Fostering a calf

[natmadaboutdexters]

I know this subject has probably been covered many times before but just want to know what I have let myself in for. We unfortunately had a dead calf born last Thursday and I managed to get hold of an Angus calf which i am now trying to foster onto the mother who really doesn't like the idea at present. She will stand still and let him suckle but only when I put her in the crush, in the pen she just keeps moving away from him or starts lifting her back legs to prevent him from drinking.

I had naively thought that after a week or so she would get used to the idea and I would be able to turn them back out with the other Dexters but even after four days I am beginning to think that I will be putting the cow in the crush daily for the next two months!

Any ideas? The best one will probably be not to attempt fostering unless you have the time twice a day to feed the calf/stand over the cow.

Natasha

[Saffy]

To be fair to her Natasha she doesn't sound to be too bad and I think that probably with patience she will gradually improve, so keep up the good work, it does take time.

I expect you are already doing this but if it was me I would keep her shortish of food until I wanted her to feed the calf, so that she is quite pleased to see a nice slice of hay or a bucket of food, this often helps the transition form strong arm tactics to suckling in a more refined manner! If you have been holding her tail up to stop her kicking when she was in the crush, sometimes just laying a hand on her back seems to serve as a reminder that you are still there and then you can perhaps move her across to a wall, so she can't move a way and the calf can suckle.

Good luck, its sounds as if you are winning.

Stephanie

[Robert & Alison Kirk]

Hi Natasha - ~We had to put one of our cows in the crush to let her own calf suck this spring. Mother and calf did eventually become bonded (it may be easier as it was her own calf) and have been turned out for a couple of months. Bonding takes time, but I'm sure you will be rewarded in the end.

Best wishes

Alison Kirk
Boram Dexters

[domsmith]

My only fostering this year came from an angus who took a dexter calf. she just accepted it, but i was able to use the dead calfs skin to aid in acceptance. she was so desperate to be a mother that even as the skin fell off (5 sizes too big for a dexter calf) she still loved it.

But persistence and a cool head. feeding time a bucket of food holding the calf on whilst she eats twice a day. even if mum doesnt quite like it some of these calves can get reaaly clever in knowing when they can sneak milk like a little thief.

good luck

dom

[natmadaboutdexters]

Sorry to not have replied earlier, my computer was broken for a few hours today. Thank you for your advice everyone, I am now putting the cow on a halter while still in her pen and apart from a few kicks when the calf butts her she will let him drink. I give her a bucket of dry food while he is drinking and just leave her with some hay the rest of the day so that she associates food with the calf. Luckily he is quite persistant because once I take the halter off she tries to get away from him or tries to kick him but he keeps on trying to drink!

I will continue with this and hope that just me going into the pen with her will be enough to make her stand still while he drinks and eventually she will stand still and he will just keep trying to sneak some milk during the day when I am not there.

Natasha

[fallowfield-dexters]

I lost my mother cow when her calf was 3 weeks old, I attempted to bottlefeed/bucket feed him knowing what a witch the only other mum was to feed the calf off. However it didnt work, as result I ended up just haltering her and feeding her whilst he drank. I dont have crushs or anything only keeping a few and so ended up tieing her against the fence and placing a hurdle the other side of her, which I found quite effective. The calf did really well at knowing he only drank when she was in my feeding system. The only thing I did find is he had to be washed quite a lot as her chose to drink standing at the back, presumably because the kick wasnt as easy for the mother, however I thought I had taken him down to one feed at about 4 months old only to find at a local agricultural show when I was saving the udder the mother angled herself so he could drink. So they were either working as a team at getting more food from me for the previous 4 months or the mother cow didnt actually mind as much as she was letting on as long as she could have her udder drained.

Good luck though with your calf

[natmadaboutdexters]

Caught him drinking yesterday and again this morning plus he had a lovely full tummy. The cow is now happy to stand still while he drinks and now moos at him and was licking him yesterday so hopefully she has accepted him.

Natasha

[Saffy]

Brilliant news!

Stephanie