Post by Lannie on Jul 4, 2019 7:54:22 GMT -5
I was recently given an orphan calf to raise, and it answered one of my huge prayers because I need someone to go with Cricket to the bull for breeding this summer so I don't have to dry her off before that. She's nursed many other calves not her own in the past, and willingly and enthusiastically took Bandit's orphan even while she was still nursing her own 5 month old calf. Usually, it's after her own calf is weaned that she'll snag one of the other girls' calves and try to mother them.
Anyway, she doesn't want to have anything to do with this adorable little bull calf, and I can't figure out why. The only thing I can come up with is he's not related to her in any way. She'll let him nurse while she's locked in the stanchion, but otherwise she kicks at him, or just runs away. And it's getting harder to get her to come in at night because she knows it's just to feed that baby and she doesn't want to. I'm getting a little peeved at having to go out and chase her back to the barn through the long grass. It's waist-high in places and it keeps tripping me up.
I've never had a problem grafting a calf onto her before, so I don't know all the tricks. Is there something I can do to help the process along? Or do I just have to wait it out? It's been three days so far, which isn't a long time, but considering her past fostering proclivities, three days seems like forever.
I would LOVE for her to fully adopt him so I could let him out of jail to be out with her during the day. He has a nice clean comfy stall, and I'm keeping fly spray on him so he's not covered. The neighbor banded him and gave him a tetanus shot before he brought him over here, so I'm watching that, but I've never banded a calf so I'm kinda winging it there.
I've heard that once he starts pooping HER milk, she'll be more inclined to accept him. Is that true? And shouldn't that have happened already? Or am I just trying to rush things too much?
Any advice would be most welcome!
Anyway, she doesn't want to have anything to do with this adorable little bull calf, and I can't figure out why. The only thing I can come up with is he's not related to her in any way. She'll let him nurse while she's locked in the stanchion, but otherwise she kicks at him, or just runs away. And it's getting harder to get her to come in at night because she knows it's just to feed that baby and she doesn't want to. I'm getting a little peeved at having to go out and chase her back to the barn through the long grass. It's waist-high in places and it keeps tripping me up.
I've never had a problem grafting a calf onto her before, so I don't know all the tricks. Is there something I can do to help the process along? Or do I just have to wait it out? It's been three days so far, which isn't a long time, but considering her past fostering proclivities, three days seems like forever.
I would LOVE for her to fully adopt him so I could let him out of jail to be out with her during the day. He has a nice clean comfy stall, and I'm keeping fly spray on him so he's not covered. The neighbor banded him and gave him a tetanus shot before he brought him over here, so I'm watching that, but I've never banded a calf so I'm kinda winging it there.
I've heard that once he starts pooping HER milk, she'll be more inclined to accept him. Is that true? And shouldn't that have happened already? Or am I just trying to rush things too much?
Any advice would be most welcome!