Has anyone had trouble with a calf that will only nurse on one teat?

Question

We have a family cow, and have had calves about every 14 months. This is her 5th calf and is about 6 weeks old, and it will only nurse on the left front quarter, so now that we are in winter weather, things are pretty chapped. I really don't want to take the calf off and bottle feed it as that will just be more work for me. There is no sign of mastitis. Has anyone had to deal with this?

Answer 1

yes some calves will find a favorite and stay with it . one thing you might check to see if the others might be plugged and if they are you will have to milk her by hand and take the cafs nose and mouth and rub her face in them once they are dropping milk or place cow in chute and force the calf to drink from the other teats and dont allow her to drink from the one, if they are plugged they might still have a type of colosterum milk in them that athe calf might not like te taste of untill they are free flowing and producing and it could lead to a mastitus or there might be a small infection in the other quarters giving the milk a bad taste

Answer 2

try putting so corn syrup on one of the other teat

Answer 3

Try positioning it where it cant get to the left side or cover the teat with a rubber glove finger so no milk is available  Hopefully when it gets hungry enough the right teat will be appealing. Human babies get fond of one or the other teat also and have to be redirected. Hope this helps. Not a farmer just a mom.

Answer 4

This is sometimes a problem for us too.  What we do is get the cow in a loading chute/squeeze chute setting, have room for the calf to be able to stick it's head in there.  Then we milk those teats to reduce all the milk in there and show the calf what we are doing, and it seems to work, after a few minutes, the calf likes it.  Good luck!

Answer 5

I think your question was pretty well covered. But if you worried about the chaffing I would suggest you get some kinda cream for it. A lot a people I know use something called Udder Balm. But I don't know what's available in your airier

Answer 6

I wish I had a cow

Answer 7

Yes actually. I can never get a cow to nurse on both of my t***s.

Answer 8

rub honey on the outher teat the cow will like the tast and go for the outher ones

Answer 9

Try the old hot pepper sauce! He'll change.

Answer 10

Tape the one teet and the calf will move to the others. Also try milking the other t***s dry so that they get worked a bit and it will reduce them in size so the calf can suckle them too.