Bottle Feed

Phil - MO · #1 09/01/08, 08:58 PM

Have a new calf I located that looks about a day old.

Cow has raised three or four calves for me, but I don't think this calf is able to get any milk because of the size of the cows udder. One of my best looking cows but I have worried in the past about the size of the udder. If I find out that the calf isn't getting any milk should I pen it up and feed it, or maybe try to bottle feed in the pasture hoping it will figure things out. Cow and calf are on about an 80 acre woods/pasture with other cows and bull and may be hard to feed in the field. I better do something quick in the morning.

Allen W · #2 09/01/08, 09:49 PM

Do you have a squeeze chute you can get the cow into and milk her and feed the calf? I am assuming the cows teats are too big for the calf to handle. Sometimes the calf cannot break the seal on the teat. Other times the cow needs milked out a few times till the calf can handle things. Just remember the calf needs the colostrum the sooner the better. Give her a set of wheels if you don't want to do this again.

Phil - MO · #3 09/02/08, 08:00 AM

Thanks for the response.
I checked on the calf at daylight this morning and it had sucked one teat down.
The cow is registered beefmaster and probably weighs well over 1000 lbs. and is one of my best and I hate to get rid of it, but it's teats are about 12 inches long and it would take both hands to get around them. It was bred to a polled hereford that gives me smaller calves without horns.

ozark_jewels · #4 09/02/08, 08:47 AM

Glad to hear the calf figured it out.
Be aware that teat size is a very heritable trait so watch for this in any daughters of this cow.

topside1 · #5 09/02/08, 08:52 AM

Great to hear the calf and cow have bonded...congrats.

Mare Owner · #6 09/02/08, 03:13 PM

Glad the calf was able to get some milk. Sorry to say, this cow should be culled. If this calf had trouble, any future calves will have trouble too, and no guarantees you can save them. It's hard when it's your favorite cow...

Phil - MO · #7 09/03/08, 10:35 AM

I checked the cow and calf again this morning (Wed.) and still only getting milk from one teat. Wonder if this will cause a problem?
I guess I'll get rid of her, but out of 15 cows she is the first to come when called and the tamest and kind of onery too. Kind of the boss. It's funny how a person gets attached to some of them.

ozark_jewels · #8 09/03/08, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil - MO

I checked the cow and calf again this morning (Wed.) and still only getting milk from one teat. Wonder if this will cause a problem?
I guess I'll get rid of her, but out of 15 cows she is the first to come when called and the tamest and kind of onery too. Kind of the boss. It's funny how a person gets attached to some of them.

You could very well end up with her getting sick from mastitis either this time or future freshenings if he only sucks from one quarter. Her udder will get worse with each freshening sad to say.
It is very hard to cull the ones you like but sometimes it must be done if you intend to keep a healthy herd.
Getting attached to them is normal, but it can be painful. I must say though, I'd rather be attached to my critters than not to care at all.