Please help me with new calf problem....

[Wak]

I was surprised a day and a half ago when a very healthy black angus (new mother) had a very small calf. I did weigh it and it is about 33 pounds, she didn't show much interest in it and I took it down to the barn and dried it off. The cow came down later and showed minimal interest, but it was unable to stand or nurse. I returned later and was able to give it a shot pint of milk replacer, then got up in the middle of the night and it drank very little. The next morning the it will stand and walk a short ways, and I gave it some more powdered colostrum milk.
The cow is becoming more protective, but not letting it nurse when I am around anyway. There is no milking this beast , I wish I could.

I was able to get it to drink another cup and a half in the afternoon yesterday, but when I went down in the evening the cow was very aggressive, and I was not about to get corner in the barn. The calf was just laying in the straw, watching the show......arg!

I hate to give up on it, and I am really not convinced it has gotten any nursing done from the cow. I did see it pee twice, but that may have been from my feeding, no sign of poop.

I will go check on it in an hour when the sun comes up, but I think I need to make a decision, to leave it with her and let what happens happen, or separate them and bottle raise it.

My questions are ...... If I separate them and bottle feed it, till it is stronger, will she ever accept it again, and even have milk a week later?

I really don't want to do the bottle thing again, but not sure it is able to nurse. The only thing encouraging is they have sure bonded and she has gone from being very mellow and sweet to scary.

I will know more in a hour, but it will be 48 hours old in another 6 hours, and I would think it will show weak signs if she has not got anything from mom.

Thank you in advance, I respect your advice very much.

 

[M-5]

I suggest you grab a book and a bucket and sit down a few hours and watch. I suspect the calf is nursing if the mama is protecting it like that. I could be wrong but they tend to know what to do.

 

[Rafter S]

I suggest you grab a book and a bucket and sit down a few hours and watch. I suspect the calf is nursing if the mama is protecting it like that. I could be wrong but they tend to know what to do.

I'll add my vote to that.

 

[Wak]

That is exactly what I will do, it is not like I am going to get much done with today's weather.

Update....the good news is mommy cow didn't kill me, but I held my hand out so I could scratcher nose, like I always have and she snorted and through my hand back at me. The calf was just laying in the straw with its back towards me, and ears and head were up. Mommy cow went and stood between me and it, as I stayed in the other stable with some boards between us.
She is sure different than any of my other cows and calves, and she was always friendly.....till now.

Thanks for the replies, and now to find a good book, warm jacket and relax on a stack of alfalfa bales.

 

[TN Cattle Man]

I suggest you grab a book and a bucket and sit down a few hours and watch. I suspect the calf is nursing if the mama is protecting it like that. I could be wrong but they tend to know what to do.

I'll add my vote to that.

Good information... I would also add that you should be able to look at the cows bag and teats and tell if the calf has nursed or not. Is there one or two that are a little smaller than the others? Is there a shined slicked look to them? If the calf is up and moving around and momma is acting possessive, I would venture to guess she is nursing him.

 

[Wak]

Not sure if this reply will work, the last two didn't.

Thanks for the replies, I set there and waited.....finally it got up and pooped and pee,d , then walked around a little.
Every time it tried to nurse she would push it away though? She had milk dripping from every hose, and one teat saw pinky colored, so I imagine her to be a bit sore.

I can't believe this little thing is still alive....so far so good.

Thanks again,

 

[Nesikep]

If you can get her in a chute and try to milk her down a bit she may be more friendly to the calf when it tries to nurse.. Might try and get him 'hooked up' to her while she's in the chute too... You might need a decoy, but I'd try and get ahold of the little guy and pull him under the fence, then give him some more to drink if you aren't sure if it's getting anything from momma.

That is a tiny calf!

 

[M-5]

She will calm down in a few days most likley.

 

[Wak]

I hope she calms down. I retired and started this beef venture with ALl my spare time......does anyone want some fishing poles and boats ( haven't had much use for them these last two years).

It's all good though, built a mile of fence, turned alfalfa fields to grass, put in irrigation, built barns, bought a bunch of junk cows with health issues, (good training there). Now, it's a dozen very nice angus and a registered Murray grey bull named Boulder.
I wanted to post a picture, but haven't figured out how, the only other forum I ever belonged to was ifish.net and this is a bit different.

I have the timbers in and corral and chute built, but am still missing the head gate or squeeze chute, this is my next project. Last year the vet and I worked them without it, I gave them apples and she gave them shots......she said that didn't happen often....they are kind of big pets, except for the four that went in the freezer.

Waiting for some sun light to see what the latest is.....thanks again.

In researching other concerns, I was always directed to one of these group forums......I am sure you are all aware of how helpful, your post and experiences have been.

 

[Supa Dexta]

This should help you with the pics

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=102217

 

[Wak]

Thanks, I tried that and even uploaded a few pictures and not sure where they went.

I will try again later, the good news is today the dinky calf is 4 days old, and still alive.
The mother must be doing something right, even let me play with it and didn't kill me.

 

[cattle60]

Update? Still alive? Always watch she could still turn stupid as you're playing with it.

 

[Wak]

She was getting neglected after all, I put some hay down the pasture and mom just went and stayed there all day. I fed it three pints that morning and some more in the evening.
I went to take a water bucket in the stall and the widow maker came in and rammed me again, dang I am getting tired of that.

I decided craigslist was my way out of this headache. I posted an ad, and a family called who brought some cows over to visit our bull. She said she wanted it, and the kids could have a project........jackpot,!!

She said it was eating, and I know they will do all they can. As for the Black#*&@)/#. She just joined the herd and never even moooooo'd.

She is a real good looking two year old and I probably should keep her, but that call will be made when all the calves are born....I really only want a few and and some how there are 16 out there now.

 

[dun]

She was getting neglected after all, I put some hay down the pasture and mom just went and stayed there all day. I fed it three pints that morning and some more in the evening.
I went to take a water bucket in the stall and the widow maker came in and rammed me again, dang I am getting tired of that.

I decided craigslist was my way out of this headache. I posted an ad, and a family called who brought some cows over to visit our bull. She said she wanted it, and the kids could have a project........jackpot,!!

She said it was eating, and I know they will do all they can. As for the Black#*&@)/#. She just joined the herd and never even moooooo'd.

She is a real good looking two year old and I probably should keep her, but that call will be made when all the calves are born....I really only want a few and and some how there are 16 out there now.

One cow you can;t trust isn;t worth the price. We had one cow that didn;t like my wife, or most anyone else for that matter. She would sneak around and get behind her and charge. All I had to do was look at her and she would stop. Super cow other than that. I finally shipped her and my wife was sort of upset because she was such a good cow and riased great calves. The first time we worked cows after she left my wife admitted that it was alot less stressful not having to constantly keep checking her back to see where that cow was.