Colostrum Supplement or Not?

[TCRanch]

I have a heifer due within the next week. I generally don't bring them down to the barn to calve until they start springing but busted her letting 2 other calves nurse yesterday & she's now in "prison" (at least I know she won't kick off her own calf). She definitely has bagged but not yet dialated, no mucus plug, no tail to the side. I have no idea if she let other calves nurse but it's unusual for a heifer's bag to be so full this early so I suspect that's the case. I always give newborns First Defense within the 1st 12 hours and if the calf is sluggish or I'm not sure how much colostrum it received I give it Nursemate ASAP. My question is, how many of you would go ahead & supplement her calf with colostrum replacer?

 

[wbvs58]

Nope, I wouldn't.
Ken

 

[Son of Butch]

Yes, not a top priority but, I would if it's not much of a hassle to get it done.

 

[dun]

Yes, not a top priority but, I would if it's not much of a hassle to get it done.

Me too

 

[TCRanch]

Thanks! She's getting a little testy so I'll see what happens when she calves.

 

[Till-Hill]

Yes number one priority. And don't assume after she Calves she will take it! Had same problem this year. Never seen anything like it. Let everyone suck till day she Calved and then Ran and kicked at her own!

 

[Lucky_P]

Yep. I'd supplement. Maximum colostral antibodies are 'set' by 5 weeks pre-partum. She's not gonna make more... and if those other calves sucked 'em off, the new baby's gonna get slighted. I'd definitely give a dose of a high-quality colostrum REPLACER (not just a supplement) .

Had a deal here sorta like Till-Hill's: 1st-timer calved, wanted nothing to do with her calf; pulled 'em in to the barnlot, took a day or two of chuting her twice a day for her to accept her calf - then, after that, she'd let anything in the barnlot, and later, in the pasture, nurse here. Calved again the next year... would have nothing to do with her own calf... which I grafted onto a heifer who lost hers... in the meantime, the 3-yr old has now adopted another cow's calf... with 'two mamas', he topped the calf crop that year! But... I didn't give her a third chance... she took a ride to town as a bred cow... probably made somebody else angry about 2 months ago when she calved out and refused her own calf.

 

[TCRanch]

Good to know, thanks! We had such a mild winter/spring & zero calving issues so I'm stocked up on replacer.

We've only had 2 heifers that wouldn't let their calves nurse: First one dropped her calf, took one look & skipped town. Had to pen them together for a week before she'd accept her calf - and she bawled the most when we weaned. Second one prolapsed & wasn't in the mood after all the drama & getting stitched (I don't blame her). That heifer was a bottle calf & when we brought another bottle down for her baby the next morning (this time it was just the supplement) she wanted it so my husband let her suck the bottle while I got her calf latched on (We also gave that heifer a bottle to keep her occupied while I took out her stitches in the middle of the pasture ). Both have turned out to be great mama's!

 

[TCRanch]

Well unfortunately the colostrum replacer wasn't necessary. Hard pull, 89 lb dead calf. Have no idea how she had such a big calf; the bull we used has never thrown any calves that weighed more than 75 and they're long with narrow heads, totally easy calving. Icing on the cake would be a down heifer w/nerve damage. Aspirin, Banamine, Dex, Vit B Complex - hope it kicks in soon because the hip lift doesn't fit her, although she can move a little & at least her hind legs aren't splayed behind her. What else could possibly go wrong? =(