iso advice/input on putting a second calf on our cow, please

[cathleenc]

Our family cow, Biscuit, is due 11/21. She's 75 % jersey/25% guensey, 44" at the hip, and produces 3-4 gallons/day post-peak. The dairy farmer I got her from said she was about 52 lbs post-freshening.

Our kids are on a strict no-dairy diet due to food issues and we're trying to get ready to put our farm on the market.... so we don't really need the milk and we're short for time. Previously we've been sharing milk with a few close friends and machine milking, all of which worked out well enough.

I'm trying to lighten my load so I can get some serious painting and plastering done in the house... while keeping my good friend Biscuit with us. And started thinking about getting a second calf from our dairy farmer neighbors.

Biscuit is super gentle and will allow me to approach her anywhere, anytime and milk off a quart or so if I need some for coffee milk or cooking for dh and I. She licks me while doing so, just like I'm one of her calves. She's a real sweetheart!

So - the question: If I get a second calf, most likely a jersey cross bull calf, will Biscuit have enough milk for her calf and the adoptee? How old should her calf be before I introduce the second one? How long do I leave the pair on her before weaning? Would I buy a second pair at that point?

And advice and insights into this idea would be very much appreciated. Trying to figure it all out before we get close to calfing.

thanks!

[Chixarecute]

Biscuit should have more than enough milk to feed two calves. I would think the foster calf should be the same age as her own, and introduced as soon as possible after calving. You might want to consider saving the afterbirth to rub on the foster calf, as scent is important. You may also want to keep her in close quarters with the calves, to make sure the calf gets a good start, AND to make sure Biscuit doesn't hurt the foster calf if she decides "no way!" BTW, if she rejects the foster calf, you won't have a lighter work load! As far as weaning, between 6 weeks and 8 weeks, if you have time, and pasture, to separate them. You could certainly leave them on longer.

[francismilker]

Take here calf away from her as soon as it has had adequate colostrum.(about 1-2 days of bonding time with her.) Get an orphan calf the same age/size and only let her see her calf when she's nursing them both. As soon as they've eaten take them away and keep her calf out of licking/smelling reach so she can't groom it.

After a few days of this routine both calves will have taken on the same smell due to milk intake and sharing the same bedding conditions and she should take them both. I would not turn them loose and expect it to work out unless she's a proven foster cow. Unless you see her licking and grooming the orphan she hasn't "taken" it. She may let it rob milk while her's is nursing, but it's probably not getting enough unless it can nurse at will or you lock her up twice a day and let them both use her as a bottle.

[cathleenc]

hmm. Trickier than I thought though doable.

More info that may or may not help: Biscuit most likely has never raised a calf before and might not have even nursed a calf before. My dairy neighbor calls her a 'mama cow' in that any baby, human or animal, that wails on the farm is instantly attended to by Biscuit who comes at a gallop and tries to lick the wailing baby. Scares the heck out of human mothers with human babies!

If I use Francis's plan, how often would I be putting the pair of calves on the cow? Every 3 hours or so? What about nighttime - can I take an 8 hr break?

I can pen them so they are separated but next to each other, with a solid wood fence between them. Good? Not good?

thanks,
Cathy

[francismilker]

If she's called "mama cow" you may not have to do anything other than turn the calves loose with her.

If you do have to go through the teaching regimen, every 12 hours is enough feeding.

[cathleenc]

okey dokey! thanks so much for the tutorial and help!