# Calf that refuses to suck/nurse



## sparkles2307 (Mar 16, 2011)

We have an angus calf that was born 4 days ago now...

She was born around 1pm on Saturday March 12.  By 8pm she was in the house for a warm-up and  bottle of colostrx.

Sunday she was back in for a shot of Vetramycin and another dose of colostrx.

She WONT suckle!  We can put our finger in her mouth and she bites and pushes it out.

Put a bottle in her mouth and she either tries pushing it out or jsut stands there perfectly still like it will go away.

Give her mommy's teat and she stands there for a moment with it in her mouth, doesnt suck at ALL, then drops it and stands there.

It's so hard to get her to swallow ANYTHING that DH has taken to using the tube to feed her.

Why would a calf come out and have NO nursing instinct?  And how do we fix it!?  We put her with mommy all day except when DH thinks she's going to die and tubes her.


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## WildRoseBeef (Mar 16, 2011)

Have you tried putting milk in her mouth and around her nose so she licks it? You can even try to squirt milk in her mouth and on her tongue so she gets a taste of it and learns to associate milk with suckling.


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## PattySh (Mar 16, 2011)

Any chance she's a premie and her sucking response hasn't developed? DId she have a dificult birth?  If she is tiny try a lambs nipple on a plastic soda bottle, she may not be able to suck well and cow bottle nipples are very hard. I'd squeeze the milk  so she can taste it and hold my hand around her muzzle. If this fails you can try a pail, dip your fingers in the milk  then in her mouth and lower her head into the bucket. If she is weak the bucket may be easier.


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## jhm47 (Mar 16, 2011)

I've had dozens of calves like that.  I've had many that I was sure were not sucking, and come to find out, they were sneaking a meal here and there when I wasn't watching.  However, there are the odd ones that just won't suck.  The outcome with these is very seldom good.  Be VERY careful with the tube feeding.  It's very easy to get the tube in the "wrong" place on the calf, and you will drown them immediately.  Good luck!


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## sparkles2307 (Mar 17, 2011)

DH's preference is for her to get a taste of her momma and go from there.

He was milking the cow into the calf's mouth/face each day.

She was not early, she's one of our bigger calves, about 80 lbs, not difficulty in birth.

But... *drumroll please*

Last night she figured out where the good stuff is!  She was SO enthusiastic about nursing that her little back hooves were comming off the ground when she head butted the udder!

DH has seen her nurse 3 times without help now!


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## Royd Wood (Mar 17, 2011)

Great News - so pleased to hear its drinking


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## PattySh (Mar 17, 2011)

That's awesome news!


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