?Taking calf from Mom & bottle feeding

[Roger/OH]

I have a calf that was born Mon. Yesterday The calf was laying half outside the fence. After, 2 hours I went out and nudge the calf back inside. The calf went to mom and nursed. Today, I went out to give an injection of BoCee.The calf layed there and I gave it the shot. All the other calves at 3 days I have had to chase down to give them an injection. Mom and the others cows weren't protective like usual. Normally, they all come running when the calf bawls. They just walked up and watched.
Mom has plenty of milk, but after 3 days her uttter is just as full as the day the calf was born. This is the 5th calf from this cow. I have seen this calf at the teat several times. Don't know if he is getting anything.
I have lost 2 calves this year and may be a little paronoid, but determined not to lose another. I have milk replacer on hand that I will mix up and offer the calf.
At what point do you pull the calf from mom? Something is not right or maybe laidback calf.

 

[alabama]

I would not pull the calf from mom. You might milk the cow and bottle-feed the mother's milk to the calf. If this is not possible, you can offer milk replacer. The calf will much prefer mother's milk to milk replacer. I have put orphaned calves in with other cows and keep them on replacer till the learned to steel off of other cows then they don't want the replacer any more. I suspect in a week or two he will be 100% mother's milk. Feeding a calf is a lot of work.

 

[Roger/OH]

Thanks Alabama. We will see what other folks say. I don't want to bottle feed, but am tired of waiting until it is to late to intervene.
Parinoid? Yes. I have always worried the first couple of days, but what is going on here is not the normal course of events. Would of rather had mom raise cain when I gave the injection.

 

[Beefy]

why dont you get the cow in a chute and see if she has accessible milk. she may look like a great milker and you not be able to get a drop out. been there, got the tshirt. or she may have some wax plugs the calf cant out. lots of possibilities. if you cant get her up, offer it a bottle. if it goes after it he was hungry.

 

[msscamp]

I'm with alabama and beefy on this. I wouldn't pull the calf without a very good reason. Get her in the chute and find out what is going on. If she does indeed have milk, milk her and bottle the calf - her milk is much better than replacer. Keep doing it until the calf is a little stronger, put her back in the chute and put the calf on her. You may have to help him a little, but you might not either and this step may also be totally unnecessary.

 

[TheBullLady]

I wouldn't suggest pulling him from the cow either.. I'm raising a bottle calf myself!

If there's any way you can pen them up close, you could keep an eye on them. If the calf seems like he's trying to nurse a lot, that would indicate the cow isn't milking much. If the calf is content to lay around most of the day, I would think he's getting plenty. Just my opinion!

 

[randiliana]

I'm with the others on this one. Some calves are just a little more lazy for the first few days, especially if they were BIG at birth. I would do as the others, and get her into a headgate and see if she has any milk.

When you have seen the calf sucking, does his tail wag, or does he do a lot of bunting? Does he look gaunt or full when you get him up? Are his eyes bright or dull? Is his nose dried out and crusty or peeling?

If he's only 3 days, and as long as the cow DOES have milk, I would just watch him for a few more days, and see if he becomes more active.

 

[Roger/OH]

Thanks all.
It has been very hot and humid the past few days. It may have been heat related. It rained hard before I got the bottle ready. The cows and calf move to the back pasture. When I fed the cows in the front pasture, the calf stayed in the back pasture. I took the bottle down and the calf ran away. That is what I would expect. Today it was running around like a normal calf and mom didn't appear to be as full.
I guess I may have paniced a little. Just a little gun shy on not following my instincts until it is to late.