Would anyone keep this cow?

[jltrent]

Years ago my dad would fool with one every year like that. As soon as you got her up and let the calf nurse she would go crazy over it. I found a calf recently and never could figure the mother out for sure as no takers. I saved the calf and sold it.

 

[Silver]

I have taken the chance a few times and had it pay off.

 

[Cowsout]

Some years ago I sold a bred heifer out of my best cow. The buyer contacted me and told me he found the calf without the mom. He wasn't set up to corral them together so he bottle-raised the calf. I bought the cow back and brought her home. When she calved at my place, she was the most protective mother I've ever seen. I don't know what happened at the buyer's place, but I think there was more to it than just her not accepting that calf. She's had many calves since and is still a fantastic mother. FWIW.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

For what it's worth, a number of years ago I had 1 similar to your situation, only difference is she claimed it the 1st day then walked away from it. I rodeo'd around with them for almost a week and she never did claim it. I chose to not take a chance & sell. A neighbor of ours (knowing full well why I as selling) gave me the price I was asking. The following year & each year after she DID claim her calf.

Would I do the same thing again? Absolutely, I would sell.

Where I used to work, there were 1200 head of Angus, there was no time or patience for that kind of nonsense. Any cow that didn't claim its calf was culled, no matter how good her genetics, phenotype, conformation, temperament, etc.

 

[Vschoettle]

Sell her.
Remember when cattle are bred for appearance that sometimes maternal instincts are sacrificed.
I am truly sorry: been there and now a wiser cattleman.

I have a 2yr old who calved and walked away. I wasn't around until the next morning. She hadn't licked it at all. Bull calf decided that I was his mother since I was the only one to take care of him. He is a long solid calf. Born May 28, so 7 weeks tomorrow. Fantastic calf, the mother is well built. I had them in a 10x10 pen and gave her a shot of oxytocin, but she still wanted nothing to do with him. I thought maybe that the pain of giving birth made her walk away.
Does anyone think that she would decide to raise her calf next year? I don't really want to raise another calf for her.
Not sure of her breed besides angus cross. She is black and when totally relaxed shows a little ear. Thanks

 

[Lee VanRoss]

"Love your wife, forgive your children but don't do either one with a cow." credit to Kit Pharo, I agree...

 

[Warren Allison]

I have a 2yr old who calved and walked away. I wasn't around until the next morning. She hadn't licked it at all. Bull calf decided that I was his mother since I was the only one to take care of him. He is a long solid calf. Born May 28, so 7 weeks tomorrow. Fantastic calf, the mother is well built. I had them in a 10x10 pen and gave her a shot of oxytocin, but she still wanted nothing to do with him. I thought maybe that the pain of giving birth made her walk away.
Does anyone think that she would decide to raise her calf next year? I don't really want to raise another calf for her.
Not sure of her breed besides angus cross. She is black and when totally relaxed shows a little ear. Thanks

Was this her first calf, Ferd?

 

[truckdriver2]

I have a 2yr old who calved and walked away. I wasn't around until the next morning. She hadn't licked it at all. Bull calf decided that I was his mother since I was the only one to take care of him. He is a long solid calf. Born May 28, so 7 weeks tomorrow. Fantastic calf, the mother is well built. I had them in a 10x10 pen and gave her a shot of oxytocin, but she still wanted nothing to do with him. I thought maybe that the pain of giving birth made her walk away.
Does anyone think that she would decide to raise her calf next year? I don't really want to raise another calf for her.
Not sure of her breed besides angus cross. She is black and when totally relaxed shows a little ear. Thanks

2nd chance no nurse sell

 

[Nesikep]

I had one this year that was a pizz poor mother, really didn't do much licking on the calf, doesn't have much milk.. she's a first timer, she's on 2 strikes and at the top of my "cull if I feel like it" list
Another first timer ate pine needles and aborted in October, isn't breeding back so she's going in the freezer real soon, she's in amazing condition so should be really good eating, she's bigger than the steer that's the same age
Another old cow that's really on a short rope is one that EATS EVERYTHING she's not supposed to.. fence insulators, Fence charger power cords, polywire (by the spool if she can get it), garden hoses, bale twine, and even ear tags.. She must have a vinyl deficiency

Chewing gum

 

[Ferd]

Was this her first calf, Ferd?

