Found a new heifer calf Friday at 4am. Was drived off, laying down and all seemed good. Couldn't get real close to it at all that day cause mom would trot off with her when I got close. Saturday morning calf and mom when way back in the pasture with the herd and calf looked nice and spunky so no concerns. Also saw baby poop once...it wasn't the real dark poop that I thought is normal for a first poop but more like the color if a brown crayon...was firm but not too firm. Then come Saturday afternoon I finally got to see calf "nurse" but she didn't actually nurse...she acted like she new what she was doing but only would kinda suck/kinda lick the bottom of the teats (which started dripping). So she never actually latched on fully and got a good meal. Teats were quite swollen but I've seen bigger. This is cows 3rd calf and no previous issues. So that night we started bottle feeding the calf and she drinks it easily and wants more. Our goal has been to feed her enough to keep her going good but not a full meal so she hopefully still tries on mom. Now tonight, Sunday night we tried to contain the cow so we could help get the teat fully in the calfs mouth but had no luck...cow isn't mean but is very fidgety and we don't have a good setup at the moment.
So my thought (and hope) is that the calf drank colostrum that first morning. Between her peppy-ness, poop, and acting like she knew where the milk was that first day/two I feel like she almost had to have had colostrum. And mom barely bagged up prior to calving and then really started to bag after calving so I thinking maybe her teats weren't so big when baby would have first drank.
What would your guesses be here?
So my thought (and hope) is that the calf drank colostrum that first morning. Between her peppy-ness, poop, and acting like she knew where the milk was that first day/two I feel like she almost had to have had colostrum. And mom barely bagged up prior to calving and then really started to bag after calving so I thinking maybe her teats weren't so big when baby would have first drank.
What would your guesses be here?