Lost Calf?

[Phil - MO]

I have a cow that has given me several calves, and two years ago raised twins. Last year she lost a calf and this year I thought she was about ready to have a calf and suddenly she is letting a 5-month old calf from another cow have her milk. She's with several other cows with calves on a pretty large piece of ground.
I wonder if she lost this years calf?

[SpaceCadet12364]

You probably need to make a very thorough search of your pasture areas that she has access to.

If she had it and lost it, predators may have already gotten to it, but its likely you would still see some evidence of it having happened.

Sorry it doesnt sound good, but hopefully you can at least get some answers.

[7thswan]

My cows will "stash" their babies in the first week after birth. After finding them, I can even pick them up and they won't make a sound or even stand. These are usally the Longhorns, they are closer to wild than domestic breeds.

[justaheifer]

Can you check the cow to see if she has even calved yet?
I've had cows allow other calves to nurse BEFORE they even calved.

[randiliana]

Does she look like she has calved? Just because she is letting a calf steal from her, doesn't mean she has already calved, or for that matter that it is dead. If she hasn't calved, you will need to separate her from the older calf so she will have colostrum for her new baby.

[Ed K]

I can't help with your question but it's making me think. Is the 5 month old calf weaned from it's mother? How do you prevent milk stealing by other claves if you're running a mixed herd?

[Phil - MO]

Thanks for the replies. She is on about 120 acres half wooded and I have plenty of coyotes and some bob cats. In fact I lost a deer last year to the coyotes during the muzzeloading season that I couldn't find until morning.
I've been checking them almost every day and I really don't think she has calved yet. If not I need to wean the older calves right away so she has colostrum. I just never noticed an older calf nursing a cow that was ready to calf.

[randiliana]

You don't need to wean your calves, unless you want to, as long as you can separate her from the calf that is sucking her. After she has calved, she probably won't let anything else suck from her. Calves are notorious freeloaders, and this cow may just be an easy mark. Good luck.

[copperhead46]

I'd pull her up and see if she's still pregnant. A lot of cows will let a freeloader nurse off of them, I have one up right now because she was letting 3 plus her own nurse and of course went down with mild fever. Get the cow in and if she has a calf, she'll start calling for it, if not bump her and see if she has a baby.
P.J.