Twins

[donnaIL]

Went to our farm on Tuesday afternoon to find the first calves of the season--twins. This cow had dead twins a couple years (first year we had her) ago, and a single calf last year. We successfully grafted a calf on her the first year, with a little work. Last year she acted like a nut after the calf was born (knocking him around alot for a few minutes) but then took care of fine.

When I arrived she had both of them cleaned up and was really stressed running from one to another. It seemed like when she was with one calf she would forget about the other. So we locked calves & cow up in a small pen, till next morning, so she could adjust. Calves would bawl every so often and go try to nurse, but we never saw them latch on, cow would stand but after a few minutes she would loose patience and walk off. We tryed some persuasion with her and also helped calf to get in the right spot to no avail...finally let her out and bottle fed them, they both drank 2 quarts eagerly (she was bawling at them the whole time we did this). We really do not know if they nursed or not but assume not since they seemed so hungry.

Left them with her, hoping that the colostrum we gave them would give them some strenght and hoping she will feed them.
She is protective of them and has stayed with them, knows they are both her calves. I'm hoping I pull up today and she is standing there nursing them, but if not any advise on what I should be looking for. I am assuming they will be bawling if they are not fed, but they really were not complaining much yesterday. Thanks,Donna

 

[cow_crazy_101]

Went to our farm on Tuesday afternoon to find the first calves of the season--twins. This cow had dead twins a couple years (first year we had her) ago, and a single calf last year. We successfully grafted a calf on her the first year, with a little work. Last year she acted like a nut after the calf was born (knocking him around alot for a few minutes) but then took care of fine.

When I arrived she had both of them cleaned up and was really stressed running from one to another. It seemed like when she was with one calf she would forget about the other. So we locked calves & cow up in a small pen, till next morning, so she could adjust. Calves would bawl every so often and go try to nurse, but we never saw them latch on, cow would stand but after a few minutes she would loose patience and walk off. We tryed some persuasion with her and also helped calf to get in the right spot to no avail...finally let her out and bottle fed them, they both drank 2 quarts eagerly (she was bawling at them the whole time we did this). We really do not know if they nursed or not but assume not since they seemed so hungry.

Left them with her, hoping that the colostrum we gave them would give them some strenght and hoping she will feed them.
She is protective of them and has stayed with them, knows they are both her calves. I'm hoping I pull up today and she is standing there nursing them, but if not any advise on what I should be looking for. I am assuming they will be bawling if they are not fed, but they really were not complaining much yesterday. Thanks,Donna

They are adorble!!! i love them ... so cute.. :heart:

 

[donnaIL]

It is evident that the stupid cow (soon to be gone) is not feeding babies. we have given them colostrum, electrolytes and some medicated milk replacer. The bull calf seems stronger and stool is a dark brown. Heifer was scouring (stool was like yellow water), got some electrolytes down her and stool hardened up, was still a mustard color and was there was some blood in it.

Calves are approx 2 1/2 days old. We will be running the cow throught the chute tomorrow and forcing her to take them...hope we didn't wait to long..

Is there anything else anyone would recommend? Alice?

Thanks, Donna

 

[dun]

Is there anything else anyone would recommend? Alice?

Thanks, Donna

Leave the strongest calf with her and bottle the other till the next sale day and get rid of it.

dun

 

[Alice]

check your pm

 

[msscamp]

Is there anything else anyone would recommend? Alice?

Thanks, Donna

I'm not Alice, but in this type of situation we pull one calf, and make him/her a bottle calf.

 

[Beefy]

i am not alice either but i'd probably leave the bull on the cow and bottle the heifer.

 

[twabscs]

I had my first twins last weekend. They both got colostrum, but the mom started butting one of them away the next day. She seemed confused that there were two. Anyway, two little 60 lb bull calves. I'm bottle feeding one of them and she's content with the one she claimed.

The twins look identical - how often does that happen? I thought there was just one calf until I tagged it and another one showed up.

 

[msscamp]

The twins look identical - how often does that happen? I thought there was just one calf until I tagged it and another one showed up.

We've had a number of sets of identical twins, along with a number of non-identical twins. I don't know the percentages, nor the odds, of either happening, though. We've just always counted them as an additional, unexpected calf.