Yes, first calf

 

[NewMoo]

Thank you very much! She doesn't build fence, there's a mean cow in the freezer. I will haul her, maybe next week. A friend stopped by and really liked how they both look. He thought that he might give her another chance. I needed your, and I am paraphrasing "get your head out of your butt and get her out of there!" advice. They do both look good, and she is gone.

I'm going to say give her another chance. Have you tried to help them bond? If it's her first calf, she has to follow instincts, yes, but there is a learning curve for new mommas as well. I wouldn't cull her until I had tried to help her accept the calf— chute, same pen, etc., as much as I could. If she looks great and the calf does too, that's reason enough for me to give her a chance.

 

[SBMF 2015]

She would be gone. And not gone as in sell her to the neighbor. Gone as in on the bus to Packerland.

 

[tex452]

I would put 4 wheels under her!

 

[Dave]

I would put her in the chute and get the calf to nursing. I would do that twice a day until the next sale. By then she will have taken the calf or she would take a ride.

 

[Redgully]

I had one this year that was a pizz poor mother, really didn't do much licking on the calf, doesn't have much milk.. she's a first timer, she's on 2 strikes and at the top of my "cull if I feel like it" list
Another first timer ate pine needles and aborted in October, isn't breeding back so she's going in the freezer real soon, she's in amazing condition so should be really good eating, she's bigger than the steer that's the same age
Another old cow that's really on a short rope is one that EATS EVERYTHING she's not supposed to.. fence insulators, Fence charger power cords, polywire (by the spool if she can get it), garden hoses, bale twine, and even ear tags.. She must have a vinyl deficiency

Chewing gum
View attachment 6007

I had a cow many years ago like that, she had a sixth sense and knew immediately if the electric fence went off and would somehow pull all the pins out the insulators and eat them. Other than that she was a fantastic cow.

As for op cow, i would fatten up and eat or sell. Who has time for that, and if you do can be a real inconvenience if it happens again at a bad time. Plus you're keeping an undesirable genetic that could potentially make it's way into your herd. I'm more forgiving than many with my cows but not when its the cows fault.

 

[Wind and Sage]

Yes, first calf

I have what I call a small pen in the barn. It is fairly dark in there, and has adjustable panels, where I can keep both the cow and calf in there, the cow can't turn around, and the calf is able to get to her to nurse. I rarely have to use it-- maybe once every two or three years, and usually on a heifer that I have had to pull the calf and she is a little slow to claim it. What also works, and I have done this as well, is lock them in the front section of a stock trailer. It can work well on a graft calf as well.

 

[Nesikep]

I had a cow many years ago like that, she had a sixth sense and knew immediately if the electric fence went off and would somehow pull all the pins out the insulators and eat them. Other than that she was a fantastic cow.

As for op cow, i would fatten up and eat or sell. Who has time for that, and if you do can be a real inconvenience if it happens again at a bad time. Plus you're keeping an undesirable genetic that could potentially make it's way into your herd. I'm more forgiving than many with my cows but not when its the cows fault.

This one is a pretty good cow, I mean she's 14 so she didn't get there by slouching.. milks well, but she just can't make a heifer calf that catches my fancy.. She's hiding the size of her udder, it usually takes the calf a good month to get on all 4 teats

 

[Vschoettle]

I had one this year that was a pizz poor mother, really didn't do much licking on the calf, doesn't have much milk.. she's a first timer, she's on 2 strikes and at the top of my "cull if I feel like it" list
Another first timer ate pine needles and aborted in October, isn't breeding back so she's going in the freezer real soon, she's in amazing condition so should be really good eating, she's bigger than the steer that's the same age
Another old cow that's really on a short rope is one that EATS EVERYTHING she's not supposed to.. fence insulators, Fence charger power cords, polywire (by the spool if she can get it), garden hoses, bale twine, and even ear tags.. She must have a vinyl deficiency

Chewing gum
View attachment 6007

I had to smile at 'vinyl deficiency '
Had a few cattle in my lifetime as well that I'd swear were O2 deprived at birth!

 

[Nesikep]

I had to smile at 'vinyl deficiency '
Had a few cattle in my lifetime as well that I'd swear were O2 deprived at birth!

There are people I refer to as "colostrum deficient at birth".. We've all had a big dumb bull calf at one time or another that between O2 and colostrum, it didn't get what it needed

 

[Warren Allison]

Yes, first calf

Not all that unusual for a 1st calf heifer to not know what to do with this new creature that suddenly showed up after a painful experience that she had never experienced before, either. Most likely, she'd be different with her 2nd calf.