This doesn't happen often, especially if this is her second calf. Make sure that this is her calf. If you had more than one cow deliver a calf at about the same time, make sure you are mothering up the right pair. Check her teats and udder. Sometimes after calving, the teats can become engorged with milk, and until the calf gets the udder milked (sucked) out, it may be sore for the dam. Make sure that the calf gets colostrum within one to four hours after birth and then again at 12 hours post-calving. This is important as the colostrum contains antibodies for the calf to fight off diseases until its own immune system gets cranked up. It will require extra work, but get the cow in and restrain her so that the calf can nurse or you can milk her out. With the cow still restrained, move the calf around the front and let the cow smell the calf. Do not leave the cow and calf together until you believe that the cow will not injure the calf. This may be a cow that is on the "cull" list for next fall even if you get her to claim the calf.

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