The calf that nobody wanted

[grubbie]

The wife was out on her motorcycle today and happened upon this little critter. Probably been alone a couple days, well hidden in the sagebrush. No cow would claim him, one cow was very interested in him but kept looking back at another calf. I'm thinking he is a twin of hers as we are not missing a cow and no one else wanted him, and no one is looking for him. Hopefully he will be okay, feeding him very slowly. Anyway he was lucky she happened to run across him. Here is the lonely little guy...

 

[Faith]

Glad she found him....looks good so far!

 

[bigbull338]

looks like he is smooth bottle broke.

 

[grubbie]

Yeah he was VERY hungry. Wasn't much bottle breaking involved. Stuck it in his face and off he went.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Hopefully he'll be fine. Sometimes they're a lot more hardy than we think.

Katherine

 

[bird dog]

We had one like that last fall. I just happened to stumble across him in the one hour a week that I visit the place. He was also a rejected twin but we had to let the other cows calve out before we were sure. I brought him home and the wife bottle fed him for a few weeks until another old cow started letting him share with her calf. I don't think she really wanted this, I think she just got tired of fighting him off. He is now about 7 months old, weined and fixing to take a ride to town. Like all twins, they never develop like a regular calf. Spent a lot of time and money for not much return but it goes with the territory.

 

[Jogeephus]

Looks like a healthy little bugger.

 

[jcarkie]

we found a dead calf today had been there for awhile, pretty rotten. must have been a twin that got left, wish we would have found it sooner. good luck with yours !!

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

We had one like that last fall. I just happened to stumble across him in the one hour a week that I visit the place. He was also a rejected twin but we had to let the other cows calve out before we were sure. I brought him home and the wife bottle fed him for a few weeks until another old cow started letting him share with her calf. I don't think she really wanted this, I think she just got tired of fighting him off. He is now about 7 months old, weined and fixing to take a ride to town. Like all twins, they never develop like a regular calf. Spent a lot of time and money for not much return but it goes with the territory.

I disagree. Depends on the cow. I have had several cows raise both twins without a problem. One was a little smaller than the other in each set at weaning, but the ones that were heifer pairs, both heifers in two sets went right into the breeding program - made real good money on those two sets of twins.
Have had several that were split up & raised by two dams - never could tell them from the others.
Granted not all cows have the milk to do that, or have the forage to supply the milk to do that.
BUT - I HATE TWINS!!!

 

[hillsdown]

Something about that adorable red and white face makes me just want to hug that little guy, he is way too cute. Glad you found him and he is doing well. Good luck with him and hopefully he got his first feeding of colostrum. I have found that they take the first, feed it, then the second comes and they forget the first one .. :roll: especially if they calve in a large open pasture..

I hate twins as well Jeanne, even though I have had luck with moms raising both calves successfully, there is always a little extra work involved with some of them.

 

[grubbie]

No I'm certain he didn't get any colostrum. But he is doing well. Sold him to a neighbor tonight who will put him on a milk cow. He was full of P. and vinegar and bucking around the barn when I dropped him off. Lost a calf today though, and I shouldn't have. Bad enough losing an animal, but it happens. This time it's because of something I did, just makes me want to quit. Learn the lesson,....move on.