Getting a calf to suck

[Dman2]

Any good tips on getting a stupid bull calf to drink.
Bloody won`t suck for love nor money
Tried everything we know.

Cheers

 

[Ann Chinner]

Any good tips on getting a stupid bull calf to drink.
Bloody won`t suck for love nor money
Tried everything we know.

Cheers

What have you tried so far?

 

[steveR]

Any good tips on getting a stupid bull calf to drink.
Bloody won`t suck for love nor money
Tried everything we know.

Cheers

On a cow or bottle/bucket?

I have tubed one for several days on several occasions, and then suddenly, a switch goes off and the thing will suck....

 

[Nearly]

Keep it alive then let it get hungry.
Had one I was bottling after milking cow.
I thought it was stupid but it was still cleverer than I was.
I let it get hungry and it found the teat within 12 hours.

 

[Dman2]

Trying to get it to suck on cow ( its mother )
Tried bottling, bloody thing just won`t suck

 

[Working from home]

I had 1 last year, I was that sick I just Googled "Calf wont suck" and hey presto it led me to a discussion on the very topic on this Forum, I had never even seen it previously!! Anyhow, just be patient (although its frustrating) I was literally stood with this calf with the teat in its mouth and it would hell as like suck, didnt even need to crush the cow, she was so quiet. I tried everyday and ended up tubing it most days then all of a sudden on day 10 I could hear slurp slurp slurp and he was away. We tried honey in its throat and on the teat but at the end of the day it was just tome that was needed.

 

[Half Pipe]

Ask vet for a multi vitamin Jag, can't remember exact vit that helps with suckling.
Was maybe a coincidence ours started not long after getting a Jag tho

 

[M-J-G]

You'll hear all the bollox under the sun about chocolate, honey, sugar or whatever, none of which taste good to a calf.

If you stimulate it by rubbing it's back and backend pretty aggressively and standing it along side the cow

 

[steveR]

Ask vet for a multi vitamin Jag, can't remember exact vit that helps with suckling.
Was maybe a coincidence ours started not long after getting a Jag tho

Selenium... We had a nightmare year last Spring with calves lacking zip. Jabbed the cows.

 

[JMTHORNLEY]

You'll hear all the bollox under the sun about chocolate, honey, sugar or whatever, none of which taste good to a calf.

If you stimulate it by rubbing it's back and backend pretty aggressively and standing it along side the cow

This right here is f**king golden advice. Had the exact same experience last year with the silliest massive bull calf on farm, tried absolutely everything I could think of, would it work? Would it f**k...
Good friend of mine is a dairy farmer but also trims feet, I just asked him to give me a lift while he was here as you do and he said ‘have you tried rubbing it’s back and rump?’
As if by magic this calf was at them teats like something possessed. Try it, you’ll be surprised. Also a slightly hungry calf will look for food

 

[Sharpy]

Try a jag of vitasel, vitamin E/Selenium.
If that works investigate your cows levels.

 

[Sir loin]

Rub under tail head of the calf , if you watch your cows they always lick there to get first muck moving and it stimulates it to get colostrum first suck.

 

[Sir loin]

We Cosecure bolus our cows twice a year (cobalt selenium and copper)

 

[M-J-G]

Rub under tail head of the calf , if you watch your cows they always lick there to get first muck moving and it stimulates it to get colostrum first suck.

And the cow is often lifting the calf's backend off the ground as she does so.