Orphaned calf

[Little Joe]

Found a cow dead this morning, looked completely healthy, was fine yesterday evening and was grazing with the rest of the cattle, dead this morning. It’s been one of those years, one calf drown, one died of pneumonia and now a perfectly healthy cow just falls over dead . Heart attack I presume, she was an older cow. Her calf is about 2 1/2 months old , 200 or so lbs. and is eating grass, can he make it on his own ?

 

[mwj]

It will survive but not thrive. I would take to the first available sale and let someone with more time buy it. It takes patience good feed and a good eye. Health problems also tend to rear there ugly head.

 

[Ky hills]

I agree with @mwj on all points about it, it would likely survive but definitely not thrive. In that compromised state a lot of health issues would more than likely show up.
Some people will say the calf will learn to steal milk, that may or may not happen, and if it does find a cow it can sneak around and nurse, it’s taking away from that cow’s calf.
I would either get the calf up and get it on a calf starter feed and get nice it’s eating good, maybe could get switched to a less expensive ration that still had some protein and energy.
Otherwise if time or facility isn’t available then selling it would probably be the best option.

 

[TCRanch]

Agree with @mwj and @Ky hills. The calves generally develop a potbelly if they aren't being supplemented with a bottle or unless another cow adopts them, which happened to me last year when a cow got struck by lightning. Bless her heart, a first calf heifer adopted the orphan and raised both so well, you couldn't tell which was the orphan. Or they rob off any cow that lets them. As a general rule. There are exceptions.

The pic I posted the other day in the Post a Random Picture thread is an exception. Squeaker (Pipsqueak) was a 40 lb preemie and orphaned at 8 weeks. She never took a bottle and wouldn't drink milk replacer from a bucket. She would eat calf starter pellets and even though I never saw her, was obviously robbing because she never was potbellied. Fast forward and she's now 15 with her 14th calf. I treated her for foot rot probably 6 or 7 years ago and that's the extent of any health issues.

This is Squeaker with her 11th and 12th calves and 3 of her grandbabies.

 

[Dave]

I had one which lost the cow at about 6 weeks. At 4 days after the cow died he looked just as good as any of the calves. 2 weeks later when we branded it was the same thing. I am sure that he mooching off another cow. Back on the feed ground had seen a couple of these old cows with 2 calves sucking on them. So #80 must have found one of them to hang close to. Be interesting to see what he looks like when they come out of summer camp.

 

[Little Joe]

I posted the calf on Facebook for $1250 at about 3 pm today and loaded him up for a buyer at 7 pm, I had 16 messages wanting him with several other comments on the post. It’s crazy to me the number of people wanting small calves like that. I probably should’ve asked more but a bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush. Buyer drove 2.5 hours to get him one way.

 

[GoWyo]

I have calf that lost her dam last week. I know she steals some. Going to keep an eye on her and hopefully can just leave her out with the herd. Could get $1700-1800 at the sale barn now or should be more like $2500 in October.

 

[Dave]

My problem with #80 is that the cows were out of the meadow and up on the hill. that is 80 pairs spread over 250+ acres of broken up rough ground. My wife said I could rope it, hog tie, and load it on the back of a quad. I reminded her about our age. The cowboys were real busy and the calf was doing good so we had to wait. By the time we branded it was looking good so we just let it go to summer camp with the herd.

 

[GoWyo]

I'm moving the portable corral next week to the lease where my bum calf is. She will be easy enough to pick up if things go south. The cow had been not well for the past couple months and I saw the calf getting drinks elsewhere, so she probably has it figured out. Vet suspects pulmonary embolism or hardware. Cow was a first calf heifer.

 

[Nesikep]

if you can corral it and grain it it should do OK.. or if it's stealing some milk
This one lost it's momma at a couple months old..

And she needed a year of good food to catch up, but this is her this afternoon, she's been doing really well