nurse cows and calves (pics)

[milkmaid]

Two Hol/Jersey cross calves...

Remember the calf that was supposed to be a Holstein heifer and ended up a black bull calf? this is him... I'm currently waiting on DNA results to find out if he's 3/4 Holstein or 3/4 Angus.

2y/o Holstein/Angus cross nurse cow, 40 days in milk, raising 3 calves on just pasture. She's definitely not the prettiest cow I've ever laid eyes on, but she's getting the job done.

Here she is again with her group...

Both nurse cows with most of the calves...

Two of 311's foster calves

311 and her natural calf

 

[K2011]

I have a question.....how do you know that you are getting a nurse cow.....I mean is it just chance that they don't mind other calves nursing???

 

[milkmaid]

K: you don't. I pick a cow that I like the looks of and don't give her any choice in the matter. Or in the case of the black cow, I raised her from a calf (well, 311 raised her) and I'm just waiting to see how she works out. A good nurse cow that will take any calf immediately is very hard to find, so it's never my top priority when looking for a cow. I had a really good one 4 years ago, but ended up losing her to bloat... probably the best nurse cow I'll ever own.

The two cows I have now are okay, but it's a pain in the neck to get them to take calves. I broke a few boards over the black cow in an effort to make her understand all four feet must stay on the ground when calves are nursing. Now that they've accepted the calves though, all is well and the calves are growing like weeds. Cows have enough milk, calves can drink whenever they want, and everyone is happy.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I built a crate. Feed goes into one end and the cow goes in the crate and an upper gate shuts behind her. Both side of the back are open on the bottom as is the rear gate. Front gate is solid and holds the feed bucket. The cow is isolated and the calves are turned lose.

This cow would let me milk her out just fine. She is hesitant about letting orphans nurse. Once the orphans have been nursing for a week or so, I can turn them all in the pasture and dump feed to the cow twice a day if I choose to supplement her.

I think if you are going to start a cow as a nurse cow, you should do it with her first calf, but that is just my opinion.

 

[bigbull338]

those are some good looking cows an calves.how meny of the calves aew heifers.you need to buy a squeeze chute.an not bust any boards on kicking cows.

 

[milkmaid]

3 calves on the black cow, 5 calves on 311.

6 of the calves are heifers, two are bulls.

Neither of the cows are getting grain; I can't afford it right now at the current prices. Yes it does make it easier to get a cow to accept calves, but you have to cut costs when and where you can.

I tend to think I'd have some calfies with cracked skulls if I had the cow in a squeeze chute. You haven't met 311 yet. :lol2: It's far easier to just put a kant-kick device on and then she'll stand quietly. Once she decided she liked the calves she'd let any of them nurse at any time. She's been really good with this set.

Now, just to clarify, the black cow is halter broke and was great about being touched everywhere before she calved. Afterwards, she wouldn't even let me milk her by hand, hobbles weren't working, I couldn't get the kant-kick device on (almost got seriously hurt trying), had bruises on my legs compliments of her... I took her to the dairy a few times to get her milked out and she was a brat in the barn with the milking machine too. Her and I just had to have a little "discussion" about her unacceptable behavior, and now she's good. She just needed an attitude adjustment.

 

[milkmaid]

TN, sorta like that.

I rarely get mad at my cows, but I won't put up with unacceptable behavior. My cows have better ground manners than most people's horses.

 

[Double R Ranch]

TN, sorta like that.

I rarely get mad at my cows, but I won't put up with unacceptable behavior. My cows have better ground manners than most people's horses.

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[milkmaid]

A few more pics...

311 and her 2 month old calf (yes he is as big as he looks!)

angus/Hol cross heifer; might be my next nurse cow

311 again

black bull calf again

 

[bward]

You never fail to impress me. I just can't see how you have time to post with all that you do, but keep it up as you even teach us old folks a thing or two.

 

[3waycross]

Milkmaid
If you care to start a pool my vote is that the blk calf is 3/4 Holstein. Vote # 1

 

[Beefy]

are some of those heifers freemartins or are they all normal? if not freemartins where do you find good heifers?

 

[crittercrazy]

Great pics, and nice lookin babies!

 

[milkmaid]

are some of those heifers freemartins or are they all normal? if not freemartins where do you find good heifers?

They'd better be normal. :lol2: I sure paid enough for them.

I bought them from a sort-of-local dairy; he wouldn't sell straight Holsteins but he'd sell his Jersey/Hol crosses. The only straight Holstein in the bunch doesn't even belong to me -- she belongs to boss, I'm only raising her because I needed an extra calf and we worked out a deal. The angus/Hol cross is mine though.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Friday night I left the auction after being there 11 hours. Just couldn't stay until the end. Thousands of cattle and no holstein or jerseys. There were a few thousand calves to go as of midnight so some may have come after I left.

3 and 4 weights are still at a good price if you have pasture. I needed a straight jacket.

 

[spinandslide]

I always love your photos MM, you have some really nice cows and babies there. You must be one busy bee!