Stressed out about seperating Jersey cow/calf!!!

[pranafarms]

We just bought our first Jersey, she is due within the next 2 weeks.

We had a friendly retired dairyman who now raises replacement heifers allow us to use a cow he couldn't sell last year for our family milk cow. Her calf was delivered stillborn, so there wasn't an issue, however now we have our very own cow... and need advice as to what is the best way to deal with the calf (if it is a heifer).

We have decided that if it is a bull it will be separated almost immediately, bottle fed colostrum for a few days, and given away on craigslist, however if it is a heifer we will want to keep her. We have been told that it is actually most humane to separate the cow and calf immediately, and bottle feed the calf away from the mother (before they have a chance to bond), My grandmother said to raise the calf in a stall right next to the mother, so they can still be near eachother (which to me seems it would just make it worse). She also said that Jerseys have tender udders and if we let the calf nurse she could injure the mother and cause mastitis. The old dairyman friend of ours said to separate them at night, then milk in the morning for ourselves, and leave them together during the day. I want to do what is right by the animals, and raise a healthy calf, but that considered this cow's sole purpose is to provide milk for our family. She was rescued from the beef floor for that purpose (this will be her first calf, but she has "flat hooves" so she was being culled from Tillamook, she should be fine on pasture)

Please give me your advice, particularly from the heart as this issue is causing my 13 year old daughter and myself a bit of emotional stress. We have the resolve to stick to our decision once made, we just want to make the right one.

Thanks very much,
Renee

[Cotton Picker]

Hi Renee,

Congratulations on acquiring a family cow.

My council to you would be to separate the cow and calf within the first hour of birth. This is based upon your expressed purpose for the cow being, to provide you with milk for the table,

It will be a better method of managing your cow's udder health and milk quality. It will also insure that you know how much colostrum that your calf is ingesting and that it is an adequate amount to promote healty antibody absoption within the first six hours postpartum. I would say two quarts for the first feeding.

Here is a site devoted to calf care:

http://www.calfnotes.com/index.html

Kind of curious about the "Flat hooves" description. I'm not familiar with it, as most hoof problems can be corrected with proper trimming and care.

http://www.moomilk.com/archive/a_health_35.htm

Just curious.. If the calf turns out to be a bull, why get rid of it?

[Ronney]

Renee, this is going to be a learning curve for you over the next few years until you find a system that suits both you and your cow.

I do not seperate the calf from it's mother for at least four days. I don't care how much colestrum it's getting so long as it's getting it and the best colestrum will be that from it's mother. If I feel the cow needs milked in that time I will do so and then put it back with the calf.

By accident rather than design, my calf rearing yard is hard against the cowshed and this has turned out to be the best set-up of all that I've had over the years, bearing out what your grandmother says. The cows come in to be milked and they can see and recognise their calves and are happy with it. The first few days can be jumpy but when things settle down, the cows are happy just to be able to see their calves. However, I disagree with your grandmothers statement that Jersey's have tender udders. They are no more tender than any other breed of cow and each cow is individual anyway. Also a new born calf will be doing well to damage the udder of it's dam. That happens when the calf is much older.

Or you can follow your dairyman's advice. Sharemilking with the calf in the manner that he is talking about is common but can lead to problems of a cow holding back for her calf and handling the calf as it grows.

You've got a couple of weeks to think about the options and a season to try them out - if it doesn't work you can always go to Plan B next season and believe me, it won't hurt the cow to do so.

If it's a bull calf, why not rear it for your freezer or to sell on at a later date. You'll have more than enough milk and you may as well make a little bit of money towards paying for the cow and her upkeep.

Cheers,
Ronnie

[pranafarms]

My 13 yr. old daughter is a strict vegetaian, as are others in our family, we are moving towards a lower meat consumption substituting much of meat needs with dairy and eggs, and have no issues eating our mean roosters. We are able to trade our produce (we are organic produce farmers) for meat from a great little local grass fed organic meat producer, so we do like to know that the meat we eat was consciously raised, however I do not feel the need to put my girls through the emotional distress of raising meat animals. A promise we made as a family when we bought the farm (as my children are EXTREMELY involved) is that we wouldn't intentionally raise animals for meat. The males have to go... enough said... but we don't have to get attached to them. We would, and quite honestly I can't handle it. I get TOO attached, I was raised on a farm where we did raise some meat animals for our family, and I would cry for weeks, and have to go away to a friend or relative for several days when the deed was done. I never did get over it.

