Rejected Calf 1st calf born here need help!!!!!!

[Jackdaws]

We just had our first calf born here to us. We are really new to having cattle. I will be honest, we didn't even know that the cow was pregnant. We though she was kinda skinny. Well today i look out and see an newborn laying there. Im not sure what time it was born. The calf was near our pond and tried to get up twice and the 2 times she tried to get up she fell closer to the water. Well she fell in and my husband and his friend dived in and saved it and moved it about 35 feef from the water. The momma seems to have not much interest in her. We have gotten her up and she moves around pretty well. We called the man we get our hay from and he said to seperate the two off from the others. We did that and got the calf up and she moves around and has taken to me. She will suck on my finger so its not her. Every time she trys to feed from here momma the momma will kick here and nudge her away. It does not look like the momma's teat/utter (whatever you want to call it) has dropped down. Should it? We need help. I dont want the calf to die. Is there any home made solutions we can come up with here. The feed stores are all closed and we can't afford for an emergency vet to come out.

Any suggestions you have would be most appriciated.

Thanks,
Susan :?:

 

[joe]

first off you had best drive down the road to the neighbors and beg, borrow or steal a packet of lifeline or colostrum replacer. Or else get the cow into the head gate and milk her out or let the calf suck ASAP.

 

[Jackdaws]

no one around here has cows that i know of. so that is a problem. can i use powdered milk or baby formula?

 

[joe]

not that I know of, maybe someone else here will have a recipe for something. Is there a dairy near? Can you get her in the head gate to let the calf suck? Do you have a bottle to put the cosostrum in if you milk her? Search this site there is a thread on calving supplies, print it and go to town tommorrow.

 

[Jackdaws]

no dairy nearby. We have a corral that we built. We are going to try that.

 

[gabby]

I was in the same pinch a week ago. Got some good advice right here on this forum, such use a wine bottle. I put Similac in the bottle + water + a raw egg. Switched over to milk replacer from a calf nursing bottle, with electrolytes and scours remedy added at times. The calf is still alive and seems like he is going to make it. Good luck!
gabby

 

[Bama]

That calf need electrolites or better yet moms first milk. Milk her if you can. But if you don't get some liquid in it it will dehydrate and die, soon. Here is a link to the other thread http://cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic. ... 39&start=0

 

[Bez]

Jackdaws:

Get some milk from the fridge. Put in a couple of tablespoons of corn syrup, maple syrup or whatever. Add an egg and some pablum, porridge or oatmeal - enough to cover a small pebble in the palm of your hand. Crush a one a day vitamin. Total amount when measured should be about 1 1/2 quarts. Add a couple tablespoons of yogurt if you have it.

Put it all in a blender - beat the heck out of it - warm it to body temp - beat it again and feed it out.

Run to town tomorrow and buy some electrolytes and some GOOD repeat GOOD milk replacer. Feed as per directions.

Calf will make it. Despite not getting colostrum it may do well if you baby it.

Regards,

Bez

 

[Bama]

That calf need electrolites or better yet moms first milk. Milk her if you can. But if you don't get some liquid in it it will dehydrate and die, soon. Here is a link to the other thread http://cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic. ... 39&start=0

After rereading my post I see where I may have put you in a panic. It does need electrolites and milk replacer, tomorrow will be fine. It does need liguids now. The above recipe will do wanders until you can get the proper supplies. The other tread has other commits as well.

 

[gabby]

I was in the same pinch a week ago. Got some good advice right here on this forum, such use a wine bottle. I put Similac in the bottle + water + a raw egg. Switched over to milk replacer from a calf nursing bottle, with electrolytes and scours remedy added at times. The calf is still alive and seems like he is going to make it. Good luck!
gabby

I forgot - I added some maple syrup to the wine bottle mix to sweeten it that first night. It's amazing what desperate concoctions we can come up with in the middle of the night! Some times you just have to Do Something even if you're not sure it's right!
gabby