Week old calf - Missing in action!

[MaineHighlands]

So...
We haven't seen our highland calf in about 3 days now. We need to move the cows out of the woods to a different pasture, but cannot find the calf. We moved the cows for a few hours yesterday thinking that momma would call her calf to her out of the woods, but in the evening after about 5 hours she didn't and was looking in that direction in a very concerned way, so we let her back into the woods. This am, her udder was VERY full, but later this morning it was half empty so we have to believe that the calf is still out there somewhere, and she is hiding her very well!
Any suggestions?? The woods are going to be cut (for more pasture for next year) and the logger wants to start at the end of this week!

thanks!

 

[redtailgal]

Sounds like a sneaky protective mother.

The only way I've ever found a well hidden calf is a secretive stake out. Take a book and a chair and sit far enough away that she is comfortable going to the calf, but close enough to get a fairly good idea of where to look.

We had to look for HOURS once for a calf that was hidden deep in a brush pile!

 

[MaineHighlands]

That is what we figured. We always go up to see them the same way, so I suggested that dh sneak up using another route and maybe catch the cow/calf. If we can find the calf up, I am pretty sure we can get them both to the other pasture... but the woods where they are is approx. 10 acres and we will never find the calf if she has hidden it.

 

[jhm47]

Take a dog or two along when you go to search for the calf. My cows always go directly to their calves when a dog is present.

 

[Straw Hat Kikos]

That sounds like a good idea. ^^

 

[MaineHighlands]

I went to town this afternoon and got a call from ds that a lady stopped by and said our cows were running down the road.
dh got grain and lured the cows back into our field, and in the process we found the calf! She slipped under the fence (which was off ) and the cow and bull broke through to follow her.
He caught the calf and brought her to the barn, she was covered with maggots and ticks. Flystrike! I called the vet and she is on the way out...
So far we had one calf be rejected from her mother and one that was way overprotected by her mother...
We have only had these cows for less than two months... It will get better, please tell me it will get better...

 

[Cricket]

So glad you found the calf--I'd been worried about coyotes and didn't want to bring up the subject! I'm not sure about how the 'bad' mama will do the next time around, but life should get better--you get better, they calm down, and you find what works for you and your herd. We tend to look at cows (and other animals, too) and think because they are eating and drinking and going about their cow stuff that they are all settled in. It takes a LONG time for them to feel totally safe and settled in.

Good luck!

 

[MaineHighlands]

The vet came and shaved most of her fur off. We bathed her and squirted her all over with hydrogen peroxide. Poor thing had maggots all over her. Vet wanted her to nurse tonight, but momma would not come close and we couldn't drive her in - she went to the far corner of the pasture. So we gave her a bottle. We need to keep calf in barn for few days - warm and dry. I will try to get momma into our corral to nurse the baby, I just need to be able to catch the calf after and put her back into the stall. I am hoping that the mom will not reject her calf as it looks totally different and probably smells different too. I will bathe her again tomorrow and we applied insectrin to her areas that didn't need to be shaved (per vet) Is there anything else we can do? She is so itchy and looks miserable. Vet said she would have been dead in a few days if we didn't find her!

-Jill