# Calf not nursing



## Northcountryboy (May 5, 2015)

Yesterday morning when I was leaving for the day I spotted a cow with a new born calf. So I called my son to go check on it. He did and said he thought it was nursing. When I returned in the afternoon I checked on it and the calf was 100 feet from where it was in the morning and the cow was off feeding. I should add we had 2 inches of snow overnight and it turned to a light rain for the day. The cow returned and the calf tried to nurse for an hour. Never got the teet in her mouth. So I brought the calf to the barn and gave it colostrum and in the morning it drank a quart of milk replacer. Looked like it was doing well and thought I would put it back with the cow in my creep feeder. Watched it for 2 hours and it never got up despite the cow licking a nudging it. Any advice or ideas would be much appreciated.


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

I'd proable put them in a barn stall together where she could not walk off and leave it and check it in the morning if it still absent nurses I'd try putting the tit in it's mouth and if that doesn't work I'd just bottle feed it.


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

I would speculate that the calf is weak and probably cold. Having had only a quart of milk in 12 hours or so, is too little. If the milk was cool/cold when given to it also would act to lower the calf's core temp. I could feed warm milk that I stripped from the cow if you can milk her. If you can get her in a stall, you can either make a quick rope halter or put a bought halter on her. Tie her head short, then run the rope (or use another rope) around her body front to back to pin her to the side of the stall. Once she's bound down (if she's is not docile enough to just let you help her), milk her out if the calf can't/won't suck her teat. If the calf still won't suck from a bottle, you will need to tube the little feller to get the warm milk to its guts. Feel inside of the calf's mouth to check that it's warm and has a sucking reflex.

I'm no real bovine man, but have helped with a few and, on a smaller scale, that's how I do lambs.

73, Mark


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I agree with what has been posted.

I would get them penned up together so the momma could not stray. It is also easier to keep an eye on them both and also easier to work with them.

If at all possible, milk the cow and feed it straight to the calf.

I can get a calf to nurse a goat nipple in no time flat. It takes a while to get one on a regular calf bottle. Just not much like the real thing.

Once the calf gets a taste of warm milk and has some strength it will make a better effort to nurse.

If I planned on the calf being with the momma, I would shy away from the milk replacer. It can upset their stomach mixing replacer and real milk. When I have to supplement for a short time I use Carnation condensed milk and dilute it 50/50 with water.

I have also bottle fed warm sugar water to calves to get their temperature and energy up after they have had colostrum.

I am working with a friend's calf now that is several days old and has never nursed. (Momma has full udder, no milk) She was wet, shivering cold and puny. Fed her warm colostrum last night and a half gallon of fresh Jersey milk today. She is a new calf now.


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## Northcountryboy (May 5, 2015)

Thanks everybody, I've had no luck getting the calf to nurse. So just going to bottle feed the calf. 
We've made it 40 hours, if we make it another day or so we should make it out of the woods. I really wanted for it to be with it's mother. Oh well life goes on.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Dealt with that last year, except in our case momma was doing her job but the calves were future Bernie Sander supporters and were waiting for somebody else to do their job, picked up a bottle of selenium and Vitamin A D from the local vet, seemed to end the problem.


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## Northcountryboy (May 5, 2015)

Happy to report the calf made it through the nite and was blatting for a drink this morning. The little heifer didn't have much energy the first 48 hours. I'll see if I can persuade her away from the Bernie bandwagon. Thanks again


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

What I do is stick my middle finger in calfs mouth, let the nurse reflex kick in, and then slowly lead calf to teat with my finger still in the mouth. Then slowly pull out finger while slipping teat in. Takes a little practice but works every time. Once in a while you'll get a calf that thinks they can't nurse with nose against the udder. I tube them just enough to whet their whistle, then they are hungry enough it doesn't matter.


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## Northcountryboy (May 5, 2015)

Sorry I haven't updated you fellas. We managed to get the calf nursing using stack em up method. The cow likes to kick at me when I'm trying to get my hand on her teat. So it took awhile. Distracting with some grain. Darn calf would try sucking to high up on the bag. All the advice is much appreciated.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

1/2 cc of Rompum (sedative) makes it easy to work with cows like that. Calms her down so she won't be kicking at you.

What condition is the cows udder in? Is her udder shot and hanging to low for the calf to nurse properly? If her teats are to big it can sometimes cause problems for a calf to get the teat in its mouth on its own. If the cow has any of those problems my opinion would be to cull the cow after you wean the calf.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

We always work our way down to the udder. Start at the hip and move down rather than go straight to the udder. You are probably already doing this, just thought I would mention it. We also use a warm rag, soaked with water and rub the udder when first working with a cow. This feels good to her and I believe helps her to let the milk down.

Then we milk some into our hand and rub it on the teat. Helps soften it up and also leaves milk residue the calf can smell.

It is hard to hold a calf's head down trying to get it in the correct position to nurse. They seem to fight against the pressure. May try having someone brace the calf from behind so it can not back up. Then the braver person reaches and guides the teat, bends it toward the calf. Squirt some milk toward the calf's nose. Let him lick the taste and become aggressive for more.

I will only work with very gentle cows when trying this.

As a youngster I learned to put my head in the cows side. she can not kick as well. If her head is tied you can actually pen her against a wall doing this. Then again, I have been told I do not have much sense for doing that. To each his own.

Had to tube the calf we are working with today. She was fine this morning, by noon she was laying flay with her eyes rolled back, cold nosed. She has loose bowels so we poured kaopectate in the mix. She was better this evening and wanting to nurse. We shall see what tomorrow brings.

Best of luck in your endeavors.


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