New Calf in with Other Cattle

[Kellykidz]

Our first Dexter calf was born this morning. He is doing well, he was walking within 1/2 an hour and it took a couple hours to get him nursing. We have a steer that wasn't castrated properly and has the build of a bull more than a steer. While our cow was giving birth and right after the steer kept trying to mount her. Is this normal? Can this steer and the new calf be kept in the same pasture or do I need to separate them?

 

[jhm47]

It's pretty normal for a bull/steer to try to mount a cow right after she gives birth. The hormonal changes that we cannot detect are very apparent to a bull, and they will often mistakenly think the cow is ready to breed. Should be OK in a couple hours.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

Our first Dexter calf was born this morning. He is doing well, he was walking within 1/2 an hour and it took a couple hours to get him nursing. We have a steer that wasn't castrated properly and has the build of a bull more than a steer. While our cow was giving birth and right after the steer kept trying to mount her. Is this normal? Can this steer and the new calf be kept in the same pasture or do I need to separate them?

This is normal indeed. It's all because of the estrogen levels that increase in the cow during labor--same thing when she's in heat. To a bull, if he smells a high level of estrogen in her urine, he thinks it's time to mate with her, even if he doesn't realize she's trying to push out a calf--and he's trying to push it back in!

Keep a close eye on the steer's reactions to the calf. If he acts aggressive and tries to beat up on the calf, then separate them. If the steer ignores it, or the mother has something to say about his reaction to it and learns from the cow to leave it alone, then you most likely won't have to separate them.

 

[Kellykidz]

Thank you so much for your replies. I will sleep better tonight.

 

[Elm Tree acres]

You say it took a couple of hours to get him to nurse - did you guys help - if so then I wouldn't bother getting involved next time as Dexter calves need no help from us humans to nurse
Dexter's will all live very happily together and that steer would protect your little calf from coys or other predators. Are you milking the mum or letting the calf have it all ???
What went wrong with the castration ??? we only pinch nuts here and we don't use bands.
A photo of your new addition would be great

 

[Kellykidz]

You say it took a couple of hours to get him to nurse - did you guys help - if so then I wouldn't bother getting involved next time as Dexter calves need no help from us humans to nurse
Dexter's will all live very happily together and that steer would protect your little calf from coys or other predators. Are you milking the mum or letting the calf have it all ???
What went wrong with the castration ??? we only pinch nuts here and we don't use bands.
A photo of your new addition would be great


Let me just say my darling husband has been walking too much Incredible Dr Pol! We were showing off our animals to his ex-inlaws and discovered the cow in labor. The cow looked like she was in pain so DH pulled the calf out. Then he was yelling at me to get cold water. I trying to be calm kept telling him let the cow take care of it ... I thought I had convinced him and drove the exinlaws back to their car because they had gotten enough **** on them and seen enough. I went back to the pasture and Darling Husband has dumped water on the calf and cleaned it off and taken it away from it's mom because she wasn't being mom enough. UGG! Needless to say spousal harmony is not what this poor calf was born to. Finally I convinced DH to put the calf back in with it's mom. Luckily she is a great mom and is protective and loving. Hopefully I have educated Darling Husband on leaving the mama cow to take care of her baby.

We got the steer and like many new first time cattle purchasers we didn't pay a lot of attention to certain things. He was about 7 months when we got him and his ball sack was dangling and took quite a while to fall off. We have his 1/2 brother who is the same age and didn't have this issue. The two steers are shaped totally differently, this one, Fillet, also is more curious and more aggressive. When our one cow that isn't pregnant is in heat he keeps everyone else away from her. Hope I made sense.

 

[jhm47]

HE DUMPED COLD WATER ON IT??????? AND TOOK IT AWAY FROM THE COW??????? What a doofuss! I cannot imagine anyone doing that. Whatever you do, keep him away from the cattle. If he'd done that to any of my cattle, he'd be hurting right now. Some people-----!

 

[WildRoseBeef]

Let me just say my darling husband has been walking too much Incredible Dr Pol! We were showing off our animals to his ex-inlaws and discovered the cow in labor. The cow looked like she was in pain so DH pulled the calf out. Then he was yelling at me to get cold water. I trying to be calm kept telling him let the cow take care of it ... I thought I had convinced him and drove the exinlaws back to their car because they had gotten enough **** on them and seen enough. I went back to the pasture and Darling Husband has dumped water on the calf and cleaned it off and taken it away from it's mom because she wasn't being mom enough. UGG! Needless to say spousal harmony is not what this poor calf was born to. Finally I convinced DH to put the calf back in with it's mom. Luckily she is a great mom and is protective and loving. Hopefully I have educated Darling Husband on leaving the mama cow to take care of her baby.

We got the steer and like many new first time cattle purchasers we didn't pay a lot of attention to certain things. He was about 7 months when we got him and his ball sack was dangling and took quite a while to fall off. We have his 1/2 brother who is the same age and didn't have this issue. The two steers are shaped totally differently, this one, Fillet, also is more curious and more aggressive. When our one cow that isn't pregnant is in heat he keeps everyone else away from her. Hope I made sense.

I think that one steer is still a bull, probably has one nut up in the body cavity which may explain his bullish behavior. All bulls are "curious" when they're more or less testing you for dominance. Get a vet to check out if he still has a testicle remaining up in the body.

And as to your hubby.... excuse my language but what the @#$% was he thinking???????? WHY did he up and decided that it was "best" to throw a bucket of cold water on to a newborn calf that just came from a nice, pleasantly warm uterus out into the harsh, colder world, and up and take it away from its mother???? That is just plain stupid, ridiculous, and downright irresponsible! If I had animals and if I had hired him to look after them, he'd be gone, but I wouldn't let him go without giving him a GOOD lesson on the proper way to take care of a newborn calf!!

 

[Kellykidz]

And as to your hubby.... excuse my language but what the @#$% was he thinking???????? WHY did he up and decided that it was "best" to throw a bucket of cold water on to a newborn calf that just came from a nice, pleasantly warm uterus out into the harsh, colder world, and up and take it away from its mother???? That is just plain stupid, ridiculous, and downright irresponsible! If I had animals and if I had hired him to look after them, he'd be gone, but I wouldn't let him go without giving him a GOOD lesson on the proper way to take care of a newborn calf!!

I wouldn't hire my city slicker husband to look after any animals either! He is learning and working on it and he is being a great sport in our ranching adventure. We had quite a few discussions about proper care of new born calves. No more calves will be born until we get our Lowline breed so I have a lot of time to educate him.

 

[Cricket]

Well, you always read about throwing cold water on someone who's fainted to bring them around, eh? Sounds like he's at least interested and trying! I still think some men get the testosterone rush--"do something, quick! Anything!" (I've got one like that--they mellow nicely with age.)

Good luck with your ranching adventure!