Cow stone dead

[choochter]

Found cow stone dead this afternoon, leaving a 3 week old calf. Got herd all back to shed and got the orphan in a pen with a quiet whitebred shorthorn cow whose own calf is a week old. What are the chances of her adopting the orphan calf? What can I do to help this along?

Will get a bag of milk powder and come calf pellets tomorrow , I suppose.

Have tubed it with 2l of whole milk this evening, its full of beans and has kicked me in the knee.
Orphan is the calf on the left in pic.
Any tips or tricks?
Flippin flipping flip.

 

[kill]

It's as much to do with how bright the orphan calf is really. If the calves bright he will shadow the other calf and when ever that one suckles he will make sure he tags along and just parks himself at the milk bar at the same time.
If not you got extra work twice a day either shutting them both away and letting them feed together or feeding milk powder.

 

[onthehoof]

Pen both calf’s separate to cow, let cow in in morning with a bit of grub, when her own calf sucks put orphan on back teat he’ll so go on, chuck cow back out and repeat twice daily

 

[choochter]

good tips, thank-you both

 

[M-J-G]

Basically do as @onthehoof says, but I'd put her in a head yoke and if possible don't let her smell them so she doesn't get in the habit of kicking when they suck.

 

[Skintagain]

calf to market

 

[Andrew1983]

Same thing happened here yesterday, the orphan calf is same age, I couldn’t get a hold of it yet, it is poaching around the field ok but will try and grab it when sleeping to bring in, still 30 cows to calf so chance I will get it adopted on to something yet.

 

[choochter]

Same thing happened here yesterday, the orphan calf is same age, I couldn’t get a hold of it yet, it is poaching around the field ok but will try and grab it when sleeping to bring in, still 30 cows to calf so chance I will get it adopted on to something yet.

commiserations, my cow was a lovely second calver, neighbour says staggers, herd not on lush grass by any means, only moved them there on friday from another field also not lush grass, far from it

 

[Lincs Lass]

@choochter ,,
I read yesterday ,5 cows and 4 calves found dead in the field after some prat dumped yew hedge trimmings in the field not thinking how toxic it was ,just that it was green and the cows would eat it .
Has anything been chucked into yours

 

[Skintagain]

@choochter ,,
I read yesterday ,5 cows and 4 calves found dead in the field after some prat dumped yew hedge trimmings in the field not thinking how toxic it was ,just that it was green and the cows would eat it .
Has anything been chucked into yours

This is a major problem atm people are at home bored doing stupid things.

 

[M-J-G]

@choochter ,,
I read yesterday ,5 cows and 4 calves found dead in the field after some prat dumped yew hedge trimmings in the field not thinking how toxic it was ,just that it was green and the cows would eat it .
Has anything been chucked into yours

If its the one I saw I'm sure I saw the same post a year or two ago, or at least the same photo.

 

[Lincs Lass]

If its the one I saw I'm sure I saw the same post a year or two ago, or at least the same photo.

It came up on Fb yesterday,,didnt check the date ,,just said neighbor's had cut a yew hedge and left it in the field .

 

[Chae1]

Been putting high mag buckets with our cows and calves at turnout.

 

[JSmith]

Must of been the weekend for it, lost a first calve heifer on Saturday with staggers, calf a fortnight old!! All heifers in the field an they’re daft enough to let anything suck so should be ok, seen sucking another one yesterday?
They all have access to mag buckets all the time an not on fresh grass but it was very hot here on Saturday an stress will bring it on, that’s the only thing I can think of for mine anyway

 

[ajcc]

Tri mag buckets and mg cl crystals in water bowser. Try and see them twice a day, caught and injected one last year, lost one the year before. Don’t need lush grass to trigger it.

 

[choochter]

Pen both calf’s separate to cow, let cow in in morning with a bit of grub, when her own calf sucks put orphan on back teat he’ll so go on, chuck cow back out and repeat twice daily

thanks for the tip, its working when the cow is eating, thank goodness

 

[manhill]

thanks for the tip, its working when the cow is eating, thank goodness

Looks a cracking calf.

 

[JMTHORNLEY]

Excellent to see you've cracked it. A good pal of mine had a cow just drop dead for no apparent reason. She was bought at the same time as her buddy who spent all their lives together, about 8 years, and without question the other cow took the calf without a seconds hesitation. I've never seen anything like it before and still to date nothing like. My cows will cross suckle from time to time but not until the calves are about 5/6 months on.

Really pleased for you, takes the sting out of a bad day.

 

[choochter]

wouldn't say I've cracked it yet, she'd not keen on him when she's not eating, but at least he's got a proper sook
didn't want to tube him anymore and he wasn't keen on a bottle last night

 

[steveR]

wouldn't say I've cracked it yet, she'd not keen on him when she's not eating, but at least he's got a proper sook
didn't want to tube him anymore and he wasn't keen on a bottle last night

Done this once or twice, it might take 4-5 weeks beforte you are happy to allow them out. Best results we have had is if the Mum can be lobbed outside grazing, and then brought in twice a day for corn and to suckle the calves. But a right PITA!!