will she ever stop?

[farmboy80]

Was wanting to get past experiences with a calf/cow nurseing off other cows.
I have a heifer that turned a year old in February. She was weaned when I bought her. I put her in with my cows who all had calves, and caught her nursing. So I pulled her out and separated her until everyone had weaned their calves and no longer had milk. Problem solved. Or so I thought! She's over a year old now and I caught her nursing off another heifer that just calved. Will she ever out grow this? Or should I just plan on shipping her to sale?

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Anchors aweigh! Ship her.

 

[TCRanch]

Yup, buh-bye!

 

[dun]

She will stop when she's in the freezer

 

[Black and Good]

I had the same issue with a yearling a couple months ago that starting nursing on a first calf heifer. When I was younger we had two Reg. Gelbvieh cows that when you'd wean their calves you have to wean them from each other. Otherwise they would get 69 style and start nursing each other. :roll: B&G

 

[MRRherefords]

Sounds like its time to send her.

 

[Rafter S]

I suppose it's possible she'll stop when she has a calf of her own, but I doubt it, and I wouldn't want to bother with keeping her isolated in the meantime. I'd sell her or eat her.

 

[farmerjan]

Chalk it up to whatever and ship her. There are really too many decent animals around to spend the time and aggravation of this.

 

[Koffi Babone]

Have you tried a nose ring?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nose_ring_(animal)#Calf-weaning_ring

https://www.google.ca/search?q=calf+nos ... pr=1#spf=1

 

[farmerjan]

If you use a nose ring while she is in with the heifer and new calf, the heifer will get to kicking and then can kick her own calf. I see the benefit of a nose ring if there are no other lactating animals. But even so, she quit when there were no other lactating animals, then went back as soon as someone calved. There are just too many other decent animals to have to worry about where this one is all the time. I have seen them manage to get around the nose flap so don't think that is a solution. Unless she is a registered animal of unreplaceable bloodlines, she is not worth the time and aggravation.
Sent one of mine, out of a favourite cow, because she started again when her group all started calving...about 18 months after she had been weaned. Tried to switch things up, she kept trying other cows, and she went. Put her calf on a nurse cow.

 

[farmboy80]

Thanks for the help. There's a sale Wednesday. She'll be there!!
Thanks again!

 

[farmboy80]

Actually decided to wait for Monday sale at different sale barn. Either way she's done here.
Thanks again everyone.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Actually decided to wait for Monday sale at different sale barn. Either way she's done here.
Thanks again everyone.

You won't be sorry that she's gone. You made the right decision. I sold a dang fine heifer/cow because she did the same thing.

 

[kenedy]

She's stop when she dies....

 

[Nite Hawk]

Some never stop, but I found a "crown weaner" that pierces the nose works well...
Don't like the flaps, they get pulled out..

 

[farmboy80]

Tried a crown weaner for a while when she was young. She figured out to turn her head sideways. So I still had to separate her.

 

[farmboy80]

Hauled a good looking heifer to salebarn for tomorrows sale. Kinda sad, I was looking forward to keeping her. I'm a small operation. She was only one of two heifers I had. Hopefully she brings enough to find another one just as good. (Minus the nursing on everything )
But I guess it's like you all said: there's lots of good cattle to be had instead of wasting my time with one that has bad habits. Life goes on! Thanks again for the advice everyone!

 

[talltimber]

I caught one looking like she was trying to suck a while back, maybe I was wrong, but she had her head down there where the sucking goes on. I just weaned calves Thurs eve and I've been hawking the old cows and this heifer, other heifers with them as well. But I perform an inspection on current teat/bag condition twice daily. No sucking. I would assume that if she was sucking, or they would willingly let her suck, it would be showing. This of course doesn't prove that she's not doing it from the back while a calf would be on the side at the same time.