3-week old sick calf--please read

[LGodlove]

He weighs about 65 pounds, do you think tubing him with a third bottle a day would be ok, because he will not drink it. He does, however, drink his 6 a.m. bottle and 6 p.m. bottle and take his grain. I have tried giving him a bottle at noon, but all he'll do is drink about a pint of it.

 

[Alice]

He weighs about 65 pounds, do you think tubing him with a third bottle a day would be ok, because he will not drink it. He does, however, drink his 6 a.m. bottle and 6 p.m. bottle and take his grain. I have tried giving him a bottle at noon, but all he'll do is drink about a pint of it.

LGodlove, mix his bottle with less water. Put in the same amount of milk replacer powder you would use for 4 pints of water, but mix it with 2 pints of water. That way, as long as the calf is drinking at all, he'll get what he needs in the way of nutrition from the milk replacer twice a day and you won't have to resort to a tube. He's gone thru enough...if you can do without the tube, well, you see what I mean, I think.

Alice

 

[LimousinGirl]

Here's your pictures--I don't know if you wanted both of them posted??

 

[LGodlove]

Thanks for posting the pics for me, Limousingirl.

I weaned my three oldest ones last evening, adding additional grain for them and they have free access to water. The black one with the swirls on him in the pic just mooed to beat the band--he was the most unhappy about this change

Last night, Loverboy, my 3-week old, reluctantly sucked down 2 pints of his bottle and was still rattling and coughed once. I took my feeding syringe and gave him another pint with it.

This morning, Loverboy stuck his little tongue out when I offered his bottle, but would not suck--just as I had dreaded. I had to tube him. I coaxed him to stand and he did and got him out of the crate. There wasn't too much of a fight, which isn't good and I know he's weak. He peed after I put him back in the crate. At noon, I will offer another bottle and give him another shot of banamine. If he doesn't suck, I don't think I'm going to tube him then, but I will if he won't eat at suppertime (6 o'clock).

 

[LGodlove]

Yesterday morning I tubed him with 2 quarts of milk and gave him yogurt at dinnertime and then some bounce back. I let him out for exercise in the afternoon while the sun was out and he walked around some. I decided not to tube him with the 2 quarts in the evening because his belly was large and I could hear the liquids in him, so I thought he didn't process what I had given him that day, and should wait until morning.

This morning I had to get him up. He fell twice and when I got him back up, he tried to suck. He wasn't too successful, so I tubed him with 2 quarts of milk with about 6 oz. of yogurt intermixed. He walked around some afterwards and I shoved three tablespoons of grain in his mouth and about four handfuls of hay. I got to get his gut working. I also took my feeding syringe and gave him an ounce of PowerPunch from TSC, which contains a good vitamin complex and yogurt cultures as well.

I want to try to get more of the PowerPunch in him at noon and a half of bottle of electrolytes. I also will give him his last shot of banamine. (I gave him one shot of 5mL of Nuflor from vet on Tuesday at noon, and haven't decided whether I should give him another one or not.) A side effect of the Nuflor is diarreah, which he has, but he is still urinating well and doesn't appear dehydrated. He's extemely weak, but I plan on getting him up then and putting him outside to play, so I can give his crate a good cleaning. I half a-- cleaned it this morning. I'll put down new wood shavings and hay for him. The least I can do is keep him comfortable. I don't know what the outcome is going to be, but we are still both fighting!

 

[LGodlove]

I got my boy up this evening and gave him his last shot of banamine and tubed him with 2 quarts of milk replacer with another dose of the PowerPunch added. Afterwards he amazed me by going straight to his water and drinking and drinking. He then ate the hay I put in his mouth and went for some more. I don't know, but things are looking better--I don't hear a rattle and he didn't cough, although he is very weak.

What do you guys think of me giving him a final shot of Nuflor tomorrow--(it will be 72 hours from his first shot)? I think that's what I'm going to do, just to make sure this illness doesn't come back, as long as I believe I may have it licked.

