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03/14/11, 09:05 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: wyoming nebraska line
Posts: 170
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tell me about your secind chance cows
A heifer i have just had a calf ,it was a hard calving with a breech calf getting stuck in the birth canal and after haveing to push the calf back in and then pulling it out backwards mom just isnt milking , she loves on the calf and licks it but isnt letting any milk down ,do i give this first calf heifer a second chance or send her to the slaighter?
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03/14/11, 09:25 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: ne colorado
Posts: 1,205
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thats a good question. I've had some first calf hefiers be bad mothers and the rest of their lives be great mothers. with out knowing the temperment and breed its hard to give advice.
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03/14/11, 09:32 PM
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Dariy Calf Raiser
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: missouri
Posts: 2,004
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easy answer if you have a 100 cows ship her if she is one of 10 give a chance
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03/14/11, 10:00 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: wyoming nebraska line
Posts: 170
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cow
she is a scottish highland angus cross , very gentle and is halter broke even the kids can work with the calf , she is one of 5 cows i have .
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03/14/11, 10:13 PM
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Retired farmer-rancher
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: north-central Kansas
Posts: 2,895
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I have to respectfully disagree with meyersfarm. If you had 100 cows this one would represent 1% of your calf crop, with 5 cows she is 20%. Not milking shouldn't be caused by calving difficulties and she may be the same next year. I would replace her.
__________________
* I'm supposed to respect my elders, but its getting harder and harder for me to find one. .*-
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03/14/11, 10:45 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: W Mo
Posts: 9,183
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Well I'm gonna answer a question with more questions. How old is she? I always thought highlands cattle were slower maturing, but please somebody correct me if that's wrong. If she's calving at 2 but she's half a breed that normally calves at 3, that could explain it. I believe there is a shot that you can get from the vet that might bring her into milk - is it oxy...something?? But if she was mine and she wasn't bred too young, I would most likely ship her. Prices have been too good to feed her til next year for nothing.
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03/14/11, 11:03 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Central Missouri
Posts: 2,028
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I agree with MO cow, I would try some oxytocin injections and the cow and calf closed up in a stall together. Let the calf nurse as much as it wants, give it enough milk to keep it strong, give momma the injections and keep your fingers crossed for a good outcome.
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03/14/11, 11:20 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Hoosier transplant to cheese country
Posts: 6,437
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I say keep her. I agree with the statement that highlands mature slower, and she is a cross bred coming into heat too early. It could also be your feed, as I have sorely learned that is causing her milk to not come in. With the price of cattle right now, it will be tough to afford to replace her, and at 2 years old, not worth shipping because she hasn't reached full growth.
Think about dairy goats. A one year old first freshener might give 4 or 5 pounds of milk and the second time around commonly can more than double her output.
also, how do you know she isn't milking? did you actually milk her, after making the proper actions to get her to let down her milk? some cows are shy about letting down for a person.
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03/15/11, 12:36 AM
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Dariy Calf Raiser
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: missouri
Posts: 2,004
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Quote:
Originally Posted by myersfarm
easy answer if you have a 100 cows ship her if she is one of 10 give a chance
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if you had 100 you would not have time to mess with her and if you have 10 your attached to her......why my answer
oxytec will not make her have more milk it will only make her let down what she has made
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03/15/11, 12:44 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: the flat land of Illinois
Posts: 4,652
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how long ago did she calve? Could there be any retained placenta?
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03/15/11, 05:42 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Western New York
Posts: 542
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Is she full and not letting down or just no milk there?
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03/15/11, 09:50 AM
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Retired farmer-rancher
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: north-central Kansas
Posts: 2,895
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After disagreeing with meyersfarm, I now have to agree. No matter if you have 5 or 100 cows, economicaly it does not make sense to keep one who is questionable. She will eat a lot of feed for a year and be a risk again next year. However, there is a difference if she is a pet and economics is not the entire bottom line.
__________________
* I'm supposed to respect my elders, but its getting harder and harder for me to find one. .*-
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03/15/11, 11:07 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: wyoming nebraska line
Posts: 170
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calf
well thanks to all of you for answering . Lonleyfarmgirl about hit it on the head and i will explain that in a second . the cow is 2 1/2 years old and she did clean out all her placenta she was letting milk down but wasnt letting the calf suck when the calf approached her, after writing this i told the kids not to go to the barn and not to bother her ,about 3am i snuck in the barn and sure enough the calf was suckling ,i left and came back about 3 hrs later sure enough again the calf was suckling again but when the cow saw me she walked away and wouldnt let the calf suck anymore , i left snuck in again later and the calf was suckling again and once again when the cow saw me she walked away and wouldnt let her suck again ,she is shy i think, just as lonley farm girl had said and for some reason wont let her calf suck when we are around, so she has been moved to the back stall with her baby and from what i can tell is happily rasing her calf away from everyone.thanks to all who answerd it gave me alot to think about and all the answers had good in it .
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03/15/11, 01:50 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: S.E. Iowa
Posts: 2,530
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Yeah! Sounds like a good ending. I am milking a goat right now that will NOT let down if there is a dog in the barn. Kind of tough, I have 3 that are glued to my leg, but I will gate them out from now on.
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03/15/11, 01:59 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Western NY
Posts: 703
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I had a first calf heifer that didn't let her milk down on her first calf, the vet came in and gave her a shot to help her let down, she said it was quite a common occurence. She let her milk down on day 3, she never had it happen again, raised her calf an another one last year and is an awesome cow. She is in the barn now waiting to deliver!
I'd talk to your vet, see if they think a shot would help, I'd also vote to keep her, she seems to have a lot going for her.
Carol
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03/15/11, 07:39 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,699
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Some thoughts on Angus
Angus seem to throw "big bone" calves - could these genes contribute to breech births with smaller breeds?
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03/15/11, 07:55 PM
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Zone 7
Posts: 10,539
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tell me about your secind chance cows
Mine are not here! I took them to the sale barn or processing plant. There are no repeat offends in the herd.
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Agmantoo
If they can do it,
you know you can!
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03/15/11, 07:57 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: W Mo
Posts: 9,183
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Glad it worked out!
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03/15/11, 09:03 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Missouri
Posts: 2,349
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RedDirt Cowgirl
Angus seem to throw "big bone" calves - could these genes contribute to breech births with smaller breeds?
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Breech presentations are caused by mispositions rather than calf bone size.
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