 

[Boss Cowman]

that's why I LOVE :roll: twins

 

[msscamp]

that's why I LOVE :roll: twins

Very few cattlemen or women 'love' twins - and that is fine, to each their own. We've always looked at them as a 'bonus', so to speak. I don't mind bottling a calf, it takes what - a half hour, tops? Hell, it takes longer to mix up the milk replacer and walk out to the pen than it does to bottle the calf. I sold my last bottle calf for $780.00. He weighed 725 lbs at roughly a year old, and brought 1.08/pound. If I had been a little more savvy about the auction world, I could have probably made more money off him - that is my fault. Would I do it again? Oh, yeah, in a heartbeat!!!!! Opportunity knocks everyday, it is up to us to recognize it. ;-)

 

[mnmtranching]

I don't mind having twins, I would say at least 50% of the time the cow raises both. I sold twin black baldy steers last fall at 7 1/2 months old netted 1200 bucks. I also have Fall calving cows, that calve on their own on pasture, thought there was an extra. When it came time to move cattle it was clear, one old cow was raising twins. 8) They can be a lot of extra work, but I'll take twins.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Most on these boards know I HATE TWINS - not saying I haven't made extra $$$ with a LIVE set. But, more often than not, there is EXTRA WORK involved and lost time of production for the cow. When you are busy calving out cattle, you don't need/want that extra frustration.
Had a set of twin heifers in 05. Sold the better one for good $$ and the other small one is raising a calf right now. Had another set of heifers in 3/06 and both look good & are cycling ready for breeding season.

 

[sjr725]

We get a set or two a year out of about 370 cows, I have ofter wondered about the likelyhood of a cow that was a twin, having twins herself? I have two cows that were some of the last of my dad's herd that were twins I took and raised on bottles after their mom died (she was an old cow and must have ruptured an artery - internally bled to death after calving) and they are now about 12 yrs and neither of them has ever had twins - but boy do they raise a nice calf every year! they are not real big - but they could pop out a sherman tank and never break a sweat. We had 2 sets of twins this year- both were both bull calves and all 4 are still with thier mommas - nice big herf cows with nice big bags under them. They are in with our first calf heifers so the babies have a creep feeder - takes a load off the young heifers and these twins fit right in size wise now that they're all about 6 wks old and starting to eat creep feed.

 

[Susie David]

Have never had a set of twins...a neighbor has a cow that seems to have a set every year. Still have a few to calve so this could be the year...Sugar Cow is getting real big. DMc

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Now that we're finished calving - I will say we did not have ANY twins this year. First year, in --- I don't know how long. Didn't want to say anything before to jinx us. Generally 1-3 sets - ughh!

 

[donnaIL]

An update on the twins...

The cow would not take either of them, put her in the chute and forced her to nurse...the heifer did, the bull calf afraid of her, we tied her leg but she kicked the back side of the chute and was just a bad momma

The bull calf takes the bottle, he is the black one and i expect he will make it. The heifer is not doing good. They are good sized calfs 70-80lbs.

The cow doesn't have a good record...she is history. Donna

 

[Beefy]

that sucks donna. why isnt the heifer doing well? i cant believe she wouldnt even take one calf. what a sucky mother. did they get plenty of colostrum? was it from her? did you milk her out real good and get all the tenderness out of her teats? are you going to bottle the calves or what? i wouldnt mind having a nurse cow around..

 

[donnaIL]

cant believe she wouldnt even take one calf. what a sucky mother. did they get plenty of colostrum? was it from her? did you milk her out real good and get all the tenderness out of her teats? are you going to bottle the calves or what? i wouldnt mind having a nurse cow around..

She did not take either of them, we pended them in a small area for the first 24 hours, then fed colostrum when it was evident she did not feed them (they were born in the afternoon).., kept them penned up another day...no nursing. We put her in the chute and she was a idiot.

The heifer did nurse her (in the chute) the bull would not. We milked her and bottle fed the bull...the bull is afraid of her (She never wanted him and shook her head at him violently...he tried alot).

She was the cull cow I posted before, kept her cz thought maybe ....ha...3 strikes your out...hamburger...

I am bottling the calves and will until they are healthy... they will go early.. the other cows wont calve until end of the month...maybe one would take them but cant count on it. Donna

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I sure would keep them around until you are finished calving. Never know - might lose a calf & have a milking mom waiting for a new baby.