 

[Alice]

I got my boy up this evening and gave him his last shot of banamine and tubed him with 2 quarts of milk replacer with another dose of the PowerPunch added. Afterwards he amazed me by going straight to his water and drinking and drinking. He then ate the hay I put in his mouth and went for some more. I don't know, but things are looking better--I don't hear a rattle and he didn't cough, although he is very weak.

What do you guys think of me giving him a final shot of Nuflor tomorrow--(it will be 72 hours from his first shot)? I think that's what I'm going to do, just to make sure this illness doesn't come back, as long as I believe I may have it licked.

Do it! And make certain you give it probios or yogurt when you do.

Alice

 

[Medic24]

Folks, first thing that needs to be said is..I am not trying to be a know it all, but a calf that young and small doesn't need hay... it's actually detrimental to it....I suspect the idea here is to try and convert the stomach into a mature ruminant.......not going to happen at this age..........no matter what..... you are looking at 4-6 months for that to even happen.........

Best thing to feed is a GOOD milk replacer, and also a good very high quality, high protein calf feed.... what hay does is simply make pot bellies, and really does not get digested properly at that young of age.......

Recent studies also indicate that Nuflor is not the best therapy for young stock such as that,, they have a really hard time metabalizing it...I didn't just make this up....Dr. Jeffers, and several other very recent studies have found this....not to say that I haven't successfully used it myself... but thats what is being told these days......

As said drexxin is the latest and greatest...but is it worth the $450 bucks give or take per 100 ml bottle?

SMZ is still a great drug, as it gets into parts of the animals anatomy that other drugs won't..and still relatively cheap.

Batryl is a great drug, and much more affordable... but still expensive......

Might I also suggest Daique as an excellent gelling scours treatment? after raising literally hundreds of bottle calves, I have found this product to be far and above better then most.

I would offer the cost versus returns speech to you, but seeing you have named them and all,.............................

I am of the mind that as tough as it may be......I allow just so much money and time to be spent nursing a calf...especially milk breeds.......if no improvement is seen , I either let them go or put them down.......sad fact is, you will never get a return on a milk breed calf or steer to cover the costs of extended and expensive therapy. sad but true. Good luck!

 

[angie1]

Folks, first thing that needs to be said is..I am not trying to be a know it all, but a calf that young and small doesn't need hay... it's actually detrimental to it

I agree.

 

[Alice]

Folks, first thing that needs to be said is..I am not trying to be a know it all, but a calf that young and small doesn't need hay... it's actually detrimental to it....I suspect the idea here is to try and convert the stomach into a mature ruminant.......not going to happen at this age..........no matter what..... you are looking at 4-6 months for that to even happen.........

Best thing to feed is a GOOD milk replacer, and also a good very high quality, high protein calf feed.... what hay does is simply make pot bellies, and really does not get digested properly at that young of age.......

Recent studies also indicate that Nuflor is not the best therapy for young stock such as that,, they have a really hard time metabalizing it...I didn't just make this up....Dr. Jeffers, and several other very recent studies have found this....not to say that I haven't successfully used it myself... but thats what is being told these days......

As said drexxin is the latest and greatest...but is it worth the $450 bucks give or take per 100 ml bottle?

SMZ is still a great drug, as it gets into parts of the animals anatomy that other drugs won't..and still relatively cheap.

Batryl is a great drug, and much more affordable... but still expensive......

Might I also suggest Daique as an excellent gelling scours treatment? after raising literally hundreds of bottle calves, I have found this product to be far and above better then most.

I would offer the cost versus returns speech to you, but seeing you have named them and all,.............................

I am of the mind that as tough as it may be......I allow just so much money and time to be spent nursing a calf...especially milk breeds.......if no improvement is seen , I either let them go or put them down.......sad fact is, you will never get a return on a milk breed calf or steer to cover the costs of extended and expensive therapy. sad but true. Good luck!

Might I also suggest Daique as an excellent gelling scours treatment? after raising literally hundreds of bottle calves, I have found this product to be far and above better then most

.

Spent lots of money on Daique...didn't have the same luck you had, I guess. However, one thing I discovered...what works for one doesn't for the other and vice versa.

