7-8 Week Brown Swiss Steer - Is he Ok? ...Update

[JJ]

Need some help here. I know dairy calves generally look a bit and skinnier then beef calves. I am a bit worried about my little Brown Swiss here though.

He is a Steer 7-8 weeks old. Was wormed 2 weeks ago. Happily eats his load of Calf rearing pellets (18% protein) and quality Lucent Hay. He is in the paddock during the day with some friends and fresh green grass. He was bottle fed up to a few days ago (6 litres a day). From the day I got him - 2 weeks ago - he has pretty much always been in the condition as shown in the pictures.

Occasionally he has a wet cough which seems to be lessening now he is not bottle fed anymore. He is very quiet but not very playfull, he looks lively out of his eyes, the ears don't droop and he as mentioned he eats eat quite well.

Thanks for helping out.

 

[dun]

Pictures didn't work for me, but you will find that Brown Swiss tend to be dullards. Not very playfull, very calm and placid, almost lazy. That's one of the reasons they make great starter oxen for kids. They just don't have the "fire" that other breeds have.

dun

 

[JJ]

doh. those pictures are linked to a member specific website. I need to make a public website so I can link to it first. Will do tomorrow

Cheers,

 

[Ryder]

I see the pictures. That calf doesn't look too good. No scours?
Did you check his temperature?

 

[dun]

How much pellet is he getting? He's poor looking even for a swiss. He appears to really be lacking in the nutrition department. Remember that being as large framed and boned as he is he requires a lot more feed then a beef calf, or even a Holstein for that matter.

dun

 

[G&L Cattle]

Watch him closely for respiratory and elimination symptoms. B- Complex
vitamin will help his appetite.

Watch closely, GLEN

 

[Caustic Burno]

Bottom one tell you whats wrong. no scours. Realy gant calf. Feed that calf boy

 

[MR3]

Watch him closely for respiratory and elimination symptoms. B- Complex
vitamin will help his appetite.

Watch closely, GLEN

Agree, I just dealt with one like yours and did the B complex along with Probios and really picked up the little guys appetite.

Rod

 

[OldTex]

Bottom one tell you whats wrong. no scours. Realy gant calf. Feed that calf boy

You right Bruno. No Feed=Dead Calf.

 

[txshowmom]

That little calf looks like crap! You need to feed him more or put him back on the bottle or something. If he continues like this he's going to die.

 

[CattleAnnie]

Maybe I'm just soft hearted (or headed) but if it was my calf I'd be putting him back on the bottle till he fattened up.

That calf looks both dehydrated and undernurished. Keep shovelling the groceries to him, and soon, or as posted above, he'll be pushing up daisies in a hurry.

Take care and best of luck with the little guy.

 

[kensfarm]

I agree w/ txshowmom.. put him back on the bottle fast.. looks very dehydrated.. get some electrolites in him ASAP.. then feed 3 times a day.. bottle milk morning & evening.. electrolites noon.. until he fills out some.

 

[eric]

Isn't a litre about 33 ounces? Just about same as a quart. So the calf was getting about 1 1/2 gals of nutrients a day while bottle fed. Is this enough nutrients? Evidently not it seems.

 

[JJ]

Thanks for your replies,

He looked the same when on the bottle, and we used to feed him milk till he would not take anymore. 3 times a day.
At the moment he has unlimited access to calf rearer pellets. I will put him also back onto milk as suggested though.

 

[JJ]

Update.........

Took him to the vet on the weekend.

Diagnoses, he has a temperature and a minor bug with some dehydration. No pneumonia or scours.
He is on antibiotics now and should be back to normal soon.
This local vet told me the Swiss brown are very boney especially when young. This one was indeed skinnier then he is supposed to be.

Hopefully he will be fine now

Thanks for everybody's advice. It's what made me decide to see a vet rather then take a chance on him being Ok.

 

[TheBullLady]

So glad you took him to a vet JJ! It sounds like it's something minor he should recover from quickly. Thanks for the update, and good luck with him.