Skipper isn't skipping!

[GrassFarmerGalloway]

My wonderful girl, Agile Gal, gave birth to a beautiful calf last Thursday. I'm a bit worried. When she was first born, Skipper, the calf, was up and about playing. Ever since then, she has been moping around all day, not playing much, and she can't seem to find the udder again! She's nursing off Agile Gal's belly fur. Obviously, she's nursing, or she wouldn't be alive now, I'd just like all your opinions as to what's wrong.

We've had this problem before, with other members of Agile Gal's family. I think Skipper might be a premie.

 

[GrassFarmerGalloway]

Note: Maybe this ought to be moved to the Emergencies/diseases and curses section.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Moved.

I'm wondering if she isn't getting enough to eat. If she is hitting the belly more than the teat she maybe getting enough to live but, not enough to survive. Somehow, she needs to be taught where the teat is. Until you can get her to do that I would try a bottle feeding and see if that helps her. I would try to milk some out of mom and give that to her in a bottle.

 

[GrassFarmerGalloway]

We've had this problem before, with one of Agile Gal's relatives. I'll tell you that story. My dad stars in this one, since me and the rest of my family were out of town.

Udderly had just given birth to a heifer calf (Joy). DF noticed she wasn't nursing, so he tried to help, he put the calf right on the teat and everything. She still wouldn't nurse. He tried bottle feeding too. Nothing worked, so he just gave up, knowing he had tried. She learned to nurse properly about a week later.

My dad is all for leaving the calf to learn how to nurse. I'm on the fence. I want to help, but A: I can't do it alone B: Maybe the calf ought to learn by itself C: Would trying to put the calf on the teat be damaging at all?

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I'll let the experienced beef people help you more.

 

[jhm47]

Sometimes when lambs or calves begin to suck on a ball of hair, they will imprint on that, and stand and suck themselves to starvation. It can be a very hard habit to break. Is there a particular spot or "ball" of hair that the calf is sucking on? If so, try to trim that part off, and get the calf to start sucking on a teat. Also, sometimes if a cow has mastitis, the milk must taste terrible, and the calf won't suck on that particular quarter of the bag. If the calf hasn't been sucking much since Thursday, the cow should br quite uncomfortable, and may not let the calf suck where it should be.

 

[wynedot55]

as said if you dont think she is sucking pen her up.an put the calf on the teat if you can.we had a cow that wasnt giving to much milk calve an have a set of twins born dead.so we penned her.grafted a free hol bull calf on her.fed the calf a bottle once a day.then turned them out.an was feeding a bottle every other day.then bro left for 3 days.came home an found the calf dead.so the cow didnt have enough milk to raise them.

 

[Thewife]

Sometimes when lambs or calves begin to suck on a ball of hair, they will imprint on that, and stand and suck themselves to starvation. It can be a very hard habit to break. Is there a particular spot or "ball" of hair that the calf is sucking on? If so, try to trim that part off, and get the calf to start sucking on a teat. Also, sometimes if a cow has mastitis, the milk must taste terrible, and the calf won't suck on that particular quarter of the bag. If the calf hasn't been sucking much since Thursday, the cow should br quite uncomfortable, and may not let the calf suck where it should be.

My thought exactly!

 

[GrassFarmerGalloway]

Thank you for your help, everybody!

We separated Agile Gal and Skipper and are monitoring them. Skipper seems to be very weak and shaky right now. She didn't run away from me when I went to move her. She didn't seem to have the strength. We have her in a stall right now with Mommy to dry off and regain her strength. She spends most of her time standing hunched over, her head near the ground, not moving, not even getting out of the rain.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Bottle feed that calf or you will loose her!

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