New calf question

Rocktown Gal · #1 09/06/11, 02:37 PM

We had a calf born last Thursday. Seems to me the mom is not taking very good care of the baby. She keeps leaving it. Eventually they get back together...but should the mom keep leaving the baby?

Right now it is raining and the mom I would think should take the baby under the trees or in the barn...but nope she's not. We are getting part of TS Lee and it will be raining all week. How is this going to effect the calf?

Any help appreciated.

Thanks

G. Seddon · #2 09/06/11, 03:50 PM

Do you have a smaller enclosure with a shelter that you can move the cow and calf to? If this is her first calf, she may not know what she's supposed to do. Is she going to the trees or woods and leaving the calf in the open? Is the calf nursing well and energetic? Like you, I worry terribly when there's a lot of rain. And this is supposed to be through Thursday, I think.

Rocktown Gal · #3 09/06/11, 04:02 PM

Yes, this is her first calf. The first couple of days she stayed right with it. It's 6 days old now and mom goes way off to the other pasture and baby is laying down in the bottom pasture. If I go down towards the baby she goes looking for it...but then she leaves it again. Son just went down and took baby to momma instead of momma going to baby so right now they are together again. No mom is out in the pasture not heading for the trees or the barn...geesh...my husband says I worry to much...but darn it...I lost a calf in April and don't want it to happen again.

Yes there is an area we can take it too...I just may have to go and do that.

G. Seddon · #4 09/06/11, 05:14 PM

I don't blame you a bit. Losing a calf makes you gunshy. If you decide to take her and her calf to the barn, you might want to throw in another cow (a friend) so mom doesn't get antsy about not being with the herd.

They're probably fine where they are, but with all this rain, flash floods, etc., you might feel better knowing they're in the dry barn with hay. Glad to know you have help (good son).

MO_cows · #5 09/06/11, 05:31 PM

If the calf has made it for 6 days, momma is nursing it and caring for it at least to some degree. It is common for a calf to be bedded down and left while mom goes foraging. Some cows will forage farther away than others. She knows where it is and will return to it, most likely morning and evening. Any day now, that calf is gonna start tagging along with mom anyway and not stay bedded down waiting for her.

Rocktown Gal · #6 09/06/11, 06:01 PM

MO_cows, thank you for your response. This is my first year with calves.

The baby does nurse I see her do that when she is with the momma. Just wondering about her getting to cold. But they do sleep in under the trees at night...why do highlands never go into the barn I will never know. It will be raining until Thursday.

Guess I just worry too much!

DWH Farm · #7 09/07/11, 10:18 AM

This is how most of our cows behave. Hide the baby and forage, going back to take care of it through out the day until it is 10-14 days old and joins the herd. Our cows also never really seek out shelter in the rain either, although they have several sheds, a barn and woods/trees that they could go to. Sounds normal to me but maybe my cows are weird, lol...

SCRancher · #8 09/07/11, 10:28 AM

Rocktown - 4 of my cows dropped calves in a week - 3 of the calves stick with mamma while one of them didn't - I put the calf with the mamma twice in 3 days and both times I watched the calf nurse. The last 3 times I have went out to check on my cows the calf was with the mamma.

I only check on my cows every 2 days right now because of calving - usually it's every 5 days.

So like other's have said - if you have watched the calf nurse well a time or two then I wouldn't worry about it.

ksfarmer · #9 09/07/11, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWH Farm

This is how most of our cows behave. Hide the baby and forage, going back to take care of it through out the day until it is 10-14 days old and joins the herd. Our cows also never really seek out shelter in the rain either, although they have several sheds, a barn and woods/trees that they could go to. Sounds normal to me but maybe my cows are weird, lol...

Perfectly normal cow behavior. Baby would get worn out if he tried to follow the herd all day while they are grazing. Mom knows where he is.

Rocktown Gal · #10 09/07/11, 11:44 AM

Thank you all very very much. I have another due soon...I just have to get use to having calves around.

G. Seddon · #11 09/07/11, 11:51 AM

And you know that pictures of new Highland babies are mandatory, but I guess we can wait until the sun's returns.

BeeDaisyRabbit · #12 09/07/11, 10:18 PM

ksfarmer has it right. They typically know where they left the calf. Cow's milk is so high in fat that mommas leave babies behind while they graze and the calf rests with a belly full of milk. The bad is if she a new mom and "forgets" where she left the calf. Usually, as in the case of my Lucy, there is a more mature cow that keeps tabs on all the babies and will tell the new momma cows where they last left their calf. The calf will also call to its mum when hungry. Regardless of what I have said, if you're fretting too much about the cow and calf, keep both in an acre enclosure until you feel comfortable.