Milk Cow Surrogate

[perfectstorm]

We run regular beef cattle on our ranch but occasionally we have a heifer refuse its calve or die in birthing resulting in a calf with no mom. We havn't had success with bottle feeding at all, so now we pretty much just sell the calf for nothing to some else. Well, I am wondering, is there a breed of milk cow that I could keep around my horse barn that would produce milk and be there when we have this situation arises so that I could put the newborn calf on her.

Anyone have any experience with this stuff? Seems like this happens at least 2x a year and raising those newborn calves to adults would pay for any costs of the milk cow it its possible to do.

[txarcher]

We used to buy bottle calves from a dairy that milked Brown Swiss cows. They bred all of their heifers to angus and brangus bulls, so they would sell us those heifer calves too. When those Brown Swiss/Angus cows calved, on several occasions we did put a doggie calf with them and they raised it just fine.

[perfectstorm]

I will be keeping my eye out for a proven nurse cow. From the little research I've done it seems like a lot of them are jerseys too.

[bboswell]

Just about any cow will take on an adopted calf. My Granddad raised baby calves his whole life.

When I cow had a calf she was moved to the lot and he went to area dairies and bought baby calves for cheap because the dairy wanted to sell the milk not feed a calf with it. These calves were then put on his cow and did great.

Depending on the cow and how much she produced we would put 3 - 4 calves per cow. The calves nursed while the cow ate her feed with each cow and set of calves being in their own stall in the barn.

During the day and night the cows were turned out while the calves stayed in the lot. The calves very quickly knew which cow to go to.

In the beginning you may have to supervise some if the cow is reluctant to accept the new calf but it won't take long for her to settle down and then the next set of calves will be no problem.

[Texas Tracker]

Here are a few.

[txarcher]

Here are a few.

I think that milk would be too bitter.

[Thumper]

Lol!

[lab man]

My dad used a brown swiss.

[Thumper]

Old rancher would find another cow with a nursing calf. He'd 1st spray Right Gaurd up the noise of the cow and then put new calf sprayed with the Right Gaurd together in a small pen.

[Moose]

Old rancher would find another cow with a nursing calf. He'd 1st spray Right Gaurd up the noise of the cow and then put new calf sprayed with the Right Gaurd together in a small pen.

This except I've seen vicks vapor rub used-

[bboswell]

Old rancher would find another cow with a nursing calf. He'd 1st spray Right Gaurd up the noise of the cow and then put new calf sprayed with the Right Gaurd together in a small pen.

This except I've seen vicks vapor rub used-

Never needed either one

[Palmetto]

....so now we pretty much just sell the calf for nothing to some else....

Last week I sold old a week old calf for $175 at the sale barn. The calf had already started sucking its momma, but the momma died. I got the calf started on a bottle, and called the sale barn. The momma was an old cow, that had given me years of trouble free service. She will be missed.

If I had enough problems with calves that I needed a milk cow, then I'd start culling cows & looking for some new ones. The first time one of mine has an issue, its cull time (if they aint dead). IMO, it cheaper & easier to just sell the calves. Cut your losses, and go on down the road.

[Fightin' Farmer]

I don't know your operation, but to maintain a milk cow year around I would definitely want to have more than just a few bottle babies. We calve around 650 head a year and normally have 10+/- a few bottle babies a year. Generally we know which other momma cows will take up an orphan calf, but occasionally we just can't get one to take or it is just too dern stupid to suck. If that is the case then we will break out the bottle. As for a milk cow, we have thought about purchasing a jersey, but to be honest we have been pretty lucky with other momma cows picking up the slack.

[perfectstorm]

A lot of good info here. That's why I was asking to see if it's a break even or not. Appreciate the responses!

[Cowpolks-TR]

Something to keep in mind is that if you have a cow that loses a calf you can skin that dead calf and throw the skin over a bottle calf or orphan calf and the cow will take it. It only takes a day or so for this to work.