Double suckling...

Bodacious

I've a cow that slipped a calf so she is calving slap bang in the middle of June this year..:( She is a bit of a pet about the place but she will have too much milk (Fr x Hr) so I'm going to buy a second calf for her, im looking for advice on how to feed calf while I'm waiting the couple of days while she calves

I was hoping to have the calf here and when she calves take her own calf and knock and tie the legs of second calf and cover it with calving slims etc of original calf and then let her back out to lick the two of them.

Would the beastings that she'd have scour the living daylights out of say a 2 week old calf on milk replacer? Would I be better to run another cow up the chute twice a day to keep him going for the couple of days

any experience/advice welcome

5live

Bodacious wrote: »

I've a cow that slipped a calf so she is calving slap bang in the middle of June this year..:( She is a bit of a pet about the place but she will have too much milk (Fr x Hr) so I'm going to buy a second calf for her, im looking for advice on how to feed calf while I'm waiting the couple of days while she calves

I was hoping to have the calf here and when she calves take her own calf and knock and tie the legs of second calf and cover it with calving slims etc of original calf and then let her back out to lick the two of them.

Would the beastings that she'd have scour the living daylights out of say a 2 week old calf on milk replacer? Would I be better to run another cow up the chute twice a day to keep him going for the couple of days

any experience/advice welcome

I think your best bet would be to restrict the 2 calves to suckling twice a day if you can. That way the 2 calves get to smell the same after a few days and she will be anxious to get suckled and wont take much notice of a slightly different smell from one calf once milk let down starts. In a week or so she should be ok to go with both

And if you are restricting them you can put the cow in a crush and let her own have a really good suck for the first 2 days for the colostrum and restrict the bought calf a bit to reduce the risk of scouring him.

Thats the way we used do it back in the day anyway

bogman_bass

we were able to feed 3 calves twice a day with a freisian last year. kept the calves in the shed and brought the cow in twice a day. just kept a bucket of nuts in front of her and she was happy out. she would just sit down when she got fed up of the calves sucking and bucking her

Bodacious

5live wrote: »

Bodacious wrote: »

I've a cow that slipped a calf so she is calving slap bang in the middle of June this year..:( She is a bit of a pet about the place but she will have too much milk (Fr x Hr) so I'm going to buy a second calf for her, im looking for advice on how to feed calf while I'm waiting the couple of days while she calves

I was hoping to have the calf here and when she calves take her own calf and knock and tie the legs of second calf and cover it with calving slims etc of original calf and then let her back out to lick the two of them.

Would the beastings that she'd have scour the living daylights out of say a 2 week old calf on milk replacer? Would I be better to run another cow up the chute twice a day to keep him going for the couple of days

any experience/advice welcome

I think your best bet would be to restrict the 2 calves to suckling twice a day if you can. That way the 2 calves get to smell the same after a few days and she will be anxious to get suckled and wont take much notice of a slightly different smell from one calf once milk let down starts. In a week or so she should be ok to go with both

And if you are restricting them you can put the cow in a crush and let her own have a really good suck for the first 2 days for the colostrum and restrict the bought calf a bit to reduce the risk of scouring him.

Thats the way we used do it back in the day anyway

thanks 5live,

I'd think that a good plan alright to let the two out at her together... I've a nice pen out in a paddock that she'd be able to see the calves while she be grazing and could get my dad to let her into them in the middle of day if wanted to do 3 feeds, I could be totally wrong and end up eating my words but she shouldn't be too difficult to deal with either, she carrying to IS4 Simmental and is long overdue a heifer ( 3 out of 3 bulls) and they struggled to suck her fully so if she had a heifer I'd like to get a nicely marked,good quality Br FrXBB heifer calf and she'd make a good job of the two of them!

Bodacious

bogman_bass wrote: »

we were able to feed 3 calves twice a day with a freisian last year. kept the calves in the shed and brought the cow in twice a day. just kept a bucket of nuts in front of her and she was happy out. she would just sit down when she got fed up of the calves sucking and bucking her

we had one years ago and she kicked second calf for the whole of the Summer... Had to corner her and give him a suck ... Pure pain, not worth the hassle... Hope this lady is more managable

Viewtodiefor

Farmer asks vet: What type of cow do you think makes the best suckler cow???
Vet Replies: " A quiet one"
Words of wisdom if you ask me!

Best bet is as 5 live says, but it could be torture you wont know until you try and a whole lot depends on the cow! just because shes quiet doesnt mean she will stand for second calf but then some do!
best of luck!