calve won't drink from cow

[devon6400]

had a calve on Friday. he wasn't that great on his legs and the cow kept trying to kick him. so I milked her in the crush(which was surprisingly easy) and fed him with a bottle and teat. now I've put shackles on the cow and she will let me take the calve to her to feed but the little f****r only wants the rubber teat now and not the cow!!!! does anyone have any good ideas on how to wean him off the rubber teat and back on the cow????? thanks

 

[Henarar]

You could try letting him get a bit hungry leave him for 12 hours

 

[devon6400]

ive only gave him 3 litres today. whilst trying to encourage him to the cow!

 

[harperfarmer]

You could try letting him get a bit hungry leave him for 12 hours

Totally agree. He'd be a strong enough calf now to starve for that long and be ok. Works wonders usually, if they're not hungry it can be the most infuriating thing trying to suckle a calf! Are you sure he's not been quietly sucking for himself when you've not been around and that's why he's not too peckish?

 

[devonshire farmer]

I would shut the cow away from the calf for 6-12 hours and then let back together and sit and watch for a bit if he is going to suck he will, just make sure the cow can still see and smell the calf and that the calf can't drink water!

 

[devon6400]

I don't think he has been. every time he see's or hears me he always starts bawling for food. well I've just gave him another litre now so he will have at least 12 hours tonight and I will keep trying to get him on the cow without the bottle in the morning.

 

[devonshire farmer]

They can be bloody frustrating I know, does he suck your finger at all?
Have you tried leading to cow teat from bottle and flicking him from one to tother

 

[Henarar]

They can be bloody frustrating I know, does he suck your finger at all?
Have you tried leading to cow teat from bottle and flicking him from one to tother

glue the teat to the cow
just kidding but they can drive you nuts

 

[devonshire farmer]

Is it in a shed on its own, we have found sometimes if you let them in with a group they will get the idea, of course it makes it harder to know whats gone on!

 

[devon6400]

yeah ive tried all of the above. except yes they are in a pen on their own. I will put them with some others tomorrow. ive had a pretty easy calving this year with all calves have taken ok so I guess I was due a idiot one.

 

[M-J-G]

In agreement with most others just leave him, shutting the cow away for a few hours and letting her back can be a trigger, best stimulant of all though is to let him suck the bottle for a minute or so and when he's really into a way of sucking, walk away and leave him with the cow.

 

[Dry Rot]

I'd a weak foal here that had to be bottle fed every three hours for the first few days as it could not stand. Fortunately, the mare was very quiet. I just moved the bottle closer to the udder every time, then with bottle and udder side by side attempted a switch over by squirting milk into the foal's mouth and putting the teat into it's mouth. It worked. Then the ungrateful brute got it's head stuck in the hay rack a year later and had to be destroyed! Don't ya just love 'em! Good luck.

 

[M-J-G]

I'd a weak foal here that had to be bottle fed every three hours for the first few days as it could not stand. Fortunately, the mare was very quiet. I just moved the bottle closer to the udder every time, then with bottle and udder side by side attempted a switch over by squirting milk into the foal's mouth and putting the teat into it's mouth. It worked. Then the ungrateful brute got it's head stuck in the hay rack a year later and had to be destroyed! Don't ya just love 'em! Good luck.

The only options for keeping breeding stock are either, love or insanity!

 

[devon6400]

I am defiantly on the way to going insane!!! I think its needs a women's touch will butter up the girlfriend later!!!
(hope that's not sexist, I don't want to get caught up in that thread!!!)

 

[lim x]

I am defiantly on the way to going insane!!! I think its needs a women's touch will butter up the girlfriend later!!!
(hope that's not sexist, I don't want to get caught up in that thread!!!)

We got the same problem but the other way round. Older cow and not much milk (on the cull list), but the calf won't suck the bottle, i think the bugger would rather die of starvation. My chap and i take it in turns to feed it as it makes us both grumpy and we would not be held responsible for our actions.
To make matters worse the calf is not the best sort either - rather plain looking.
These jobs are very time consuming and frustrating.

 

[devon6400]

I had to come in for a cup of tea to calm down because I was getting so annoyed and frustrated!!

 

[M-J-G]

This thread makes me glad I finished calving over a month ago, and I can now see calving with clarity.

I had to come in for a cup of tea to calm down because I was getting so annoyed and frustrated!!

Your calf will suck the cow, it just needs less attention from you, a couple of days can sort a lot of things out and your calf is always getting a day stronger and a bit more able.

We got the same problem but the other way round. Older cow and not much milk (on the cull list), but the calf won't suck the bottle, i think the bugger would rather die of starvation. My chap and i take it in turns to feed it as it makes us both grumpy and we would not be held responsible for our actions.
To make matters worse the calf is not the best sort either - rather plain looking.
These jobs are very time consuming and frustrating.

If your old cow has any milk at all she will carry the calf through enough until it can eat creep, especially if she gets grass.

These type of things will be frustrating you both at the moment due to being tired and fatigued which leads to us only seeing the small picture that's in front of us. It will work out ok.

 

[lim x]

Vicious circle for us - would like to put the cow/calf out but our nearest grazing is 15 miles away and wouldn't be able to keep topping calf up if needed. She'll have to stay in for now and once calf gets on creep she will be culled - unless i have killed her/myself/OH first

 

[Qman]

Is it by any chance a Charolais calf?

 

[llamedos]

Found with lambs that I have struggled to get on a ewe after a bottle, cover their eyes, and dont bottle feed facing them always stand to the side, less association with human and bottle.