Hello, I am very new here. I just bought a 3 month old female calf about a week ago and everything has been normal, she has been acclimating well. Today I found that she has a very dark green diarrhea. I have called my local livestock vet to see what I could do, he recommended taking her temp as the first step and going from there. He didn't recommend a house call just yet because it could just be signs of stress and the change in diet, he also added that she is quite young. I am looking for some recommendations as to whether I should worry or what I can do to help her solidify her stool. I also have not seen any signs of blood in her stool either. She eats alfalfa hay and some sweet grain, this is what the cattle ranchers had told me to get for her. Thank you in advance!
3 Month Old Calf with Diarrhea
- Thread starter mcanic
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Dsth
Well-known member
usually around here; if you call the vet with an issue, they want to come take a look for themselves. Are you in an area where they are not easily assessable? If she seems to be eating good and not looking tired or dehydrated, I would take her temp and reconnect with your vet. if your vet is not too concerned, I would just keep a close eye on her for any changes. good luck
He actually said it was not too much of a concern unless there's blood in the stool and/or her temp is over 101. He lives about 10 mins away from me but he said to wait it out at least until monday if the issue persists. He did say she was a little too young to be separated from her mom, maybe that could also be a factor? I just want to make sure all my bases are covered.
A.J.
Well-known member
I second what Dsth said. Does she seem To feel fine otherwise- Head and ears up and alert and moving around like usual? Is she on grass as well, or primarily just eating hay? Do you have any grass type hay you could try instead of the alfalfa? That might be worth a shot changing or mixing the hay she is eating since alfalfa can be so rich for young calves. You could also give her a scour pill if you you wind up deciding it's not diet related.
Right now just alfalfa but I will definitely go and pick up some grass hay for her. This is our first calf/cow we have ever had, of course we picked the most pathetic looking one just by nature we love to rescue, my vet said in this case it's not very good to choose like that. She's in a big pen separated from our sheep, to quarantine, and she walks around and stands up, she seems to be alert too. Just very scared, if you go near her she runs from you. Idk if that's how they normally are but she will eat hay out of my hand. Definitely going to keep an eye on her. Any supplements I can give her?
I second giving her something in addition to or instead of alfalfa, which is pretty high in protein. Do you have access to plain old prairie hay for roughage? And maybe cut back on the sweet grain. Just keep an eye on her, make sure she's still active, continues to eat, not droopy.
It will take some time for her to gain trust but eating hay out of your hand is a good start. Just spend time with her, other than just for feeding, and let her get used to you.
Free choice mineral is a good idea and if you feel she would benefit from a supplement, there's always Pro Bios (either in a paste or bolus). If I have a calf that needs extra energy, I'll give them a shot of Vitamin B Complex.
It will take some time for her to gain trust but eating hay out of your hand is a good start. Just spend time with her, other than just for feeding, and let her get used to you.
Free choice mineral is a good idea and if you feel she would benefit from a supplement, there's always Pro Bios (either in a paste or bolus). If I have a calf that needs extra energy, I'll give them a shot of Vitamin B Complex.
76 Bar
Well-known member
Good advice thus far. Monitor her temperature daily & watch for indications that she doesn't feel well as noted above. Goes with the territory...
calves deprived of a mother are challenged physically & physiologically.
calves deprived of a mother are challenged physically & physiologically.
bulldog04
Well-known member
Just give some creep feed without the sweetness. With the alfalfa and molassses it is probably too much for young un
WFfarm
Well-known member
Too much protein will run right thru them. If you're giving alfalfa and sweat feed, it may be too rich for her system if she's not used to it. Introduce new feeds in moderation at first and gradually increase. It might worth while to give some probiotics.
If she's 3 months old was she just weaned of her mother when you got her? The new diet and stress may be affecting her.
If she's 3 months old was she just weaned of her mother when you got her? The new diet and stress may be affecting her.
A.J.
Well-known member
Hopefully things will work out ok for yall, and she will get settled in. Are you planning on getting another calf to go with her? Having another calf for a companion would be good for her once you see she is going to be ok.
bird dog
Well-known member
Turn her out with the sheep. She is probably stressed from being alone and scared. She needs some company being that young and yes she is to young to be weaned off her mom.
Thank you guys so much for your feedback! Our feed stores around here don't carry Creep feed, but I ordered a few bags and expedited it. They also don't carry any prairie hay, so I bought timothy grass hay? She's still alert, her ears are good and her temp is normal. And she also has an electrolyte additive in her water, planning on letting her out with the sheep as well.
The ranchers we bought her from said she was good to be away from her mother, so I am assuming they had weaned her.
The ranchers we bought her from said she was good to be away from her mother, so I am assuming they had weaned her.
76 Bar
Well-known member
Never assume anything. Reputable livestock producers assuredly wouldn't state a baby calf was "good to be away" from its dam and assuredly wouldn't intentionally wean a calf at such an early age. The calf is fortunate to have found someone who cares about it.
ksmit454
Well-known member
I just went through something like this with one of my calves. She started with a temp so I gave banamine per vets recommendation. That brought her temperature back down. I would suggest going to your local feed store and getting some Kaolinpectate. It is specifically for diarrhea. It will help stop the diarrhea and prevent dehydration. You can also give a probiotics paste if you want. But I also think that the combo of straight alfalfa and sweet grain might be too high in protein, causing the runny stools. Try mixing the alf with grass hay. Honestly, as long as she's not lethargic and sick looking, she'll be just fine and get over it quickly. If not, your vet can do a fecal test to see if there is some sort of bacterial infection or parasite.
I take her temp every day, it remains in within normal limits, her stool has started to get a little thicker after I started giving her grass hay and pulled the grains. I will definitely get some Kaolinpectate to keep on hand for her. She seems a lot better today, so that makes me feel better
76 Bar
Well-known member
Good to hear! Unless you anticipate a need for a significant amount in the future a bottle of kaopectate from a local grocery/pharmacy will suffice.
