| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| SpringMaiden1 |
Posted - Sep 20 2015 : 3:44:31 PM
I have just purchased my first cow with calf. Calf will be approximately 6 weeks of age when I'll be transporting them.
The drive will be approximately 10 hrs. My question is how often will I need to stop for the calf to nurse? Will transporting affect the cow's milk production and how long will it take them to recover from the stress after transporting?
I understand cow and calf will have to be separated by trailer panel so the calf is not injured. Is this correct? |
| 3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Sep 21 2015 : 05:29:19 AM
i'll let you know how this all works for me when i pick up my cow/calf in about a week. what i was told, and mary jane can correct me if i am wrong, but we should stop every 4 hours to offer feed and water. we'll bungee those containers to the sides so that they can't tip the water over to make the trailer more of a mess.
we'll also start with 8" of pine shavings on the floor, which for our 6x16 trailer is about 7-8 bags. we have a 30 hour commute each way ;> so we are also taking 4 bags of pine shavings in the back of the truck to add along the way as needed.
as we are on the road for several days we have a 125 gallon water tank in the back of our truck so that we have fresh water along the way. as i may have to milk en route, just in case the calf doesn't take as much as planned, i wanted to make sure i had enough to clean up udders and also my hands w/out panicking about water use.
one of the best suggestions i received, was put a lock on the trailer doors. there are stories of kids opening trailer doors thinking its a hoot to let a cow out.... wouldn't be so nice to be in cracker barrel having lunch with your prized possession running around the parking lot.
one thing i thought about was where we will put them when we get home. even if we arrive home mid-day we won't be putting them into the main pasture that day. we have two corrals in the barn that they will be in each night, so we'll start them out there the first day so that they can get acclimated to the area and us. i don't want to have to try to lead them across a large pasture for food and milking - this way they can get accustomed to me and the routine so that i can put them in pasture each morning after milking.
i envy you your 10 hour trip, that is very manageable. but i am sure it will not all go as planned and will be a huge learning curve for me.
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| SpringMaiden1 |
Posted - Sep 20 2015 : 5:29:20 PM
Thank you so much for your advise. I'll be praying every step of the way. |
| maryjane |
Posted - Sep 20 2015 : 4:19:54 PM
Good questions. I'm just getting a momma cow and nursing calf ready to go from here, N. Idaho, to Texas so your questions are right up my alley. In my case, the calf will be almost 4 months old and since the drive is so long, I needed to make sure that if the calf isn't to the point where it's taking all of momma's milk (during day time stops every 6 hours), she'd be milked by her new owner en route. As it turns out, the calf is now emptying all four quarters in a 24 hour period and I have the calf used to be separated from momma from 6 pm every night until 6 am when she takes most of her milk. I've observed that six hours later, the calf takes first from the quarters she didn't drain at 6 am, making it so than in a 24 hour period, momma is being completely milked by her nursing calf. Once they're home, the owner will separate the calf from the mother on a schedule of their choice, give the calf feed and water, and milk the cow after a good 12 hours separation and then reunite them in a couple of hours after she begins to produce some milk again. And then in a couple of months, I recommend weaning the calf.
In your case, I would keep them separated during travel for safety reasons (but not tied) and stop every 4 hours and put them together until the calf has finished nursing. Make sure your panel goes to the floor so there isn't a chance for a broken leg. Since you're going to be in strange locations for them, I would travel with the calf in the back half of the compartmentalized trailer, open the door, shut yourself in with them, and tie a rope to her halter and secure her. Do the same with the mother in her front compartment and then lead the calf into her area for nursing. You don't want a startled cow or calf exited your trailer when you go in to put them together. The time during nursing is a good time to feed and water the mother. I wouldn't try to muck out their stalls, just add more wood chips when you stop.
It will alter her production somewhat but not much depending on the care she's receiving currently. If care is given during transportation, it's not that hard on them. If they're crammed into tight quarters and not given water, etc. then yes, typically those cows have problems with their milk production afterward.
Hope that helps and that it made sense. Good luck and congratulations!! |
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