how can we get a cow to except a new calf after her calf died we have been working with them for 2 weeks?

Question

We have a Cow that had a calf prematurely we worked with the calf it got strong enough so his mother and him were outside he was doing real good.One day we found the calf dead so we got her another calf from a local farmer this has been over 2 weeks she doesn't stand still less we are in the pen with them.

Answer 1

Your cow may never stand still for the new baby. Just be patient and perhaps she will get used to the idea. If she doesn't, you can always milk her and feed the baby from a feeder bucket or bottle. I know this is a real pain, but sometimes in order to save the calf, we have to do what we have to do. Been there, done that.

Answer 2

Your probably not going to make them get the connection. The only reason the calf is going to the cow is because it's hungry and it really doesn't care who the supplier of milk is, it just wants to eat. The cow on the other hand doesn't understand that her calf is gone and therefore it doesn't want another calf taking the milk that she has produced for her calf. We had little success in getting things like this to work. Once solution we did used that worked was when a calf died at birth and another cow had twins or one where it's mom died. We then rubed the afterbirth from the momma cow on the calf we wanted her to 'adopt' and put them together. In the process of 'cleaning' the baby calf.. the momma comes to associate that calf's look and smell as her own... cause it got all her 'stuff' on it. This usually worked.

In your case... if the baby calf really needs a momma, I suggest you to either continue to 'supervise the feedings' as you are currently doing or milk the cow and feed the calf or just get some powered milk and mix and feed the calf. I would suggest the latter (powered milk) as this way the cow can stop producing milk and start her ovulation cycle again. Cows that have calves actively feeding on them will not ovulate. This way you can get that cow pregnant quicker and she can have another calf.

Hope this helps

Answer 3

First you need to contact your local ag. office for some help. Second I know it sounds wierd but you should have kept the skin of the dead calf to tie over the strange calf the scent maybe would have tricked her. I have heard it some times works long enough for the bonding to take place. Some cows won't ever take to a strange calf with out supervision. I hope this helps.

Answer 4

A trick I did with one of my horses, was take a towel or old blanket, and rub it all over the dead calf and cover it in its scent, and then rub it all over the new calf and put the two in the same stall. Your cow will smell her if she comes close to nurse..and if it smells like her calf..she'll push her closer to her..But until they're comfortable, you need to try and show her that this calf is her calf. it'll take time and patience but it works

Answer 5

I know it sound grusome but a trick my grand father used to use was to put the skin of the dead calf on the orphan for a week so that it smelled the same to the cow and she accepted it.
I am a country boy that now owns a pet store.

Answer 6

Is she dairy or beef? I'm trying to figure out why you feel she needs a calf...her colostrium should be gone by now. I ws raised on a farm w/both. When this happened we just milked the cow...dairy or beef..(of course, sometimes the beefers did not appreciate this)

Answer 7

i have heard placing the dead animals scent on the other helps