taking calf of its mamma

[trin]

i bought a cow at the stockyards and it has had a calf that is very small. iwatck the calf suck and it seems as if it is getting very little milk. calf is not growing at all. thinking of selling the mamma and raising the calf on a bottle. the calf is a month old how hard would it be to get the calf to take a bottle or bucket and how good would he be able to make the change.

 

[dun]

If he's hungry it can be pretty easy or very hard or anything inbetween. If he isn;t hungry it's almost impossible. Take the calf away out of earshot of the cow and start bottle feeding him. It may be a real challenge, but it may be better to just haul them both to the salebarn and cut your losses.

dun

 

[Crowderfarms]

Sounds like another example of Stockyard Roulette.It may be hard to get that calf to take a bottle, maybe not, being he's a month old, it may be harder. I'd follow dun's advice, load them out, and sell as a pair.

 

[Dee]

If you like the cow, keep her to breed. Take the calf back to the sale barn and let someone else try to bottle feed it. My thoughts are the calf is doing poor, and will always be behind as far as growth, weather a feeder calf or a replacement heifer, it will not be a good one to keep.