I have my pasture rented to my Amish neighbor so he can winter graze his cattle. Yesterday morning one of the cows unexpectedly calved in about 4 inches of snow. He came and checked her out last night and said things looked good. About noon today, I was in the pasture and did not see the calf anywhere. I searched for it and found it in the wood line near the creek a good ways aways from the other cattle. I led the cows to where the calf was. After a few minutes, the mother moved over to the calf and the calf began to nurse. I then left. This evening, I looked out and did not see the calf again. I searched for it. I found it laying underneath a tree by itself. Is this normal behavior or at some point should I intervene?
Newborn Calf question????
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Bird
Rest in Peace
I'm almost afraid to answer this question, because if I'm wrong and the calf dies from exposure, I'd sure feel bad. However . . ., it sounds quite normal to me. The calf will nurse, then bed down somewhere while the mother cow goes off to graze. I would expect her to return to the calf when it's time for it to nurse again. In my experience, if the cow were abandoning the calf, you would not have seen it nurse that one time.
Egon
Epic Contributor
I'll agree with Bird.
Highbeam
Super Member
I have been called a few times to help bring the fresh, and gooey, calf up to the barn where momma and calf were latched into a small padock to keep them apart from the other mommas and let them hang out together. I was called to help since lots of times there were twins and the farmer could only carry one.
weldingisfun
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Goats, when left in the fields after dropping their kids, will leave them under a tree or in some form of cover and go out and graze. I have had goats forget where they left their kids too. Never did find them. I don't let them run free after kidding anymore. I pen them up for a few weeks until the kids can keep up with mom and run away from the other buttheads.
You might just want to keep your eye on that calf for a while longer. At least until you see it tagging along with the cow. It can't hurt and it would be the neighborly thing to do.
You might just want to keep your eye on that calf for a while longer. At least until you see it tagging along with the cow. It can't hurt and it would be the neighborly thing to do.
nobull1
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I would think by now the answer is known. This a couple of days since the birth and if the mother was neglecting it, it would be in trouble by now. If the calf is alert and gets up without too much encouraging, than it is probably fine. Another thought is if Mom was a first time calver sometimes they don't really have all the mothering instincts, and have to be encouraged(doubt that's the case). Finding the calf in two different places is "probably" a good thing.
Your Amish neighbor is lucky to have you to keep a eye on his herd. That could be the difference between life and death.
Your Amish neighbor is lucky to have you to keep a eye on his herd. That could be the difference between life and death.
I am sure you have determined the answer to this already from the other replies, but I will at least qualify myself to answer. I spent my whole life on a small farm (no cattle though) and worked all through high school and college for a LARGE farmer (lots of farm ground and beef cattle). What you are seeing is normal. By now the calf is probably getting around well enough that he/she is spending more time following the herd, but I have seen tons of calves over the years that would duck "out" of the fenced area to sleep in cover that has not been tromped over. Incidentally... I may be the official waterer for my buddies cows.... I hauled water to them yesterday and two of them calved after I was there...says I should haul all the water to get the calving over with...
My 4 y/o loves to go see uncle Lindy's cows... I think we may be up there a lot as it's only two miles down the road...
I spent my whole life on a small farm (no cattle though) and worked all through high school and college for a LARGE farmer (lots of farm ground and beef cattle). What you are seeing is normal. By now the calf is probably getting around well enough that he/she is spending more time following the herd, but I have seen tons of calves over the years that would duck "out" of the fenced area to sleep in cover that has not been tromped over. Incidentally... I may be the official waterer for my buddies cows.... I hauled water to them yesterday and two of them calved after I was there...says I should haul all the water to get the calving over with... My 4 y/o loves to go see uncle Lindy's cows... I think we may be up there a lot as it's only two miles down the road...
czechsonofagun
Elite Member
weldingisfun said:
We babysitted friends goats when she gave birth. That was amazing, those two little buggers hit the ground running. I mean nobody was there, I was at home sick and went out to check and there goes the goat and two kids after her - they had to be max 20 minutes old and running so fast I could not catch them to lock them in the stable.