URGENT! Baby born this evening, accidentally sperated!

[mtnmenagerie]

Hi everyone! I've got an urgent question...

My cow calved today. I found them out JUST before dark when I was calling them in for the night. My wife was/is at work this evening so i've been trying to do this alone. Because of coyotes, leaving the mother and baby out was out of the question.

When I found the pair, the baby was dry, standing and drinking great.

I scooped up the baby, put it in the truck and drove slowly making sure the mother followed. Just before we got back to the house, for some reason the mother suddenly turned and ran back way off into the woods.

Turned around right away, but lost the mother. I didn't want to leave the baby alone, so put it in a pen, and first luring the mother back with food but she wasn't interested whatsoever. So I brought the baby back hoping to get her to follow again; but now I can't seem to find the mother anywhere. I sat out there for an hour waiting listening, but couldn't find her.

Will this baby be okay overnight without it's mother if it was dry, standing and drinking? It was born sometime this evening. I hate to do that... i'll probably head out and try to reunite the two here in just a bit; just need advice!

Thanks!

[katy]

My guess is probably be ok, BUT I don't know much. Can you call your wife at work ? and without upsetting her to much ? Congratulations for hanging in there and trying to help.

Next best perhaps spend time with the calf to get it to call for mother. Might sound feeble but it should be worth a try.

[tinknal]

It should be fine. Get them together as soon as you can in the morning. The cow will probably be where she calved.

[MO_cows]

If the calf got a belly full, it should be ok til morning. Cows ain't the brightest and sometimes they go to where they left the calf instead of following it when you carry it.

[mtnmenagerie]

I called my wife at work and she said she thought it might be okay... but to post up a question on here just to be sure. She should be home in an hour or so.

I really hate to wait till morning to reunite them. We've got lots of land; big hilly fields, and probably equal amounts of fenced woods which makes it extremely hard to find anything in the dark. For some reason the mother isn't where she had the baby. I thought she's show up there too and that's where I sat with the baby for over an hour, but didn't hear her at all.

[Mare Owner]

It's good the calf was dry and sucking, so you know it got some colostrum. If it were me, I would give it more from a bottle or tube to make sure it gets enough. Call all the neighbors and let them know you have a cow on the loose, you'd be surprised how far they go and how they can jump.

In the morning I'd put the calf in the back of the truck, with a helper riding with it and see if you can find the mother. If you can get the calf bawling she may hear it if she's not too far away.

[agmantoo]

At first light return and locate the cow and reunite the pair. Everything should be fine but make certain the cow accepts the calf before you leave.

[Tom in TN]

mtnmenagerie,

It is also possible that your cow twinned and you've only seen one of them. I'd go looking for the cow in the morning, but I'd also be on the lookout for a calf, possible hidden from plain view.

If you try to coax that cow back to the baby that you have found, and she is insistent on staying out in the woods, I'd really look hard for a second calf.

Good luck.

Tom in TN

[mtnmenagerie]

Thanks everybody (the wife here). The calf is settled in a nice stall with a heat lamp. He's a big strong boy and has been pooping a lot of healthy calf poop, so I'm assuming he had been eating a lot this evening. The momma cow is hanging out where she calved (no other calf in sight). I think we are going to keep this arrangement until first light. Then we'll get them where they need to be.
I'm thinking of bottle feeding the calf tonight....
Anyway! thanks so much!

[tinknal]

Don't bottle feed the calf. It will just confuse it. It will be fine until morning.

[susieM]

So? What's the news?

[Ronney]

Originally Posted by mtnmenagerie

Thanks everybody (the wife here). The calf is settled in a nice stall with a heat lamp. He's a big strong boy and has been pooping a lot of healthy calf poop, so I'm assuming he had been eating a lot this evening. The momma cow is hanging out where she calved (no other calf in sight). I think we are going to keep this arrangement until first light. Then we'll get them where they need to be.
I'm thinking of bottle feeding the calf tonight....
Anyway! thanks so much!

Sensible, the calf will be fine until morning and I agree with Tinknel, do not bottle feed and confuse the issue. Cows (and sheep) can be rather silly (in our eyes) and I too agree that despite seeing the calf on the truck, instinct still told her to go back to where she had calved/last seen it. So, along with others, I too would take the calf back to the same spot first thing in the morning and if you wish to bring them back to the barn in the evening, walk them together rather than useing a vehicle.

Cheers,
Ronnie

[linn]

This it typical behavior for a cow newly calved. If you move the baby ahead of them too quickly, they run back to the spot where they had it hid. We usually walk ahead a few steps and stop to let the cow smell the calf. If it is a gentle cow, I just get behind her and drive her to the barn, the calf will usually follow its mom.

[mtnmenagerie]

[mtnmenagerie]

You guys are fantastic. I'm happy I went with my better judgment and did NOT bottle feed last night. I didn't want to add stress/confusion - and since he was obviously not starving...
Simon got out this morning and walked em back like some of you mentioned. So now mother and calf are safe and sound, in the lot they SHOULD have been in yesterday She tricked me yesterday morning into letting her out to graze on all that fresh green grass... I just didn't think it was time for a baby yet!
Thank you bunches!!

[tinknal]

Great pic! I can see by the cow's attention to her calf that she is greatly relieved too.