Best way to feed 4 day old orphan calf.

[Agri Spec Solicitor]

Bad start to the day finding our third ever calf now aged 10 died overnight leaving a 4 day old calf. We need the calf to survive and today it wasn’t keen on milk replacer, just messing around and not sucking. Do we just persevere? Here are the other things which could help:
In next pen today was a new born calf with a calm old cow as a dam.
We have a big mobile full access crush we could put in shed.
I could put both calves in together with cow running loose but the incomer will surely get a kicking?
Could we run both calves together away from the cow, then put cow in crush 3 times a day whilst both calves feed and cow is confused? Or would both get kicked and we end up with 2 orphans?
Any help greatfully received.

 

[ImLost]

Bad start to the day finding our third ever calf now aged 10 died overnight leaving a 4 day old calf. We need the calf to survive and today it wasn’t keen on milk replacer, just messing around and not sucking. Do we just persevere? Here are the other things which could help:
In next pen today was a new born calf with a calm old cow as a dam.
We have a big mobile full access crush we could put in shed.
I could put both calves in together with cow running loose but the incomer will surely get a kicking?
Could we run both calves together away from the cow, then put cow in crush 3 times a day whilst both calves feed and cow is confused? Or would both get kicked and we end up with 2 orphans?
Any help greatfully received.

If you have the time and patience and the crush has decent access/you are set up for it etc, aim for your suggestion of keeping calves away then putting the cow in the crush and getting the calves to feed at least 2x a day. Feed the cow a bucket of something interesting if you can to distract her.
If you can move to feeding the cow outside the crush and getting the calves to drink, it will make things even easier and you can graduate to leaving the calves with her during the day.

 

[Agri Spec Solicitor]

Thanks. Some cake should distract the cow. Not sure I will have enough patience but we can give it a go! Six weeks of bottle feeding is to be avoided if possible, and it is never as good as natural suckling anyway.

 

[Weasel]

If you have the time and patience and the crush has decent access/you are set up for it etc, aim for your suggestion of keeping calves away then putting the cow in the crush and getting the calves to feed at least 2x a day. Feed the cow a bucket of something interesting if you can to distract her.
If you can move to feeding the cow outside the crush and getting the calves to drink, it will make things even easier and you can graduate to leaving the calves with her during the day.

Dont be so daft, the calf will sook a bottle when it's hungry if it only 4 days old.

 

[ImLost]

Dont be so daft, the calf will sook a bottle when it's hungry if it only 4 days old.

@Weasel I am terribly sorry

 

[milkloss]

If after crushing for a while the cow is still a miserable biatch and won’t let the new calf suck you could try some hobbles on her…… the leg restraints used when a cow has done the splits and needs some support.

 

[Moors Lad]

Dont be so daft,

Why have folk on here got to be so unpleasant to one another? It`s not necessary - surely you can make your point without being personal...
In my experience a lamb or a calf can be VERY frustrating in a situation like this and I wouldn`t rule anything out as a solution ...

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Fostering a calf on seems to work much better if you put both calves away from the cow until feeding time.

For our cows (graze 365 days a year) even some crushed barley or bread in a bucket is like receiving a QSM, and generally within 3 days they're out at grass with their new family.
If some grub doesn't have "the wow factor", often a distraction like a dog can help for a start

What occurs as hard often isn't, by comparison the easy route of making CMR for the next few weeks seems like time and money gone, to me

 

[Jonp]

Some cows will be easy to foster a calf on, some won't.
Started this one in the shed with simple crush, no problems getting her into crush provided there was a bucket of feed on offer. Transferred crush to field and would go up twice a day. Cow would beat me to crush for her feed and would let calf's nurse. However she didn't like the calfs and would happily butt them. Calfs soon learnt the routine and would scarper as soon as the cow reversed out of the crush. If you have the time this might work.

 

[wrenbird]

We used to double suckle calves years ago, as did many others on small places such as ours. When a cow calved, go to market, buy a calf ( or two, depending on milk supply), pen calves, including the cows own, together. Twice a day let cow in, give her some cake, tie her up with a cow chain, let calves out to suckle.
If you have another cow with a calf, pen calves together, let them out to suckle, chances are cow will eventually let both suck and the entire family unit can be turned out to grass in the spring.

 

[Agri Spec Solicitor]

Thanks for advice. Pics show what we came up with. Cow was a kicker so special ingredient was the hobble. That slowed her down

 

[milkloss]

Thanks for advice. Pics show what we came up with. Cow was a kicker so special ingredient was the hobble. That slowed her downView attachment 1019323View attachment 1019323View attachment 1019322View attachment 1019321View attachment 1019320

Good. All looks quite organised and efficient there! Those hobbles might need to go tighter. Tight enough that when she goes to belt the calf in the yard she'll lose balance before hard contact is made. Might be a short rodeo first time out the crush though but she'll soon learn to take more ladylike steps.

edit to add:
very often we shorten them by using big bale string between chain links to pull them up together.

 

[Agri Spec Solicitor]

Good. All looks quite organised and efficient there! Those hobbles might need to go tighter. Tight enough that when she goes to belt the calf in the yard she'll lose balance before hard contact is made. Might be a short rodeo first time out the crush though but she'll soon learn to take more ladylike steps.

edit to add:
very often we shorten them by using big bale string between chain links to pull them up together.

Thanks
So far so good. She was fine til her calf wandered out front. Then she knew the orphan was helping herself! Will be a tough few days no doubt but beats the bottle. We are keeping 2 calves together off the cow at present.

 

[ImLost]

Thanks for advice. Pics show what we came up with. Cow was a kicker so special ingredient was the hobble. That slowed her downView attachment 1019323View attachment 1019323View attachment 1019322View attachment 1019321View attachment 1019320

Since when did you mention it was a belted Galloway cow?

@Weasel - not so daft to use a crush after all?

 

[Moors Lad]

Since when did you mention it was a belted Galloway cow?

Mmm, it does put a slightly different light on it ,anyway best of luck with the job.

 

[Agri Spec Solicitor]

Really pleased I made this request for help because the plan is working well. Getting cow into crush was made easier by penning calves at the front. Cow then rushes in to get to them.

 

[Agri Spec Solicitor]

Day 2 cooking on gas

and advanced to self locking yokes and sheets to act like blinkers. Much quicker to set up.

 

[Agri Spec Solicitor]

Took just over a week to mother on the calf. Beats 6 weeks of bottle feeding. Thanks again for advice.

 

[Moors Lad]

Well done for persevering !