One cow sucking another question.

uncleotis · #1 07/11/11, 08:22 AM

We have two first calf heifers, Little Girl and Half Pint, both bottle raised on milk replacer by me. They are both Holstein-Hereford cross. both are bred back, Little Girl due to calve this winter.

After they were weaned if I remember they both sucked on each other for a short period and gave it up. We bred them for the first time, I can't remember for sure now but sometime after they were bred Half Pint tried to start sucking Little Girl. I can't remember now if Little Girl let her or not, but Half Pint gave it up.

Half Pint calved in October and Little Girl in November, not once did Half Pint try sucking Little Girl during this time. We sold the calves this last May and shortly after I noticed Half Pint sucking Little Girl. The first few times I noticed Little Girl kick her off but Half Pint persisted, Little Girl gave in and left her suck. Now Half Pint sucks Little Girl several times a day just like a calf. She is getting milk and stupid Little Girl just stands there and lets her suck.

My question is, is this in anyway harming Little Girl?

Does anyone have any ideas as what we can do to stop it, separating them is not an option.

Thanks so much.
Pam

springvalley · #2 07/11/11, 08:38 AM

Not a good thing, no no no, get her from doing it real soon. You are going to have to buy a calf weaner ring to put in her nose, they do sell plastic ones that don`t have to be poked threw the skin. Here`s a company that may carry them (www.eNasco.com) they are out of Wis. I think. Good luck you will need it. > Thanks Marc

springvalley · #3 07/11/11, 08:41 AM

I just looked it up, they have several, most under 5 bucks, get one shipped today. > Marc

topside1 · #4 07/11/11, 12:58 PM

In my opinion bottle fed calves come with their own set of problems. This sucking business being one of them. I think being raised by humans (loved to near death) some how upsets the natural bovine apple cart. Bad habits are formed and normal instinct seems to get lost. JMO
If separating is not an option then selling one should be....just speaking from experience.

Ken Scharabok · #5 07/11/11, 01:39 PM

The main issue I have with bottle feeding is the calf really isn't sucking, just helping it flow down it' throat. If on mom, it would be generating saliva which would be mixed with the milk, supposedly helping digestion.

springvalley · #6 07/11/11, 01:50 PM

I forgot to mention, I had a cow I bought that they said would suck a certain cow in their herd. Now these people had their cows dry loted and we pasture our cows, so I think that helps. We brought her home and left the weaner ring in, I would say we had her a good year before it fell out one day. She has never sucked another cow that I can tell. So I hope and think the weaner will make her stop. > Thanks Marc

uncleotis · #7 07/11/11, 04:21 PM

Thanks Marc, Ken and Topside.

We were wondering if the fact they weren't bottle raised had a lot to do with the sucking thing. These two are on pasture I forgot to mention that.

We'll be trying the weaner ring as soon as I can get it ordered.

Thanks again.

uncleotis · #8 07/22/11, 08:20 AM

Marc, I just had to let you know we got a calf weaner last Saturday, the kind with the spikes on. We put it in Half Pints nose that same day and was hoping we'd be around when she decided to suck Little Girl for the first time with it in. We were ... and it was soooooooo funny. It's also funny to watch her put her head right down to Little Girls belly and want to suck but know she won't get away with it. She still walks around like a dejected calf.

Thanks again.

Pam