Orphan no more? Picture posted pg 3

[Bez+]

Thanks, Bez!

I used to be a calf feeder at a dairy, so luckily, I can take over if she rejects. Her udder is still full so I'll give the calf search one more day. Vet checked her out today and she is clean, so that's good news. I have a nice swing gate setup that will work for the intro and/or milking, if I have to go that route. I'll try the Orphan-No-More and then the "dog method". Hehehe! Someone told me about bringing a dog around to see if the cow's protective mechanism would kick in. Our cattle dog will be perfect as she is wise enough to know how close she can get.

I had one cow that we tried the calf skin method, the after birth method, the gentle method, the "Calf Claim" (like your o-no-more) method and the squeeze method (she fought that one hard once she realized what was happening) and finally the old fashioned 2X4 method.

After a pretty good licking (left me leaning in a corner gasping for air a couple of times) she finally let the calf suck as long as I stood in the pen and held the 2X4 over my head. She kicked the bejumpins out of that calf for about a month - could not leave it in the pen with her if I was not there - but she finally took to it.

Wore me out feeding that calf but it was take the calf or go to town (her not me) - I bet that was 5-6 years ago - never again.

Still have that cow and she is a good one - but if she loses another calf she will not stay on the place more than the time it takes to hook up the trailer.

Have fun and good luck - they are all different

Bez+

 

[Little Cow]

Does color ever throw a cow off? I found a Holstein calf just down the road that I'm supposed to pick up in an hour or so. He's $20, had colostrum, and under a week old. I forgot to ask if he's been banded though.

The momma cow licked the heck out of someone else's calf through the gate yesterday when we brought the calves in for dehorning. I really was ready to let this whole crazy scheme go until she did that. Favorite cows can play your heartstrings, I suppose.

Oh, she's the one in that picture, BTW. ------>

 

[hillsdown]

I really wouldn't worry about color, get him on her asap. DO NOT rely on the orphan crap, you might have your work cut out for you her udder is full and hard and most likely really painful right now. If you decide to use a tranq use it wisely and under supervision only.

I would put her in a small area/chute and feed her grain and let the calf drink, if she kicks give her leg a good whack or tether her leg so she cannot kick. You are going to have to do this until she accepts him and it may take as much as 3-4 times a day for 3 weeks.

Good luck, maybe your cow will be a fluke and will take the new baby right away.

 

[randiliana]

Color CAN be an issue. I've seen it before. But, if she wants a calf bad enough, that won't matter to her. Do like HD said, or find a pair of hobbles (the kind with a chain) if she's a fighter and put them on her hind legs til she accepts the calf.

 

[Little Cow]

Thanks guys! Well, here goes nothing...

 

[Little Cow]

The calf already ate tonight but he's in with the cow (Tara) now. She broke all the rules. She began to follow and lick him immediately. He, however, is very excited about stretching his legs right now. He took some good tumbles at first (not much room to move in those little pens dairy pens). Tara is following him and watching out for him. Hopefully, he'll calm down enough soon to let her lick and bond some more. He should be hungry in the morning at least.

Good mommas, these little Dexters.

 

[Little Cow]

Right now, Tara is standing over the calf while he sleeps. I know this should be harder than this. We'll see what happens in the morning.

 

[Little Cow]

Well, mixed success. The calf took all day today learning how to suckle (he was on a pail at the dairy). She allowed it some of the time but not enough so I supplemented with replacer in a hanging bottle followed by some electrolytes because he did not get enough from nursing her this morning. Took him awhile to get the hang of that bottle but now he's a pro about nipples, LOL! I know pails are easier when you have a lot of calves but suckling from a nipple keeps them from swallowing too much air and gets the milk into the true stomach so it is absorbed better so I will stick with that.

I'm going to keep after them and continue to supplement just in case my little cow isn't enough for this big calf. No scours and he's well-hydrated so he's on track. She is close to accepting. In fact, much better towards him than many of the heifers I used to work with. I think they'll be fine in a couple of days. I'm also going to continue to milk her to keep her going.

The Orphan-No-More didn't really make a difference for me. I think the target is more heifers that aren't getting the proper signals to kick in their mothering instincts. It's made from animal proteins so I'm guessing cow placentas?

 

[MO_cows]

Well you got right over the biggest hurdle, the cow accepting the calf. Now hopefully you can work out the other issues because the cow and calf are the "odd couple". It's been interesting!

 

[Little Cow]

Odd couple, indeed! Here's a picture of the two of them.

 

[angie1]

Bravo LC! So glad it worked out for you, and thanks for the update! :clap:

 

[randiliana]

Awesome!!

 

[3waycross]

He will be bigger than the cow in 3 or 4 months> Good Job!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hillsdown]

Sounds like you have a knack for this LC, great job. The two look like they were meant to be.

 

[CKC1586]

Odd couple, indeed! Here's a picture of the two of them.

I love this picture, good mom!!!