to foster, or not

[debra wiltshire]

Lost a calf this morning ...I have chance of getting a 24 hour old dairy bull calf to foster on to this first time heifer.
Any opinions, is this a good idea? I am a little concerned about drying her off at this time of year

[Saffy]

Hello Debra,

I would only have two major concerns.

How quiet is your cow and what is the health status of the herd of the calf. If your cow is a poppet as far as touching her udder etc is concerned and the health status of this herd is at least as good as yours so you won't be bringing anything in, no real problem bar getting her to like it.

You do have the consideration of what are you going to do with an enormous dairy steer, will he fit through your system in 2 years time/be able to eat from feeders etc. At what age will you send him to slaughter as they are very hard/nigh on impossible to get meat on if they are pure holstien.

Stephanie

[debra wiltshire]

Hello Stephanie...thanks for your comments.
The farmer was recommended by the vet who helped with our heifer this morning...so although I dont know him myself, I do trust my vet. The heifer is quiet and hasnt minded us handling her udder but of course its an unknown area.
I would have preferred a beef cross and there will be some for sale at the market tomorrow...but thats the problem via the market its very hard to know where they come from.
We had thought that we would probably sell the steer on next spring...we were more concerned about the heifer who is full of milk and without a calf on her will definitely get fat...

[ann]

Hi Debra
If you do decide to get the calf, if possible I would milk your heifer for the first day or two and feed the calf from a bottle, that way the calf gets use to you and the heifer gets use to letting her milk down, if she is very quiet and you can be sure she will not kick the calf, try and see if she will let him suckle, if she will not, then once he is use to you get him to suckle from the back, as the cow can not kick him there, I use to do a lot of double suckling and they soon catch on where it is safer to suckle from, your heifer may take to him, or she may never let him suck with out supervision, so you must be prepared for the possibility that you have to supervise all his feeds for the next six months. Also unless the heifer is happy to have him around her, I would pen the calf up near her, but so she is not able to attack him should she decide this is not for her.
However i often found that once they got back in calf they become much more relaxed about the business. What ever you decide to do, good luck

[Louisa Gidney]

As to selling the calf on later, I put a pure B&W steer through the local mart at 13 months old, reared on a Dexter cow whose calf was stillborn. I cleared £400 on him, was almost tempted to go back into double suckling!
I'd give it a go and if it doesn't work out you can always dry off the heifer and sell the calf on.

[debra wiltshire]

Thats what we have decided to do Louisa..

We took Ann's advice and took the heifer into the crush and milked her from behind which she didnt seem to mind too much. We then went to collect the calf this morning and put the heifer back in the crush and put the calf to her from behind. We did have to 'sit' him down initially as the new udders were not where his mum's used to be. However he soon got the hang of it and promptly fed from all four quarters. Just had another session which went well. So far so good. Will keep you posted.

[Saffy]

Well done - hope all keeps going well.

Stephanie

[sues]

Hi
I hope every thing is going well?? We have fostered a couple of calves on to dexters with very good results. We did skin the dead calves to put on the adopted ones and also we spent alot of time standing with them but it did pay off. They were both angus calves and by the time they were six months old they were actually bigger that the cows!!
Good luck
Sue

[debra wiltshire]

Marjoram & Harry 10 July.jpg (107.16 KiB) Viewed 10634 times

Thought you might like to see the progress our little foster pair have made. Day three and now we can tie Marjoram to a ring feeder whilst the calf dances around her and feeds...the next photo is of him tentatively approaching from the side...a couple of half hearted kicks but shes ok with it.
Interestingly we noticed that before today she tolerated his company but from the time we put a rubber ring on his testicles her attitude changed and she now stands with him making all those lovely motherly noises. Would she detect his pain and felt the need to mother or just a coincidence?

marjoram & Harry 01 July 10.jpg (108.1 KiB) Viewed 10634 times

[Saffy]

Brilliant!

[ann]

So glad its worked out and he looks a nice calf, is he a cross