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Cows Rejecting Calves

When I back to the pair penned up I got the calf up, un-tied the calf and watched her nurse. I put them out and the mother wouldn't pay any attention to her, this was a very loud calf and she was crying for mom. Mom wouldn't even look. I ended up putting her in the back of the truck and bringing her home. She's on a bottle and doing fine. Mom's no longer on the breeding list, will probably finish the calf on grass next year and not breed her due to the mother's udder.
 
Are these cows all related? Sometimes genetics carry through on general stupidity. Even in Angus :roll: :wink: , sometimes daughters of a certain sire have common disagreeable tendencies. Daughters of the highly touted Rito 2100 come to mind because many of them were habitual "child abusers."
 
Ben

Do you have a problem with dogs or humans disturbing the cows while they are calving or shortly there after? If the cow will not care for her baby beef and save the feed for one that will. The cows with twins are a roll of the dice if they will accept 2 calfs or not.
 
Often times a dog is the very best thing to bring out the mothering instinct in a new mother that is a little hesitant to claim her calf. That dog can turn an otherwise deadbeat mom into a raging, bellering protector of calf flesh in no time flat. :wink:
 
Ben H said:
When I back to the pair penned up I got the calf up, un-tied the calf and watched her nurse. I put them out and the mother wouldn't pay any attention to her, this was a very loud calf and she was crying for mom. Mom wouldn't even look. I ended up putting her in the back of the truck and bringing her home. She's on a bottle and doing fine. Mom's no longer on the breeding list, will probably finish the calf on grass next year and not breed her due to the mother's udder.
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How long did you leave them penned together?

One day....two days....three days?


I've kept some up as long as a week.
 
burnt said:
Yup, but you know where the dog might run to if the cow takes after it . . . . :shock:
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That's a Border Collie trick, since I've had Aussies I haven't found myself in that particular predicament :wink:
 
Silver said:
burnt said:
Yup, but you know where the dog might run to if the cow takes after it . . . . :shock:
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That's a Border Collie trick, since I've had Aussies I haven't found myself in that particular predicament :wink:
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Well I will take that into advisement should we ever be looking for another dog!!
 
I had a set of twins with a cow for about a week before they were good to go. This most recent calf I penned with the cow I just gave it the day. Showing zero interest and the fact I don't like her confirmation, I brought baby home to get the bottle and the cow will be meeting the captured bolt when she gets a little more fat back on her. Grassfed burger at the farmers market for $5.99/lb, sorry Miss. Cow.

I only have so much time to spend because I don't have enough cattle to do this full time, I can only justify spending so much time on a cow. If they don't cut it, there is someone else ready to take their place.

No problems with dogs. I don't interfere with the cows to speak of. There was only one cow that needed a little tug this year, it was a red devon I bred to a PCC red angus.
 

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