# Failure to raise a calf grounds for culling?



## Aaroncboo (Sep 21, 2014)

I had a calf born on the 29th didn't ever seem all that Thrifty. I never saw it and nurse or even really showing interest in it. The mom did lick it clean and would come over mooing at it a little bit here and there, but the calf just wasn't really active. It has been in the upper 90s here and I know that's pretty stressful on the animals especially a newborn. I just don't know how much effect the Mom would have on the baby in this type of weather and if it's worth keeping her around for another year? This is her second calf last year was her first and she ended up stepping on his hip and we had to put it down to. But I'm thinking that might have been a freak accident but at this stage of the game two failed calves sounds like a one-way ticket for me. Any thoughts? What would you do in this situation or what would you have done?


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

If they fail twice in a row they go, granted the first one could have been a total accident, however we have first calf heifers every year that haven't done that yet.


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

Keep her long enough to get her bread back and send her on down the road.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

I recondition and send to the packer.


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## Aaroncboo (Sep 21, 2014)

That's kind of what I was thinking. I have never had a cow not raise a calf until this year. I was wondering if it may of been heat related. He didn't really show any interest in nursing. Could that be the cows doing too?


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## Bishop (Apr 6, 2015)

With sheep we usually cull based on their mothering ability after one fail.


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## Aaroncboo (Sep 21, 2014)

Well that's what I'm asking I guess is could the calves lack of interest in nursing be related to the moms lack of mothering? She licked it clean and would moo at it. And when I went in there by the calf she'd come walking over to see what I was doing


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## Taylor.Jackson (Sep 30, 2016)

yes. cut losses and feed one that earns her keep


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## Aaroncboo (Sep 21, 2014)

That's kind of hard to grasp that concept. That a cow can make a calf nurse it's not like it can grab the calf and put it on there


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## Aaroncboo (Sep 21, 2014)

If that's true then it gives a whole new meaning to the mothering on the cows end for me


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## TJ Hendren (May 12, 2017)

If they miss one, especially a first calf heifer ok, two goodbye.


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## Cozyacres (Jul 16, 2009)

Aaroncboo said:


> That's kind of hard to grasp that concept. That a cow can make a calf nurse it's not like it can grab the calf and put it on there


I've seen some of my cows nudge the calf up and push it toward their udder to get it to nurse. I've also had cows that were uninterested in their calf and the calf would mostly lay there and not nurse, those we had to take back to the barn and bottle feed.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

Aaroncboo said:


> That's kind of hard to grasp that concept. That a cow can make a calf nurse it's not like it can grab the calf and put it on there


No a cow can't grab the calf and make it nurse, but a good cow that works on the calf by licking it clean and talking to it gets that calf fired up and lets the calves natural instincts to nurse get going. In cold weather its crucial that a calf get up and get that colstrum quickly. Once they get that first milk and all its energy and antibodies them little buggers can survive a lot. It doesn't take much to screw up that mothering process. Another cow trying to claim that new calf as her own and bothering that new momma can screw it up.

I swear by giving multimin 90 to cattle 30 days before calving makes for healthier and livelier calves that get up sooner and nurse. I feed a good loose mineral that is chelated but I still give multimin to the 1st calf heifers precalving and next year I'm going to give it to the old cows also.

I strongly feel different breeds of cattle have more vigor at birth. It seems the English breeds, Angus, red angus, Hereford are lively at birth where as the Continental breeds are slower at birth. That's been my expierence but I'm sure others might not feel the same.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

I keep pretty good records of my cows throughout their life. If their calf dies at any stage its documented in that cows records. I've had calves that died as newborns and wasn't quite sure what killed it. Sometimes would think the cow stepped on or layed on the calf. Its interesting when you look up a cow that either doesn't mother up well or has to have assistance for one thing or another that usually she'll have had some problem earlier in her life. Those ones get culled. Then there are other cows that never seem to have a problem or have a sick calf, those are the ones I like to keep replacements from.


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## Taylor.Jackson (Sep 30, 2016)

I guess my position on this is that the mother should have passed the traits to nurse down to the calf. Plus its not worth wondering if or not.


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

I give them 3 tries after that they are hamburg! I'm not taking care of her calf after that! I have had 3 different cows that were bad mothers all made great burger lol.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

skyrydr2 said:


> I give them 3 tries after that they are hamburg! I'm not taking care of her calf after that! I have had 3 different cows that were bad mothers all made great burger lol.


3 tries? Wow!!! How do you do it without losing money?


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## woodland (May 23, 2016)

skyrydr2 said:


> I give them 3 tries after that they are hamburg! I'm not taking care of her calf after that! I have had 3 different cows that were bad mothers all made great burger lol.


Do your cows play baseball?????


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