Twin ?

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Black and Good

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I had a cow lose a calf then two days later I had a young cow have twins. I robbed a twin and grafted it to the cow that lost her calf. I think she's taking it right away with out even having to put her in the chute. How long should I keep them separated so I don't have to worry about the calf going back to his original mamma? Thanks B&G
 
I'd do a week or so just to be on the safe side. It's not so much the calf going back to the "real" momma, it's the cow maybe thinking she would want the calf back. If you gave the twin to the cow that lost her calf, right soon after it was born, and she took it and is mothering it and it is nursing and all, it won't remember the original momma. And usually a cow doesn't really want twins or will often show some favouritism to one over the other but not always. So if the calf was very new and the cow took it well and is doing well with it, I wouldn't get too worried that they will get mixed up.

Had a cow have twins and another have a single calf the same day. They wound up raising the 3 calves as a joint effort, you'd see 2 on one cow then later 2 on the other cow. We turned them out to grass together, with other cows and calves, and you could see them "co-mothering" them. Both are bred back and will calve at just about 12 months so the twin birth didn't cause any problems. We usually have at least one set of twins on the beef cows a year, and sometimes I have pulled one and sometimes not depending on several things.
 
farmerjan":23fnpbhp said:
I'd do a week or so just to be on the safe side. It's not so much the calf going back to the "real" momma, it's the cow maybe thinking she would want the calf back. If you gave the twin to the cow that lost her calf, right soon after it was born, and she took it and is mothering it and it is nursing and all, it won't remember the original momma. And usually a cow doesn't really want twins or will often show some favouritism to one over the other but not always. So if the calf was very new and the cow took it well and is doing well with it, I wouldn't get too worried that they will get mixed up.

Had a cow have twins and another have a single calf the same day. They wound up raising the 3 calves as a joint effort, you'd see 2 on one cow then later 2 on the other cow. We turned them out to grass together, with other cows and calves, and you could see them "co-mothering" them. Both are bred back and will calve at just about 12 months so the twin birth didn't cause any problems. We usually have at least one set of twins on the beef cows a year, and sometimes I have pulled one and sometimes not depending on several things.

Thanks farmerjan, Your comment about a cow not really wanting twins was interesting. I was going to pull off the second one born but, then I noticed her kinda pushing the older one away so, I grabbed it. I'd been having a bad streak of luck so this was a nice break. The easiest graft I've ever had. BTW, The older twin was 73# and the younger 65#. Here's a pic for fun.
 
If it's possible, keep them separated a few days at least.. you always gotta do what you gotta do, but if you can save yourself the hassle of convincing the cows and calves who their momma is all over again.. it can save some frustration.
 

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