Getting Impatient...

[Apaulsen2890]

The newest baby is good. The heifer isn't letting the holstein calf nurse outside... We have to put her in a small corner of the pasture and give her feed so she stands still long enough for him to nurse. She was fine until the other cow saw he's not the same... Ugh.... If it's not one thing its another! We got a bottle and milk replacer, but we're holding off as long as possible and still trying to get her to let him nurse. He nurses twice a day with this way but it's super frustrating and too much work for us to do every day. I have a feeling it'll be bottle feeding only soon.... So I don't know if we'll keep him then or not. It's been a rough few days....

 

[cjc]

Awe sorry to hear that I did have a feeling that may happen. Heifers can be stubborn like that. If it were me I would take him away from the heifer and bottle feed it. It will be more costly of course but it will be easier to manage. It's not the best way to do things but this year our cow that was being a bad mom (she's done it once before) we didn't give many chances. We took the calf away and I have been bottle feeding it since it was 4 days old.

 

[Apaulsen2890]

Yeah I really didn't want to have to do it.... She was doing sooo well in the stall! I think she'll be heading to the butcher come fall since she's being a total ****.... We will still let him out in the pasture because you can walk right up to him. Sometimes he even comes running over just to be petted. The cow you had do it before.... was she ever a good mom? Or just bad with certain calves?

 

[cjc]

She was a good mom in the fact that she came running when it called for her and she was very protective but her calf last year died and this year it was looking malnourished in the field. She had a huge udder and I later found out she had basically no milk. So to answer your question she was never a good mother but it was her body that let her down not her nurture. We gave her another chance this year as although her calf died last year it was a good looking calf but this year she failed us again. Even though shes given us nice calves it would be irresponsible for me to breed her again, both her calves were sick. So...she's now in the freezer...

 

[Apaulsen2890]

Yeah this one comes running to him if he calls and will call to him even.... But yet doesn't want to let him nurse. I just don't get it. I know she has milk. No idea how much because I don't want him to not get what he needs. I'm not sure after this if we should even give her another chance... Only problem is then we only have one cow to breed.... Her first calf was beautiful... It's really a shame it didn't make it. It was a big beautiful girl.... So, no idea what we will do with her or the calf.

 

[cjc]

I was in the same position last year, if that cow left I wouldn't of had enough to breed. Maybe give her another chance. I am not sure what the odds are of the same thing repeating itself I've never had that particular problem. Maybe ask around and see if the chances of her having another stillborn is and go from there.

Maybe leave the calf as he is, let him nurse when he can and supplement his feed. Feed him 2x a day with the bottle...he's big enough now to handle that.

 

[Apaulsen2890]

The vet who pulled her stillborn said he wouldn't be afraid to breed her again. My concern is her not even accepting her own calf though since she's being a terd now. Thoughts on that?
I think we will have to feed him with the bottle. He's used to being fed twice a day. Any idea how long it'll take him to suck down a bottle? We've never had to feed before... I'm trying to figure out how much earlier I need to get up haha!

 

[cjc]

He will suck down a bottle in 5 minutes. I would allow yourself 15-20 minutes for feeding though. Touch him lots when you are feeding him, keeps them friendly. I always rub their heads so they aren't head shy. We will use a bottle holder often with our bigger ones and just touch them when they are drinking.

Once he is done the bottle as I am sure you have discovered he will start coming at you and sorry for the term with "crack head eyes". Like you just took away their precious. When he does it start putting calf starter (grain) into his mouth. Just shove it in. Let him suck it off your fingers. That will get him off you and will get grain into him. By the time he is 2 months old you can just start shoving his head into a bucket of grain when he starts coming at you with those eyes.

I think the reason she is being this way, in my opinion, is because it's not her calf. I wouldn't be worried about her rejecting her own calf. I have heard it can be quiet shocking for a cow to all the sudden be a mother. Like WOW WHAT THE HELL JUST FELL OUT OF ME! If she does well then you get a bottle calf. I have 4 right now and let me tell you its not a bad thing haha. They are adorable.

 

[Apaulsen2890]

Oh wow! I didn't think it'd be quite that fast! I figured at least 10 to 15 minutes. I do go out and rub him at least 20 minutes a day now. He loves to be scratched behind his ears and sticks his head out like "oh yeah that's the spot" Super adorable! I'm sure he'll get that look! He may have it the first time we go out with a bottle since he's already had them in the past. We're having trouble finding actual calf starter grain though. Can he eat regular grain??
Hopefully that's her only ordeal and that she'll be better the next time around if we go that route...
On another note... I'm pretty sure he's going to end up with horns... I was petting him the second day on his head and there's definitely little nubs where horns would grow!!! Since he won't be around more than a year I'm not sure it's worth getting them removed.
On a slightly funny note.... My future father in law came over yesterday and was mortified when we said that this calf will be in the freezer in a little over a year. The look on his face was priceless! And it got even better when I said I want to get his hide tanned for a rug. I thought he was going to hurl! Best thing is that they'll probably be moving into our old house when we build a new one next year, so I told him I'll have to put it away when they come over. hehe I'm so mean to him! Poor city boy... Thank goodness my fiance's mom was a country girl!

 

[Mini Horses]

You can teach him to drink his milk from a bucket. And it is then easy to start grain.

More often than not, the female is not happy to take a babe not theirs. I was pleasantly surprised when she let this calf nurse. When a breeder does have a "nurse mom" they are often kept for that reason alone!! Sometimes a babe will come to nurse and bring a friend cool who decides to also nurse. Generally as soon as the mom realizes one isn't hers, it's booted away.

Will she let him nurse ONLY If confined or tied? If she will allow him to nurse otherwise, I'd just not put her back out with the others in the herd until the calf is a couple months, if possible.