Cow kicking calf

[blackwellfarms]

Heifer had a new calf and it just will not stand and let it suck.  It just kicks and kicks at it.  It has been three or four days now.  I tie her head up and stand there and twist her ear and she will let it suck.  If she is loose will not let it suck and the calf is very aggressive.  Hobbles?  Getting old.  Suggestions

 

[red]

can you put her in a head gate & let calf nurse? Sounds like a pain to me too!

Red

 

[Bawndoh]

Yes, hobble her, or tie her leg/legs back so she cant kick the calf.  Unfortunately you have to do this for the first little bit.  After a week or two if she is still kicking, then she is probably helpless.  The calf should be strong enough by then that he will just be able to steal from her and other cows.  It is good that he is very aggressive and strong.  Let him have at her when she is hobbled well and tied up.  It has been very rare that one of our cows kicks all the time, regardless.  Usually if the calf is good and healthy, we will just let them into a corral/paddock and moniter them for a couple days.  If he is doing ok, then let em out to pasture.  The darn cow should be able to figure it out after a couple weeks that the calf is hers! 

 

[inthebarnagain]

Best investment I ever made was one of these kick bars for dairy cattle, the udder is unobstructed and the cow can't kick the baby.

 

[red]

some female animals as well as some people have no maternal instincts!  (argue)

Red

 

[common sense]

Ace.  I have one of those every now and then and i have found that if I treat the cow with a little ace, as directed by my vet, will chill her out.  You may have to give her some for a couple of days...and a couple times a day...but it will work wonders.  It has always worked great for me.

 

[blackwellfarms]

She does alright when she is tied and I stand next to her and give her a nudge when she does kick.  I just do not want to tie her up for 6 months until the baby is weaned.  She is getting a little better, so I was thinking of those hobbles made of elastic so she can wear them around all day to get used to he sucking without me around???  At least the calf really likes me.     

 

[blinker]

Just went through this 1st part of April.... started by tying her up and standing there than after a week of this 2 times a day I was able to just stand there and the cow would let him suck until I turned around soo for the next week I made sure to stand beside her and let the calf suck.  They went to a small paddock for 2 weeks and the calf seemed to be "stealing " off of momma so they went to the pasture and getting along good but don't think the calf is getting all of his milk from her.

Good luck just takes time

 

[fluffer]

Not to hijack.... Speaking of stealing

I had a cow up and die on us a few months ago, and she happend to have a heifer calf on her at the time that was about a month old.  We figured we would just wait until the calf got hungary to go try and give it a bottle.  Lucky for us that calf found a cow that has twins sometimes (not this year) and has been stealing off her when her natural calf is nursing.  That cow must be so used to 2 calves nursing she doesn't even notice.  You can't tell that calf is an orphan.

Good luck with your kicking cow.  I havene't ever had that happen.  They may kick during the first nursing session, then they quit.  Hope you can break her of it

Fluffer

 

[showgirl2010]

We always tie a rope around the flank to stop them from kicking and get the calf to sucking and eventually they'll be fine.

Jamie

 

[ELBEE]

Plutoson!