Alice

 

[hgfarmer]

I am of the mind that as tough as it may be......I allow just so much money and time to be spent nursing a calf...especially milk breeds.......if no improvement is seen , I either let them go or put them down.......sad fact is, you will never get a return on a milk breed calf or steer to cover the costs of extended and expensive therapy. sad but true. Good luck!


Is this calve a dairy breed?

 

[LGodlove]

After assessing Loverboy's condition this morning, he went to Cow Heaven at about 7 o'clock this morning.

I want to thank everyone here for their help and advice.

I disagree with those here that have said hay is detrimental to calves this young. I have four others that are doing great. I truly think that Loverboy had some type of defect when I got him, because he never ate, ran, or acted like the others. He always groaned when you touched him as if he hurt internally.

 

[Alice]

After assessing Loverboy's condition this morning, he went to Cow Heaven at about 7 o'clock this morning.

I want to thank everyone here for their help and advice.

I disagree with those here that have said hay is detrimental to calves this young. I have four others that are doing great. I truly think that Loverboy had some type of defect when I got him, because he never ate, ran, or acted like the others. He always groaned when you touched him as if he hurt internally.

You did everything you could plus a whole lot more. Don't make the mistake of thinking, well, if I'd tried this, or if I'd tried that...that'll drive ya' nutz. I'm sorry it didn't turn out the way you (and I and others) wanted, but it did turn out for the best.

Now, as far as that business about hay being detrimental to calves this young...huh? I'm with you on that, LGodlove...I strongly disagree about that. Guess I'm gonna to go to the A&M site and see what's said about that, 'cause that's totally contrary to what I've always known...that being, even if the calf is with it's mother getting all of that good mother's milk, it's gonna start eating hay right along side of her.

Alice

 

[larryshoat]

Sorry about your calf, I know you did the best you could given a very difficult situation. Hay will not hurt a calf . I think research shows that rumen development is a function of grain consumption. Still the hay will not hurt them.

Larry

 

[SmokeStackFarms]

LGodlove
I regret your loss---you did everything you could do.
The effort, is the most important.
I am new to this forum--but am sold on it!!
This place has alot of well informed-diverse help.
I lost a calve, and moma this week--had it not been for the support of this group--it would have been much harder on me.

I like your attitude of being a caretaker of God's creatures..
The money factor is certainly a consideration but should not ALWAYS be the strict hard line. walking that deciding line is
a personal call.
I appreciate your spirit......

footnote:
a old dairy cattleman passed this bit on too late but I think it was very valuable. REgarding sucking---he noticed Moms will come up behind their newborn and begin licking, from their scrotum to the tip of their tail--after a half dozen times-baby outstretches & begins sucking and crying out. Last night, my neighbor did this with a baby fawn, using a warm,wet towel--BINGO it happened.
This is new to me! For what it's worth!!
Hang in there

 

[LGodlove]

Thank you all for your support.

We got two more baby calves last night and I'm trying Larry Shoat's idea of giving them penicillin and the TSV2 up the nose. They seem to be doing alright, but it's only day 2.

The price was right at the stock sale. We got a heifer calf about 55lbs (she's solid chocolate) for $37.50 and a holstein bull calf about 70lbs (who is onery as all get out) for $42.50.

I'm hoping I have better luck with these.

What do you all think about when to introduce new calves to your herd? I have 4 others in this herd of babies (3 are 7 weeks and 1 is 4 weeks old). I was thinking of giving it at least one week before putting them together, of course making sure their health is good.

 

[Alice]

Thank you all for your support.

We got two more baby calves last night and I'm trying Larry Shoat's idea of giving them penicillin and the TSV2 up the nose. They seem to be doing alright, but it's only day 2.

The price was right at the stock sale. We got a heifer calf about 55lbs (she's solid chocolate) for $37.50 and a holstein bull calf about 70lbs (who is onery as all get out) for $42.50.

I'm hoping I have better luck with these.

What do you all think about when to introduce new calves to your herd? I have 4 others in this herd of babies (3 are 7 weeks and 1 is 4 weeks old). I was thinking of giving it at least one week before putting them together, of course making sure their health is good.

Personally, I wouldn't do it until they are totally weaned and big enough to fight for their share of the food.

Alice