# Raising calves with nurse cows...



## FlowerFieldFarm (Feb 5, 2011)

Hi,

I see there are several people here who do this on a large scale, but I couln't located any specific posts with much how-to info. We are starting a small dairy with cheesemaking facility, and culling really heavily in that herd. Instead of sending my so-so cows to the packers, I want to move them down the road a ways and raise bum feedlot or dairy calves on them. Right now I have a Black Angus/Guernsey who is out to pasture with an extra calf she takes care of, and two swisses who didn't work out, but they have to be put in the stanchion to let the babies nurse. 

Can you give my the basic info of your setup and feeding system. Do you leave calves with cows or just let them in at feeding time? How long does each calf stay on the cow? Breed suggestions? I was thinking of breeding these girls to a holstein to up the productions, as they both produce less than my Jersey:hammer: The black angus cross is already AI'd to a Normande, and her heifer will get to return to the dairy herd. 
What do you feed these girls - same as when you are milking? 

Thanks in advance!


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## sellis (Apr 7, 2006)

My father did this with 2 milk cows and did very well at it , the cow would go in the stanchion and her calf and the new calf would go on her ,she couldnt see what calf was hers so she would just relax and take it ,after a few days she accepted them both and would let them suck wherever she was , we didnt use much milk so what was left we got and still had plenty.


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## FlowerFieldFarm (Feb 5, 2011)

Sellis - unrelated question but north or south wy-ne line? We are about 10 minutes from Albin, WY on the NE side...


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

I have a three quartered cow right now that is feeding three calves, she is just a sweet heart and I don`t need the extraa milk and why should I feed those calves, let her do it. I just let her in the pen with the calves at milking time, they nurse and then she goes out when the rest of the cows do. > Thanks Marc


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## 65284 (Sep 17, 2003)

springvalley said:


> I have a three quartered cow right now that is feeding three calves, she is just a sweet heart and I don`t need the extraa milk and why should I feed those calves, let her do it. I just let her in the pen with the calves at milking time, they nurse and then she goes out when the rest of the cows do. > Thanks Marc




Those matronly old gals that will accept extra calves without a fuss are priceless aren't they? I lost mine last winter, she was a 20 year old Dexter that never saw a calf she didn't love. 

It was funny to see her wandering around the pasture, often with several calves trailing along behind. Anyone was always welcome for a quick slurp or two of milk.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

65284 said:


> Those matronly old gals that will accept extra calves without a fuss are priceless aren't they? I lost mine last winter, she was a 20 year old Dexter that never saw a calf she didn't love.
> 
> It was funny to see her wandering around the pasture, often with several calves trailing along behind. Anyone was always welcome for a quick slurp or two of milk.


Would love to see a picture of her!


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

I bought a little sale barn calf the same day I bought my white cow Christine. I penned them up together for a couple days ... they worked things out. He learned to ask for milk nicely!


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

We start out with putting the cows in the stanchion with feed until they get used to the calves nursing. We usually graft an extra calf on a cow that has just calved. That makes it really easy. If the cow is gentle and not mean to the extra calf, we keep the cow and calves together, giving the cow feed twice a day so she will stand and let the extra calf nurse. As the calves get older, the extra calf soon learns to nurse when the cow's calf is nursing. After a couple of weeks, we turn them all out together.
If you are grafting foreign calves onto a cow, you will probably have to get her in the stanchion night and morning until she gets used to the calves nursing. We sometimes have to restrain a cow (depends on the cow), at first. After a couple of weeks the cows usually give up and let the calves nurse without kicking. Sometimes a cow will take calves and you can turn them out together and sometimes you just have to get the cow in twice a day and give her feed so she will stand and let the calves nurse. It all depends on each cow.


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## 65284 (Sep 17, 2003)

G. Seddon said:


> Would love to see a picture of her!


http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i84/65284/SunnyandCalf004.jpg


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

Hey thanks! Looks like a short-legged old timey Dexter, one who knows what she's doing...they are the best!


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## 65284 (Sep 17, 2003)

G. Seddon said:


> Hey thanks! Looks like a short-legged old timey Dexter, one who knows what she's doing...they are the best!


That's exactly what she was. She was rather unusual in that she calved the first time at 2 years old and never missed having a calf every year after that. And she was always bred to short leg bulls. I would love to have a couple more just like her.


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## sellis (Apr 7, 2006)

flowerfieldfarm ,i sent you a message hope to talk to you soon


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