HOw do i know if my cow is milking baby good?

[Huntet02]

**Keep in mind im a green beginner didn't know whether to put here or on beginner board**

This is our very first calf and we have no history on mama cow, we got her at such a good price were' now a bit suspicious that something isn't going to work right w/her(wont milk, not a good mother etc). IN MIdwest KS
Calf born Tues in super mild weather and things seemed to look ok when I got there within 2hr of birth.
Thing is calf is 65mi away at my moms place, my mother whose 73 doesn't think the cows bag hasnt filled up enough to give the baby adequate milk. I told mom i had seen baby nurse after born and maybe the baby had just nursed and that every animals bags are diff. But my mom is driving us crazy w/worry and constant calls(bless her :heart: ) so were going to try to go load both fri (will see how that goes couldnt' load mama before she gave birth so this outta be fun). We dont' have catch pen built yet so its a trailer and cattle panels kind of cluster.. .UGH! Shes bucket trained but doesn't like putting back feet in trailer.
Anyway "Whats a good way to tell all is well on the milking dept"? if the baby has milk around its mouth? If not milking good baby may be gone by the time we get there fri.
Pics taken 2 hrs old , wasnt able to tell if boy/girl yet....Anyone see anything?

 

[Son of Butch]

I see no evidence in the photos provided that the cow's udder isn't plump and full of milk. :lol:

You are right about individual difference between cows. I have one with udder that always takes a day to start producing.
My gut says over reaction to a low production cow and the calf will be fine.
If calf's tail is wagging when sucking that means milk is hitting the sweet spot in its' tummy and life is good.
If calf doesn't wag tail and searches from teat to teat in disappointment or quits trying means isn't getting what he/she needs.

 

[WalnutCrest]

I'll echo the comments above.

Also, I'll note that some cows with big bags produce lots of low-quality milk, and others with small bags produce a smaller amount of very rich milk.

As it regards loading your female and her calf, if that's what you want to do, we've found some really good ways to load up small numbers in a make-shift sort of way. A bit hard to describe in writing -- so, if you want to talk about it, drop me a private message w/ your name and number and I'll give you a call.

Good luck!

 

[Huntet02]

WalnutCrest--i sent you PM!!




I'll echo the comments above.

Also, I'll note that some cows with big bags produce lots of low-quality milk, and others with small bags produce a smaller amount of very rich milk.

As it regards loading your female and her calf, if that's what you want to do, we've found some really good ways to load up small numbers in a make-shift sort of way. A bit hard to describe in writing -- so, if you want to talk about it, drop me a private message w/ your name and number and I'll give you a call.

Good luck!

 

[WalnutCrest]

How did the rodeo go?

 

[Huntet02]

WalnutCrest, well it went..... we did several different things, 1st located calf in pasture after i found her we trailered over close to her then fed mama a new protein tub. Loaded calf in trailer and started calling mama. Me my hubby and father in law, had panels t-posted in leadnig up to trailer, had her eating out of my bucket but shes onto us and ain't going inside trailer; she circled round and round trailer calling calf out, calf would get close to coming out we'd all stop and go push her back in then back completley away again hoping she'd go willinly inside. After 2hrs calf got out, we Went to lunch re-grouped trying the trailer lined up on the fence route with panels angled just right, we then pushed all 4 cattle down the fenceline with truck, which they complied until they'd get close to the panels/trailer then they'd give us the bird. Feet sore, starting to argue we left em all as they are. My biggest worry is calf isn't getting much milk, i've seen no milk residue on lips or teats, cows bags are barely there and mamacows' appetite not great like her normal self- wish i could get her and calf to vet to know if something blocked so we could utilize her in a more effective way. I know ridiculous to some but this heifer is my sons 4H project and means a lot to us that she stay alive. i imagine this cow not milking worth a darn is why she was culled .... but when I left this am heifer calf was running and playing so she must be getting a lil something long as she doesn't die im good.

 

[Katpau]

From your description I think the calf is eating enough. A calf who had not eaten by the third day would be very lethargic. You should be able to walk right up and it would be oblivious. It's stomach will be shrunken and you can feel how empty it is. I have had some over the years that were not able to latch on at first, because the cows teats were too big for their mouth. If they can't get milk out of the cow right away, for the first day or two, they will keep trying to find something to eat in all of the wrong places, including approaching you, other cows, and even the wall or fence. It is usually pretty obvious. After a few days of attempting to eat without success, the calf would be in pretty tough shape. It would not be running and playing. You saw this calf nurse, so unless it looks lethargic and its stomach feels empty, I would bet it is getting what it needs. Many heifers and even some cows have very small udders, but I have never had one who failed to milk enough to keep a calf alive. If you are really worried, you could offer the calf a bottle. I am betting she would reject it since she will prefer the real thing unless she is pretty hungry.

 

[Huntet02]

thank you so much for your input Katpau
Latest-- so not a full week old yet and I was ready to pull heifer calf home and bottle fed her without her mamma yest after mamma left her hidden in pasture for many hrs and calf couldn't even walk when I awakened her BUT much more to story! Since we cannot, after 3 weekends of trying, get mama loaded in trailer, after me and hubby agreeing i was just gonna grab calf put in my car and head home, however my mom chewed me out telling me that calf runs around playing every morning and i was a fool sooo i stayed the night and decided to check it out.
I had decided to pull her home after spending many hrs sitting 5ft away watching baby nurse, she goes from teat to teat, not getting much of anything, her flanks are sunken, no visible milk residue on cows teats, nor calfs mouth AND cows bag looks like nothing much is really there--all that said i however do digress and believe 1 teat MUST be giving her a tiny amount after seeing quite a show this am.
At 7:30 i watched calf head butting other calf whose 3mos older, running like the wind back and forth zipping around: i was thrilled! Yes im probably a complete idiot but again our first calf (born to us) so we know little on how things are supposed' to work BUT if a calf was starving i don't think it could be running like this right? :shock:
I know many ranchers would laugh at us carrying on so much for 1 little baby but this heifer is worth a lot of $ and 4H shows for us...
here's last nights pics

 

[branguscowgirl]

I understand your concern Huntet02. Your calf and cow sound pretty normal. It is hard to tell by the picture, being all the same color. But it looks like she has milk........Can you get a better pic of her udder?
It also looks like the calf is wagging its tail in satisfaction? Another good sign.
One more thing to consider when it comes to helping her produce milk. What are you feeding her, or is she on a good pasture?

 

[branguscowgirl]

And you are correct. If the calf was not getting enough to eat, it would not be zipping around the pasture. It would be looking for food!
Katpau gave you some wonderful information.

 

[LauraleesFarm]

Calf's belly looks rounded from being full in this picture. A calf not getting enough will be sunken in and sucked up and you will be able to see some ribs and ridge on the backbone a little bit. The cow looks to be Brahman influence of some sort? If so, then they are known for higher butterfat content (Brahman) and the bag may not be that huge in order to effectively feed a calf.
If she is eating, peeing, pooping, and active, she's probably fine. I always keep creep feed available just in case a cow keels over dead unexpectedly. Its a good insurance policy against such happenings, and helps the calf along in case it is not getting enough from mom.