Post by nalawoman on Aug 1, 2008 14:52:20 GMT -5
I have this sweet jersey cow named Clara that I bought a few months ago...She was pregnant for the first time. She calved 4 days ago in the evening.
The next day at around 11 am I went & checked on them (I live about 5 minutes away from where they are kept.)
and the calf was really lethargic. We couldn't get him moooving at all...It didn't seem like he had nursed yet.
So I penned them up together and put molasses on his rump. Clara seemed really traumatized and confused about all this new stuff. We eventually got him nursing and he perked up considerably but was really stumbely for a few days. I dont think he first nursed until 15 or 16 hours after the birth, although she did clean him up good.
He still seems pretty weak, although he is starting to kick up his heels a tiny bit. I have been keeping him penned up with mom at night so that she will be available to nurse him whenever he desires. He just lays there most of the time. He won't get up and is pretty wobbly on his feet and I think he should be more stable by now based on my observations of other calves we have had.
Mom is hugely engorged & warm/hot and we can't get her to let down. I milked her yesterday and got 1/2 gallon.
Today we tried machine milking, got a 1/2 gal, then tried milking by hand. we used hot compresses and peppermint oil, massaging & nudging. We brought the calf in and tried to get him interested in nursing but he just lazed around even though it had been 2 hrs since he last nursed.
Right now I have them seperated in the hopes that he will be really hungry and go right to her & nurse when I go back to milk her this afternoon.
I think he is going to be alright as far as seperating, although it's something I wouldn't have considered doing even as recently as yesterday because he was still so wobbly.
Do you guys have any advice to offer? hopefully things will go better this afternoon, but if it doesn't, is there anything I am missing?
Thanks! Shannon
The next day at around 11 am I went & checked on them (I live about 5 minutes away from where they are kept.)
and the calf was really lethargic. We couldn't get him moooving at all...It didn't seem like he had nursed yet.
So I penned them up together and put molasses on his rump. Clara seemed really traumatized and confused about all this new stuff. We eventually got him nursing and he perked up considerably but was really stumbely for a few days. I dont think he first nursed until 15 or 16 hours after the birth, although she did clean him up good.
He still seems pretty weak, although he is starting to kick up his heels a tiny bit. I have been keeping him penned up with mom at night so that she will be available to nurse him whenever he desires. He just lays there most of the time. He won't get up and is pretty wobbly on his feet and I think he should be more stable by now based on my observations of other calves we have had.
Mom is hugely engorged & warm/hot and we can't get her to let down. I milked her yesterday and got 1/2 gallon.
Today we tried machine milking, got a 1/2 gal, then tried milking by hand. we used hot compresses and peppermint oil, massaging & nudging. We brought the calf in and tried to get him interested in nursing but he just lazed around even though it had been 2 hrs since he last nursed.
Right now I have them seperated in the hopes that he will be really hungry and go right to her & nurse when I go back to milk her this afternoon.
I think he is going to be alright as far as seperating, although it's something I wouldn't have considered doing even as recently as yesterday because he was still so wobbly.
Do you guys have any advice to offer? hopefully things will go better this afternoon, but if it doesn't, is there anything I am missing?
Thanks! Shannon