Cows suckling other cows

[Becs]

Hi, looking for some advice please. Suckler herd that calved between January 1st to now (4 out of 30 still to calf). Cows and calves looking really well. Plenty of space in barn, good grub, no problems calving all happy except that whereas we normally have one or maybe two that suckle other cows, this year I’ve got 6 or 7 doing it. When I go down at night to check them, it sounds like an orgy with all the slurping and sucking echoing round the barn! The previous worst offender has a nose spike in but even so, I found her and another cow enjoying mutual suckling . It tends to be the younger cows. Other than sticking nose spikes in all them all, is there anything else I can do? I don’t think they’re lacking anything as they have pre-calving buckets, rock salt, gp minerals and have been bollused. Thanks

 

[jerseycowsman]

Put proper copper bull rings in, then you won’t have to do them again!
Got several of my jerseys with copper bull rings in. It stops them!

 

[Old Tup]

Cull them....they never give up!

 

[j6891]

just wait till they start doing this

 

[Old Tup]

Same solution!

 

[Werzle]

Hi, looking for some advice please. Suckler herd that calved between January 1st to now (4 out of 30 still to calf). Cows and calves looking really well. Plenty of space in barn, good grub, no problems calving all happy except that whereas we normally have one or maybe two that suckle other cows, this year I’ve got 6 or 7 doing it. When I go down at night to check them, it sounds like an orgy with all the slurping and sucking echoing round the barn! The previous worst offender has a nose spike in but even so, I found her and another cow enjoying mutual suckling . It tends to be the younger cows. Other than sticking nose spikes in all them all, is there anything else I can do? I don’t think they’re lacking anything as they have pre-calving buckets, rock salt, gp minerals and have been bollused. Thanks

Were the cows reared on the bottle/feeder? I dont reckon its anything to do with minerals. I have one old girl that wears an anti suck nose spike, every couple of years she gets it out and within a week starts sucking .

 

[kill]

Cull them....they never give up!

Proper cure for them when they become the main ingredient in a “happy meal “

 

[Becs]

If I cull them then that would be about a 10% reduction in the herd and in all other respects, I’ve got the herd that I’ve been working and planning towards for several years. The offenders are a mix of bucket and naturally fed calves - no real pattern to it. I’ll give the brass bull rings a try I think ( with the added benefit that foot-part walkers might think they’re bulls!)

 

[Sid]

Were the cows reared on the bottle/feeder? I dont reckon its anything to do with minerals. I have one old girl that wears an anti suck nose spike, every couple of years she gets it out and within a week starts sucking .

All my dairy replacements are reared on a feeder and have only had the odd one many years ago.

More likely the see the other calves suckling and replicate.

But sorry I don't have any answers for the OP

 

[Muck Spreader]

It they have started doing it I would have thought, possibly a shortage of salt. Over here I've heard of them nicking a muscle under tongue which stops it being able curl, but never seen it done.