Also, we moved away from the city just recently. Much of what influenced our decision was the desire to heal, and be a part of the living breathing creative side of life after the brutal murders of a few of our friends. My girls have experienced enough death in their childhood, I feel absolutely no need to make them face it further. We have lost animals, and it hurts, we can accept that. I would probably quit eating meat before raising a meat animal.

Living in my fairytale garden of Eden,
Renee

[JKB07]

A fairytale is right! Anyhow, there is no need to seperate the calf immediately after birth, bull or heifer. For the well being of the calf you will want to leave it with mother for at least 48 hours, letting the calf consume its mothers milk on its own. I see you are most concerned about the well being of your animals. Then, I see you wanting to interupt what is natural for the cow and calf. Seems like a conflict of intrest... IMHO I would say after the first 48 is up, seperate calf at night and milk in the morning, then turn cow and calf out together. This will be the best for the animals and your family...

Please keep us updated on animals!

Justin

[Oakshire_Farm]

I have always seperated about an hour after birth. It works great for us! Once the cow is up and has had a bucket or warm water and electorites, I milk her. I give the calf about 2 lt of colostrum. I keep the calf inside in a stall and bottle feed it.

If the calf is a heifer, which I have right now, I spend lots of time with her. On nice days when the weather is noice the calf is out in the yard with us, the calf is very bonded to us because they think of our family as "mom", our heifer follows us all around the yard!

After about 2 or 3 weeks we can usually put the calf back in with mom and they don't think to look for milk from the cow mom. The first few weeks really help that we have a very friendly cow as she grows and once she dosn't look to cows for milk living with them helps her learn to be a cow.

This is a method that works great for us!!! My heifer was born a week ago today, she spent the day in the yard making bon fires and playing with the dogs while her cow mom was on the other side of the fence quite happily chewing her cud. She is not bothered that her calf is not with her. The first day or two the cow does bellow and call her calf but after 4 or 5 days she is out to pasture and very happy!

Good luck! Fingers crossed for a heifer! X X

[nduetime]

I am a softie when it comes to Mommas and their babies. When my Jersey freshened we left her little heifer on her. Especially for the first few days when all is really colostrum. We milked her once a day everyday and that has worked well for us. We seperated the two in the am, milked in the late afternoon and then Mom and baby were together for the evening. Cut down a lot on the crying for Mom and baby thing. We did this until the heifer was three months old and then put her in with our steer calf who is only a few months older. We did not need all the milk she could produce so it worked out fine for us.

[cathleenc]

Renee,
we don't have cows... yet (our first calf arrives in May). But we do have goats and I just gotta say that the bellowing of the mammas for the babies still haunts my heart. If you are seeking healing then try leaving the cow calf pair together with milk sharing. You can always try another plan next year. I think there is real satisfaction is being the guardian who allows what nature intended to actually happen. (absolutely not saying that dairy farmers or those who separate are doing wrong).

Cathy

[pranafarms]

Well, our cow finally went into labor, things didn't go ideally so the dairy guy down the street came and helped us pull the calf. Unfortunately it was a bull calf, and all my concerns about separating the mother and calf were alleviated when after cleaning up the calf the mother walked away and left the calf. After an hour or so of trying to stand up unsuccessfully the calf just gave up and laid there shivering in the cool spring wind until after some time I was convinced that if I didn't step in the poor thing was going to die. We carried him over to his mother (laying down) and sprayed colostrum from her teat into his mouth... he was completely not interested and was limp in my arms, so we carried him inside. The mom didn't seem to care at all. We milked the mom and used a turkey baster to get the calf to swallow about a pint or so of colostrum, and then let him sleep in the arms of my 13 year old daughter for the night. He drank better the following morning, and by the following afternoon he was able to stand and moved out of the house. He is doing well now, and is about 4 days old. The mom is milking well, and we are already getting nearly 4 gallons per day. Time to make cheese. Thanks for your advice.