Cow not taking to adopted calves...

locky76

I've a cow who had a dead calf last week and i've kept her inside on meal and hay. She has a fine bag of milk and I was bucket feeding two calves so i've had them under her for 20 minutes morning & evening.
However she isn't taking to the calves at all, she'll only let them drink her when i'm looking on and will puck and kick them at every opportunity.
She's been with them at this stage over ten days so should she have bonded by now or do i have to persevere further?

1chippy

persevere, it will get easier or you will get better used to her. some cows will bond easier than others however some will never to take to a strange calf.

bbam

If you have ample time on your hands (and even more patience) there is a chance it might work...
However it can be torture on man and beast and even then the cow is unlikely to take to both of them...

Bucket feed the calves, dry off the cow and everyone will be much happier :cool:

spt88

persevere!!

just got one going here was a long 5 wks at her!

ive heard from an old man locally that if you tie a dog in the shed with her the cow will automatically try to protect the calves and then taking to them as her own. havent tried this myself Though ive often thought about it

Dunedin

spt88 wrote: »

persevere!!

just got one going here was a long 5 wks at her!

ive heard from an old man locally that if you tie a dog in the shed with her the cow will automatically try to protect the calves and then taking to them as her own. havent tried this myself Though ive often thought about it

the 'dog' trick does work but be careful to not get in the way if she charges for the dog - the dog goes to your feet and the rest is history.

Patience is the key here. sometimes it can take 4-5 weeks and it will one day 'click' - unfortunately there are some that will never take to adopted calves but you just need to put the time in................... :(

pakalasa

I had a cow last year that I fostered a calf on. It took nearly 6 weeks. I had to put her in twice a day into the crush and she would kick continously. One day i went out into the field to find her licking the calf.:D
A few months later, she propably bawled the most when I had to wean them. I had nearly given up hope that she would take to him.

barryoc1

Persevere. Took me a month but cow has finally taken to calf. Like yourself, twice a day i let her into calf and if i didnt stand there she would kick the calf. Longest 15 mins of my life, morning and evening! Giving her some meal might help her settle a bit while they are sucking also. Tends to distract the cow.

bbam

The chances of her taking to two calves is slim.
I know a lad has the calves on a small paddock and brings the cows in for the calves twice a day.
6 calves on two cows, he may as well be milking but i suppose he has the time to be at it.
He weans the extra calves off the cow and then brings in two more. Each of the cows rears her own calf and maybe six more during the year. It would drive me crazy but each to their own.

Farmer Pudsey

In another 10 days or two weeks put her into a small fairly bare paddock and let calves with her no nuts no meal for her they be strong enough to follow her around feed the calves out of one of them litre bottles about a litre or two morning and evening to keep their strenght up they will follow her around and not let her eat and she will give up in the end and stand for them. It should only take 2-3 days.

locky76

Cheers folks, all good advice, i think i'll persevere, the calves aren't getting much of a sup but they don't seem to be losing condition at all.
A neighbour of mine had a theory this evening that it'll take the cow a while to get used to the calves as they're four weeks old and the cow is only letting milk down at a rate for a 10 day old calf.
I went with the two as i was bucket feeding two when she lost the calf, i put two on another cow last year but it seemed to go better for me, maybe it's just the rose tinted glasses looking back...

pakalasa wrote: »

I had a cow last year that I fostered a calf on. It took nearly 6 weeks. I had to put her in twice a day into the crush and she would kick continously. One day i went out into the field to find her licking the calf.:D
A few months later, she propably bawled the most when I had to wean them. I had nearly given up hope that she would take to him.

milkprofit

the 'dog' trick does work but be careful to not get in the way if she charges for the dog - the dog goes to your feet and the rest is history

Get a dog that will bark and go right up to the cow
Safety first

Chiliroses

spt88 wrote: »

persevere!!

just got one going here was a long 5 wks at her!

ive heard from an old man locally that if you tie a dog in the shed with her the cow will automatically try to protect the calves and then taking to them as her own. havent tried this myself Though ive often thought about it

It works! We adopt out lambs every year say if a ewe loses a lamb, we give her a half twin.. tie the dog outside her and her maternal instincts kick in, same principle would work for the cow best of luck!

Bodacious

locky76 wrote: »

I've a cow who had a dead calf last week and i've kept her inside on meal and hay. She has a fine bag of milk and I was bucket feeding two calves so i've had them under her for 20 minutes morning & evening.
However she isn't taking to the calves at all, she'll only let them drink her when i'm looking on and will puck and kick them at every opportunity.
She's been with them at this stage over ten days so should she have bonded by now or do i have to persevere further?

How you getting on with her Locky?

Im at the same crack at the minute, still born calf at 8.5months bought suck HR X heifer calf, pure dose, up the crush twice a day (trying to keep clean before work) and bribing her with meal but she is not bad in fairness...i can even persuade her to go the wrong way down the crush to let calf suck other side!

I'll be 13 days at her tomorrow and counting.. hoping to get a result like pakalasa had and go out and see her licking the calf one day

pakalasa

Bodacious,
You could also try this - put a newly calved cow and calf in with them. It might trigger the maternal instinct in the cow.

Bodacious

pakalasa wrote: »

Bodacious,
You could also try this - put a newly calved cow and calf in with them. It might trigger the maternal instinct in the cow.[/QUOTE

Sounds like a good idea for sure but im all calved now, she was the last... id say you were at your wits end after six weeks, ive not 2 done yet and bored of it!! completely tied to them!:mad:

pakalasa

She was a right b1tch though. She would puck the calf and lift him clean into the air. I suppose I was just more stubborn than she was........:)

locky76

Bodacious wrote: »

How you getting on with her Locky?

Im at the same crack at the minute, still born calf at 8.5months bought suck HR X heifer calf, pure dose, up the crush twice a day (trying to keep clean before work) and bribing her with meal but she is not bad in fairness...i can even persuade her to go the wrong way down the crush to let calf suck other side!

I'll be 13 days at her tomorrow and counting.. hoping to get a result like pakalasa had and go out and see her licking the calf one day

In short, i failed:
I let her out of the shed after 24 days of pucking & rooting, i still had to keep an eye on her morning and evening outside, i was doing her one day when the neighbours dog started barking and she hopped the fence and proceeded to do that each time after so I'm afraid i capitualated before her and went away and bought 2 bags of maverick.
Ah sure she'll fatten quickly enough and go towards buying a new bull...

Bodacious

locky76 wrote: »

In short, i failed:
I let her out of the shed after 24 days of pucking & rooting, i still had to keep an eye on her morning and evening outside, i was doing her one day when the neighbours dog started barking and she hopped the fence and proceeded to do that each time after so I'm afraid i capitualated before her and went away and bought 2 bags of maverick.
Ah sure she'll fatten quickly enough and go towards buying a new bull...

thanks locky and i can feel your pain and can see how a man can get sick of it

pakalasa

Skin the dead calf. It's the only way, I think. Haven't done it yet though.

Bodacious

pakalasa wrote: »

Skin the dead calf. It's the only way, I think. Haven't done it yet though.

Yep and I'd do it again if I could do it all over again... I rushed off and got a calf off of a dealer as I thought the sooner the better but she cleaned and ate it while I was away getting the calf

I'd have got a farmers calf that was definitely sucking a cow also , dope I got never sucked a cow so even if cow had taken to her she was going round the place sticking her head into buckets!! Plus my cow wasn't ready to give milk as calved premature but 2 days and she was fully fuctional... I could have used those 2 days to source suck calf ( that could suck cow) and skin dead calf then try her...

If, ands, buts, hard too with time restrictions / work etc