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calf question

R

Rance

Member
I'm pretty new to cows and there's a lot I don't know yet so please bear with me. I have two yearling heifers, Charlais/Angus mix. No other cows anywhere near. These were both orphans that I bottle fed but they've been weaned since last August. Now for some reason one tries to nurse from the other. I just noticed this today. The "mother" doesn't like it much and kicks the other away. Is this normal or has one developed some sort of breast feeding complex that needs a bovine psychologist to treat?
 

That's not unusual, Sometimes a grown cow will nurse another grown cow. When I have this happen, I separate the offender from the rest. If that doesn't work, the only thing left is to sell her. A cow that nurses another cow can starve a calf to death.
In your case I would separate them for a few weeks if possible but as long as the other heifer kicks her away it may work out on it's own.
 
Happens. Old timers had a nose ring with pointy spilkes to clamp in the nose of the offender. When tried to nurse, someone got poked and someone else got kicked. Usually ended the problem fairly quickly.
 
I've had cows that would lay down,turn their heads around and actually suck themselves. Like RayP said,a ring with spikes in it breaks them. Yours will probably just give up with enough kicks to the head.
 
I've had a cow abandon her own calf because another calf would feed off of her ,nope sale barn here we come
 
a cow heifer sucking on another lots of times will end up with a cow that will not milk from teat that was sucked.
hamburger for the grill
 
they sell a nose thing at fleet farm ($3.00) plastic anti-sucker gizmo, nope havent tried it, mite work
 
34362.jpg
 
It'll ruin a quarter in the udder real quick of she keeps sucking on it. Go for one of those spiked nose rings like the others suggest.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 
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