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SESD | The best luck I have is to first of all don't let the cow figure out here calf is dead. If she realizes that, it is darn near impossible. I try to keep the orphan and the cow separate until I'm sure the cow will accept it. I take the hide from the dead one and will open a door and hold the calf in the opening allowing the cow to only smell the old hide. Gradually I will let the cow get more scent of the orphan. I will always get the cow in the calving pen at first until it accepts the calf, this way you limit the orphan scent to the cow and she gets used to letting a newborn suck. Afterwards, get the cow out, hold the calf on the outside of the fence and maybe try to let her smell the old hide on the calf a little as this lets her think her calf is alive and kicking. Then keep them separate till next feeding. Also, by keeping them separate they will bellar for eachother, which is a good sign also.
3 years ago I had a heifer lose one and worked and worked with her. She would let the calf suck in the open pen as long as I was there with her. Finally I decided to leave them together overnight. WHOOPS, she had kicked the calf to death by morning, or I'm guessing by all the hair missing on his neck and head. Funny think is I still have the cow, even though it doesn't take much for her to set me off after that. | |
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Getting a cow to claim an orphan calf
