Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Ahhh chit, here we go.

Sorry gentlemen, I got distracted shortly after posting.



Rum, hope it pans out for you.



Jim, my mom saw on Facebook $600-700.



Barry, I was lucky enough to see both calves trying to nurse so it was easy to figure out what was going on. The calf I scooped up was a heifer and the other was a bull. Cow sorta came at me when I grabbed the heifer but she soon backed off and stayed with the bull calf.

Sam the ranch has nearly 100 on the ground, heifers are running behind, maybe 8 have come in, long way to go.

I’ve seen where a cow that’s lost a calf will take an off calf but it’s rare. Had one last year do that, otherwise on to the mix bottle for a bit then off to a fellow who keeps guernsey cows for the purpose near here and the orphans go to him to raise.

Osky

LOL... Yeah mama will blow snot at you when you mess with them.

Sam, that heifer calf is most certainly a free martin calf.

It'll always be sterile. Doesn't matter if it's going to the packer anyway, but she wouldn't do to keep for a replacement heifer.


I think I'm going to have to put that calf down this morning that I've been bottling. Losing battle.

Is there no one in your area that keeps some milking mamas to take your cast offs?

Osky

It's not that.

I don't mind the bottle feeding, and have done it in the past, but the calf was in bad shape from the time I penned it and his mama age day 3 of age.

He improved slightly for 2 or 3 days after we did some treatment from the vet's office. But then went downhill again.

Checked early this morning and it can't raise it's head, much less nurse a bottle. Vet pretty much told me it's a losing battle. I agree with him, sadly.

Calves been hitting the ground here since about January 10

then I fairly trouble free year so far. some frostbit ears early on.
last night started a group of first calf heifers with the first one on the ground no problems.
the first calf heifers is the ones I always get worried about. but this group is half beefmaster half Angus heifers bread back to registered beefmaster bull. so caving problems should be minimal if any.

What is the best way to get a cow to take a calf?

Back in the old days, if a cow lost a calf and they had a calf that needed a mama, they would skin the dead calf and drape it over the live one needing a mama, so that she would accept it as her own.

Good luck. What rancher wouldn’t want to know the secret to that Wabi?

Osky

I've heard of, Mother up.

I know an excellent rancher detailed into everything. His first year heifers do incredibly well (angus) as he is careful to put only bulls with about a 70 pound birthweight on them. He also checks the bulls weaning weights and balances the two. Of course the EPD.

Sam I hope it goes smooth for you.

Osky

Do you think it got colostrum from the hefer or will you supplement?

A head catch, a rope to tie a leg back and time.

I've also seen some folks douse the calf and prospective mama's nose with cheap perfume for a few days.
Occasionally, it even worked!

yes watch the numbers and the epds very closely on all bulls anymore.. the little beastmaster breeds have a way of being born light and lanky but growing extremely fast.
I eventually want to get all cows replaced with half or three-quarter beefmaster cows and go back to a Red Angus bull.. that's going to take a few years down the road to get everything replaced though.

Someone. Ed Bruce, Mamas?

They're sure cute when they're young...

This twin was out of a 6 year old cow and I'm 99% sure it nursed when it was born otherwise it might be dead.

But we still gave it a bottle of colostrum.


Lively little 40-50lb heifer calf!