1st Calf heifer won't take calf

[Toby Bunkelman]

Hi everyone! I have read and learned so much on this forum, but I am finally in a position I don't have an answer for!!

This first year heifer won't take her calf. He'll be 2 weeks old tomorrow and every feeding has involved me in some way although I have seen him run her down for a sip here and there. She has graduated from kicking calf violently to now allowing him to nurse for as long as he likes as long as we stand there. I have tried calf claim, I have tried rewarding her with grain when she feeds. To be realistic-the swats have been the only thing that got through to her. I treat my cows very gently and I didn't want to go this route but it has worked. When should I call it quits? If I put him on a bottle I'll still be out there 3 times a day and it will be costing me milk replacer. Right now it's costing me hay when she could be on pasture but I won't turn her loose from the small pen they are in together. I opened it up a few stalls wide and she ran away and around the corner so he couldn't get to her. I'm thinking her career is going to end in white packages. I just can't have this kind of cow-but how best to manage it right now?

I have a goat due in about 3 days. I am thinking I should try to get the baby calf on the goat. Sound crazy? Will I have to milk the goat (something I have never done before!!!) and give the calf the bottle? I am a Mom of two 5 year olds and a 3 year old-I would really like to just hook the calf up with the goat

The calf is blind in one eye-was blind at birth. I'll post another thread in the right place for that.

Thank you, THANK YOU all in advance for your suggestions.

 

[Thewife]

If it was mine, the first thing I would do is check the heifer for any udder problems. If she is in pain, she's not going to be very nice to her calf!
Then I would take the calf away from her for the day, (letting her see it)for a few days, just to get a clue as to much milk she is making and giving her udder a chance to "fill up". Only allowing access for a morning and evening feedings.
Sometimes a heifer just don't make enough milk to satisfy the calf, so the calf will basically drive the mom to the point she gets a "little" mean!
Usually, once the heifer gets on good grass, or even grained a little, she will make the milk needed and learns it feels good to let the calf nurse!


A bottle calf on good quality milk replacer only needs fed twice a day.

Hopefullly somebody who knows about raising calves on goats milk will come along and give you some ideas on that subject!

 

[beefy]

i'd keep doing what you are doing. he should be getting about the age to whip her, assuming he is strong and healthy. has he figured out how to get it from behind yet?

 

[Toby Bunkelman]

She has a beautiful, well shaped udder. She seemed tender the first few feedings but we are two weeks into this. Granted she has settled down considerably in those two weeks. Once the initial tenderness and (shock?!) wore off, I let him nurse for extended feedings to make sure the demand was there so that she would produce more. She is getting about 9 lbs of grain a day. her hay is average to above average. I know she would be better off in pasture, but I'm afraid she'd get away fromthe little buggar and then we'd have a rodeo on our hands. I'll try seperating them during the day today and see what her udder looks like. He was so far between feedings yesterday (when I opened up more stall space for them) that his mouth was sticky-but I didn't think to really LOOK at her udder before I got them together. Thanks for your suggestions!!! No, he hasn't figured it out from behind. He is pretty spooked of her unless he knows I am there-which is part of why I have tried to stay away more and more in the last couple of days. That blind eye (more about that in the disease section) is a liability too I'm sure. She has kicked him in that eye enough that it's red and looks to be oozing blood now. The vet isn't in a big huryy to remove the eye and I'm wondering why wait?

 

[Imissmygirls]

Did she have a hard birth? Sometimes that turns the cows off completely for a calf.
I'd give the goat a try. A local dairy farmer does it regularly although I'd supervise it for a while. Perhaps with his disability, the calf will match up better with a less intimidating mother. obviously he isn't feeling the love from his natural mom. Does she mother him at all?

 

[Toby Bunkelman]

Still waiting on the goat to kid!!! heehee No, she really does not mother him. Today he is two weeks old and she is still shoving him around regularly. Although...glimmer of hope when I walked around the corner this afternoon and caught her licking him and that is a FIRST! He is like a puppy with me and my kids now at this point and I'm afraid that it's going to continue that way. I was happy to see her showing some affection, but really that's the first in two weeks. He is getting big enough to run her down but you know how big and string those back legs are. I hear the crack of his jaw and she's on the other side of the pen. GGRRRR

 

[username taken]

I have said it before and I will say it again:

Under no circumstances should you ever allow a calf to suckle directly off a goat doe. It will ruin the doe's udder and can lead to mastitis and death.

Calves do very very well on goat milk, but please, milk the doe out first, and bottle/bucket feed it to the calf.

 

[Toby Bunkelman]

Thanks for clearing that up-usernametaken! I don't know how in the world I would have managed anyway. The baby calf is 2 weeks old and MIRACUOULSLY the heifer seems to be taking care of him. I am really anxious to see how this goes-time will tell, but I haven't had to stand by her side to get her to fed him for nearly 2 days. AND Molly the goat kidded. One kid. I need some advice on that, too! I have heard they will only suckle out of one teat and I will have to milk the other one. Is that true? If she's countin' on me we are in serious trouble because this is my first time milking!!! It's going OK-I know I am not getting her bag empty by any means though.

 

[username taken]

It really depends on the goat herself. MOST does will be fine with only one kid; particularly if she is a meat or fibre breed. She will adjust to only having one kid and will produce less milk accordingly. Most dairy goats will also do the same. However, some very heavy milking dairy does, yes, they will need to be milked out, as they just produce way too much milk. Monitor the udder, if it stays really full and tight and looks uncomfortable, you will need to milk it out. Now, you might only need to do this in the beginning - as the kid grows older and demands more milk, she will start to suckle down both sides of the udder.

 

[Toby Bunkelman]

Thanks so much! I think I really got her cleaned out today. Midday one side and tonight the other. She was feeling pretty tight and I was awfully worried about mastitis, but I think we're in the clear now. She is a dairy breed, has tons of milking heritage, but was a whoops that I was given so I think everything is going to turn out OK.