Adopting a calf

[fermerboy]

How does everyone else adopt a calf on to a suckler cow?

I generally skin the dead one, skin on to the proposed adoptee,and let cow sniff the backend of the calf through a barrier or gate for a 10-15mins, set it on for a suck , job done.
Any time I've tried without skinning, it's been a time consuming, kicking, struggle, for a good few days.

Reason I ask is I've lost one that's has had really bad joint ill and is basically full of not nice stuff and was looking for a way of avoiding skinning it.

 

[milkloss]

How does everyone else adopt a calf on to a suckler cow?

I generally skin the dead one, skin on to the proposed adoptee,and let cow sniff the backend of the calf through a barrier or gate for a 10-15mins, set it on for a suck , job done.
Any time I've tried without skinning, it's been a time consuming, kicking, struggle, for a good few days.

Reason I ask is I've lost one that's has had really bad joint ill and is basically full of not nice stuff and was looking for a way of avoiding skinning it.

It'll be a long job as I'm assuming the calf is a few weeks old? Pen the calf in with the cow and feed in the crush for a week or two!

 

[bovine]

Generally buying in a calf is a really bad idea in terms of disease. I've seen some big problems. It can be vastly cheaper to cull the cow or run her empty for a year.

 

[multi power]

I have been told put cow in crush, bring calve to her, but don't let her see it for first couple of days
I recently adopted a suckler calf into a dairy cow, just put cow in pen with hungry calve

 

[DrDunc]

Skin the joint ill, and give the new calf plenty of antibiotics.

Skin should only need to be on for a day before it and the calf is stinking. Provided it's caught the teet after getting a sook in the crush, it'll be fine.

Twinning a suckler without the skin is a ball ache.

 

[Al R]

Skin the joint ill, and give the new calf plenty of antibiotics.

Skin should only need to be on for a day before it and the calf is stinking. Provided it's caught the teet after getting a sook in the crush, it'll be fine.

Twinning a suckler without the skin is a ball ache.

With lambs we find if something wasn't right with the lamb and it was stinking they usually adopt quicker?
My uncle skinned a calf in 8minutes once

 

[fermerboy]

Generally buying in a calf is a really bad idea in terms of disease. I've seen some big problems. It can be vastly cheaper to cull the cow or run her empty for a year.

Have an old cow that's should have been culled but landed in calf she's had it but no milk I was going to steal it and adopt on to this younger cow. I can get the old one away then.

Skinning works best, I can do one in 20-25mins, works every time.
Just looking for a short cut that I hadn't heard of!!

 

[AftonShepherd]

My uncle skinned a calf in 8minutes once

Too much practice isn't always something to be proud of lol.

 

[Al R]

Too much practice isn't always something to be proud of lol.

He didn't do many, he hung it off the front loader

 

[GTB]

Just looking for a short cut that I hadn't heard of!!

There isn't one afaik.

He didn't do many, he hung it off the front loader

Yes, using a loader is by far the easiest way.

 

[DrDunc]

He didn't do many, he hung it off the front loader

Can't imagine skinning any other way.

Hang by the back legs, cut round the neck, front legs, up the belly, then round the back legs and across the erse.

Then you just peal it down while occasionally scraping the fat between the skin and the muscle.

Yes I've had far too much practice in years gone by

Improved health status and change to Shorthorn has meant I'm thankfully getting rusty now though

 

[fermerboy]

Can't imagine skinning any other way.

Hang by the back legs, cut round the neck, front legs, up the belly, then round the back legs and across the erse.

Then you just peal it down while occasionally scraping the fat between the skin and the muscle.

Yes I've had far too much practice in years gone by

Improved health status and change to Shorthorn has meant I'm thankfully getting rusty now though

Interesting!! Different way here.

Hang by back legs, cut round back legs split across between back legs and then skin round and round till the neck/ front legs.
Then pull over new calf like a jumper. Tie the flap from between back legs forward to the belly.
Only split them along the belly if the new one is much bigger.

 

[No wot]

I always put cow in a small pen on her own as soon as possible & tie her up & put new calf with her , feed her some grub morning & afternoon ,calf soon tucks in whilst she's eating , you may have to stand with her for ten min to start with but after a day or two she's usually more interested in grub than kicking calf off her teats , when she seems fine with calf, untie her but still feed her , then when you happy she's taken it kick her out with the rest, 99% success ,done it for yrs

 

[fermerboy]

Skinned and adopted! Cow is happier than the calf so far who isn't convinced on his new mum!
Thanks for the replies

 

[Lovegoodstock]

Don't normally skin unless have a twin handy and obviously have lost a calf. But let rigor mortis set in, small slit in neck, air compressor pushes skin away from carcass, almost all of the time, used to hang by neck on loader, either one hand on knife and other creating tension around legs etc, or dad to help, couple of minutes after compressor, and that's without practice!!!