An about a month and a half, it will be time to wean the calf off my Jersey, Dawn. It occurred to me that I'll have to start milking Dawn twice a day when Libby Belle is no longer around. But I am lazy ... :haha: It occurred to me that maybe I could get a sale barn steer (or one from the farmer I work for) and slap it on Dawn after her calf gets too big. How hard is it to get a cow to accept a strange calf? Dawn is on her 4th lactation (although this is the first time she's been allowed to raise her calf ... she was owned by a commercial dairy before). She is a very good mother, and generally has a laid-back disposition. Any pointers for getting this to work?!
What you are suggesting has been done thousands of times. I would be sure the calf I put on her has had colostrum milk. I would get it while I still had the other calf. That way you could let them both up to her at the same time. If she is tied and eating grain she won't pay as much attention. You'll need to put a rope on the big calf so he don't hog up all the milk. Some cows accept strange calves right away and others can be mighty stubborn about it. If she kicks the calf, put him up to her between her hind legs. If she isn't tied you could have a problem.
there is a product that used to be sold it was called o-no-mo,or something similar from jeffer's vet it was for getting cows to take a new calf.
An old trick I have heard of is to take an old bath towel and rub her calf briskly with it, trying to transfer some of the scent of the calf onto the towel. Rub the rear end with one end. On the new calf then pin it around the neck and under the belly for a couple of feedings. End with rear end smell goes to the back, of course. The new calf will gradually get a scent she knows. Ken S. in WC TN
I would be afraid if you let the calf have a bottle it won't be pushy enough when it tries to suck the cow. It would work best if your new calf has sucked a few days before you put it on your cow. The new calf needs to be persistant and not be easily discouraged. A day old calf is very meek.
