paws]

I have a newborn twin calf that the mama will not have anything to do with? What are some of the things we can do to get this calf through it? We have been giving that colostrum milk but what else? It lays around a lot Any advice or direction is much appreciated

 

[branguscowgirl]

Is this a first calf heifer? Did you pen them up together? Have you tried putting her in the chute and helping the calf nurse? Did the calf suck a bottle or did you tube it in? How is the cow acting around it? (Meaning does she kick at it?)

There are a lot of things that you can try, but more details would help.

 

[32Paws]

Yes we have tried all if that. Now have her in the barn and feeding her from the bottle. Thanks 'for replying

 

[A.J.]

That's always a concern with twins. I hope she turns out ok for you. That's good you are bottle feeding it. If the cow has enough milk for two calves and isn't trying to kick or butt the rejected calf, it might be worth a shot to keep the cow in the same general area as the rejected calf if that's possible. Last set of twins I had, even though we were bottle feeding the rejected calf, we kept mom and the calf she accepted in the same lot with it. Initially, when the rejected calf would try to nurse, she would walk off, but never tried to hurt it. The rejected calf was persistent the next few days and kept trying to nurse when the other one did, and the cow eventually gave in and let it nurse too. If the cow is kicking at or trying to butt it, I wouldn't take a chance though.

 

[msscamp]

I have a newborn twin calf that the mama will not have anything to do with? What are some of the things we can do to get this calf through it? We have been giving that colostrum milk but what else? It lays around a lot Any advice or direction is much appreciated

Personally, I wouldn't bother with trying to get Mom to take him back. Most cows cannot raise twins, and they usually favor one calf over the other, and the second calf is short changed. How much and how often are you feeding this calf? Although newborns do tend to sleep quite a bit, they also jump around and play a fair amount of the time. "Laying around a lot" is generally an indication that the calf is not getting enough to eat. Feed colostrum at the rate of a pint or two every 4 to 6 hours around the clock for the first 24 hours, then transition to a GOOD, NON SOY milk replacer that contains AT LEAST 20% protein, 20% fat after that. The directions will say to feed a gallon per day, but I prefered to work my calves up to 2 gallons per day because that is closer to nature, the calf does better, and it goes quite a ways towards preventing hay belly. It does cost more, but I found it to be worth it. What you choose to do is up to you. At a couple of days old, start putting a small handful of a good calf starter in front of him(poke a bit of it in his mouth to start him eating), along with a handful or two of alfalfa hay. Another option would be to feed something AS70. It is a medicated feed that smells and tastes like licorice, and calves love it. As his appetite increases, increase the milk by a 1/2 pint every other feeding, calf starter, and hay. If he starts having diarrhea, back off on the milk a bit for a few feedings until he firms back up. Once he starts eating solid food, he will need access to clean, fresh water. I hope this helps, and good luck with your calf.

 

[Nesikep]

There's also a product (powder) called "Orphan-no-more", often abbreviated to "O-No-Mo", you dust them with it and the cow apparently takes a liking to the smell... I have a bottle but have never needed to use it. Might be worth a shot. good luck with the little one

 

[msscamp]

O-No-More works really good in theory, but it isn't worth a flip in practicality. We've got a bottle of it, too, and it's pretty much still full. :lol2: The fact of the matter is, once an animal has decided she doesn't like or want her offspring, there isn't a whole lot you can do to change her mind.

 

[dun]

O-No-More works really good in theory, but it isn't worth a flip in practicality. We've got a bottle of it, too, and it's pretty much still full. :lol2: The fact of the matter is, once an animal has decided she doesn't like or want her offspring, there isn't a whole lot you can do to change her mind.

We tried all of the various calf claiming concoctions a couple of years ago, nothing worked. Cow took a one way busride to the salebarn.
Depending on the genders of the twin calves you will most likely have a bottle calf or the better choice is to haul it to the salebarn. Week old calves are higher then a cats back right now, along with everything else. When we have a bottle calf for assorted reasons, once it is used to come a running when you show up with the bottle, we turn the calf out with the cow herd and call the one calf up twice a day for it's bottle. With ones we have done that with, the calf either becomes a sneaky snacker and nurses off of all the cows when it gets a chance or one of the cows (usually was old Granny) claims the calf and raises it as her own. Calves have always grown out just like all of the other calves from that year. We have 2 cows now we call the twins that aren;t related. 1 is out of a black angus cow (Granny) and sired by a bald faced Fleck bull, her twin is straight bred Red Angus.

 

[fitz]

I have a newborn twin calf that the mama will not have anything to do with? What are some of the things we can do to get this calf through it? We have been giving that colostrum milk but what else? It lays around a lot Any advice or direction is much appreciated

I wouldn't even try. Best just to figure it a bottle baby. I don't care for twins because my cows don't do well with them. I calf on pasture.Last month I found an older cow with twins. Both were following her around. Checked them near dark the first evening. She was calm and both calves within sight. I figured best to leave them over night in hopes she would bond with both. Next morning she was feeding the small heifer. Never found the other one. Searched half a day. Should have taken it from her earlier. Good luck.

fitz

 

[msscamp]

O-No-More works really good in theory, but it isn't worth a flip in practicality. We've got a bottle of it, too, and it's pretty much still full. :lol2: The fact of the matter is, once an animal has decided she doesn't like or want her offspring, there isn't a whole lot you can do to change her mind.

We tried all of the various calf claiming concoctions a couple of years ago, nothing worked. Cow took a one way busride to the salebarn.
Depending on the genders of the twin calves you will most likely have a bottle calf or the better choice is to haul it to the salebarn. Week old calves are higher then a cats back right now, along with everything else. When we have a bottle calf for assorted reasons, once it is used to come a running when you show up with the bottle, we turn the calf out with the cow herd and call the one calf up twice a day for it's bottle. With ones we have done that with, the calf either becomes a sneaky snacker and nurses off of all the cows when it gets a chance or one of the cows (usually was old Granny) claims the calf and raises it as her own. Calves have always grown out just like all of the other calves from that year. We have 2 cows now we call the twins that aren;t related. 1 is out of a black angus cow (Granny) and sired by a bald faced Fleck bull, her twin is straight bred Red Angus.

That is usually what we did, too. The only exception was if we had a bumper crop of twins and/or rejected calves. In that case, the cows that rejected their calves were usually shipped and the calves were penned and fostered by nurse cows.

 

[skyhightree1]

First one ever and she adores both calves