Foster calf

[DLB]

I had a cow loose a calf 3days ago.  I was thinking about going to the sale barn and getting a calf to nurse her.  Is this a good idea...do you think it'll work?  Also, if so, how do I get her to accept the calf and nurse it on her part?  Any ideas and information is greatly appreciated!

 

[smo]

there is a few ways one is put a cow cant kick thing on it and tie it up to it has to let the calf nurse r milk tho mom and poor milk all over baby so the mom like licks it off and she will take it in i did that one time

 

[shorthorngirl2010]

Not exactly sure how this will be taken on the forum, but we've done it for the last 5 years & have yet to have a cow reject a transplant calf-- I even transplanted a 6 week old calf onto a cow that just lost her 3 week old one..

After a cow has lost its calf we'll hang the calf up & skin it, just like a deer.  We remove the hide from the top of the shoulders, down to the calf's forearm, to the belly, stifle & we make sure to keep the tail (still has the cows scent on it).  Catch the transplant calf & tie the hide on with a piece of twine, just like a little jacket.  First time we put the pair together, I put the cow in the head catch with some grain in front of her, just so shes quiet & content & we can make sure the calf knows what to do... I've seen some 'not-so-bright- ones we've had to work with lol.  After that, we usually turn the cow back out to a bigger pen with feed & water until the next time its time for the calf to nurse (we usually go 7am/ 1pm-ish/ 7pm)-- Key to this, make sure the calf is in a pen right next to the cow where she can still see it.  The next time we get the pair together, it's usually just in a smaller pen, put a pan of feed down for the cow & calf 'should' do his job. When he's done, put them back in their designated pens.  I'd say, on average it takes two days tops for them to pair up, granted each scenario is different.  After you're 100% certain they are a pair, cut the twine off the hide, but before you throw it away, watch the 'pair' carefully, just to double check that is HER calf.  Once you're certain, there's no need to pen them separate.

Hope this helps, and sure hope I didn't offend anybody
-Sam

 

[Simmgal]

Not exactly sure how this will be taken on the forum, but we've done it for the last 5 years & have yet to have a cow reject a transplant calf-- I even transplanted a 6 week old calf onto a cow that just lost her 3 week old one..

After a cow has lost its calf we'll hang the calf up & skin it, just like a deer.  We remove the hide from the top of the shoulders, down to the calf's forearm, to the belly, stifle & we make sure to keep the tail (still has the cows scent on it).  Catch the transplant calf & tie the hide on with a piece of twine, just like a little jacket.  First time we put the pair together, I put the cow in the head catch with some grain in front of her, just so shes quiet & content & we can make sure the calf knows what to do... I've seen some 'not-so-bright- ones we've had to work with lol.  After that, we usually turn the cow back out to a bigger pen with feed & water until the next time its time for the calf to nurse (we usually go 7am/ 1pm-ish/ 7pm)-- Key to this, make sure the calf is in a pen right next to the cow where she can still see it.  The next time we get the pair together, it's usually just in a smaller pen, put a pan of feed down for the cow & calf 'should' do his job. When he's done, put them back in their designated pens.  I'd say, on average it takes two days tops for them to pair up, granted each scenario is different.  After you're 100% certain they are a pair, cut the twine off the hide, but before you throw it away, watch the 'pair' carefully, just to double check that is HER calf.  Once you're certain, there's no need to pen them separate.

Hope this helps, and sure hope I didn't offend anybody
-Sam

We have tried this before too, and it works pretty well! If the cow loses a freshly born calf, then we rub the afterbirth on the transplant calf.

 

[knabe]

totally works.  include the anus and tail. 

 

[Dyer Show cattle]

I only graft calves if I have a calf that needs a cow. And I usually only do it if they are within a couple days or a week. Such as a cow that lost a calf and I have a twin. I will split the twins and try and get one of them on the cow that lost a calf.  I did loose a cow and had a 15 day old bottle calf, then had another cow loose a big calf. So I did get the other calf on that cow, but it took a good 20-30 days of working with both the calf and cow to get it done. With the price of bottle calves around here and all the time your going to spend getting it on the cow I don't think your going to come out ahead buying a calf cause you prob have a 50/50 chance your going to get the calf on the cow, or now you have a bottle calf you might be returning to the sale barn in a couple weeks. If you have some free time and about $350 burning a hole in your pocket I say give it a try. But its never a one day deal just bring a calf home and throw it in the pen with the cow.

 

[Okotoks]

I pretty much agree with Dyer Show cattle. We usually only graft within herd. I used to buy calves to graft on cows until one year I introduced a nasty strain of calf scours, any profit on that little venture went out the window in antibiotics, time and frustration!

 

[Top Knot]

I'll second Dyer's and Okotoks' comments. Compare the cost of running that cow without a calf on her versus buying a sale barn calf and bringing in who knows how many scour bugs or possibly Johnes.  I don't know where you're from or what your calving season is, but late July seems out of sync to me. Let the cow go without a calf and get her moved up a couple months next year.