LGodlove
Well-known member
Thanks for your answers, guys.
DavisBeefmasters":2ff2xuju said:If she is still doing okay and you want to cut down on some labor...
You can pick up a few packets of "Optimil Complete"... it also has a name of "Scour Ease"... it is made by Manna Pro and is a scour guard combined with milk replacer that did wonders for my little Orphan Annie calf this year it has antibiotics and neomycin all included to make the little gut feel better (no seperate electrolyte feedings vs. milk feedings a few hours later)... (I was silly enough to think that the milk replacer the local feed store had with soy as the 4th listed ingredient, would do just fine... WRONG... put her on Optimal for 2 feedings in lieu of milk replacer and she is now on ALL MILK milk replacer and Purina Calf Chow and diggin' it)...
I took the volume of powder that is called for to mix up 2 quarts but only filled the bottle between 2 to 3 pints per feeding as suggested by Alice... she'll be getting the nutrition without the volume of fluid (IF she is not dehydrated at this point)...
I did this with "Li'l Orphan Annie" and after 2 feedings of Optimal/Scour-Ease at 2 1/2 pints she is now sucking down 2 quarts twice a day of her milk replacer, plus licking fresh water, plus eating her calf chow, plus nibbling at some hay...
Remember that both tubing and sucking are the best way for the calf to absorb nutrition as it gets to the true stomach so keep on doing what you're doing (you'll get the hang of it).
Best of luck and keep us posted.
Alice":12v3g0t4 said:I didn't now about Optimil Complete...thanks for the heads up!
Also, getting the nutrition without the volume...I've found that makes a world of difference.
Alice
Hippie Rancher":1qnr9vs6 said:I'd quit giving pepto - that isn't even very good for humans.
DavisBeefmasters":2h7u4p35 said:Alice":2h7u4p35 said:I didn't now about Optimil Complete...thanks for the heads up!
Also, getting the nutrition without the volume...I've found that makes a world of difference.
Alice
No problem -- I didn't even think about mixing the right amount of powder with less liquid until you helped me on my other post... and you are correct, it worked like a champ for us...
...and just so you know...
...the little gal also got probios after her scour treatment was complete and when she moved onto the milk replacer that's all milk... I forgot to mention that above
Alice --> for you if the sun is out (it was foggy this morning) I will take a picture of little girl you helped me work with (and may need your help again since she's the whopping 14 days old)
LGodlove":1aeddwlk said:Today I've been giving her electrolytes at: 6am, 11am, 4pm, and I will give more at 9pm (check her, then give at 2am and start her on 3 pints milk at 7am. Does this sound reasonable? I know a 100 pound dehydrated calf needs at least 10 pounds of electrolytes to just catch up. I'm guessing her to be between 65-70lbs, so that means I will need 7lbs to do that. One gallon of fluids weighs about 8lbs, according to what I've read, and I've seen her peeing today, but she's weak.
I stopped the pepto at 11am. She had her last milk at 6pm yesterday, so I will need to give her milk at least by 6pm tomorrow, as that will be the end of the 48 hrs. Hopefully she will be hydrated by then. I placed in a warm environment, it's supposed to be around 18 degrees here tonight and if I let her out in the shed, I don't think she'll be breathing come tomorrow. I will give her all the best I can.
If not, then I can chock another one up to buying another sale barn calf that did not get enough--or maybe any--colostrum.
dun":345n1xo6 said:The lack of colstrum gets a lot of ink on these boards, but not every calf that has a sickness can be blamed on it. Chill, stress, exposure to other pathegins that no immunity was passed, poor managment, over feeding, etc.. There are tons of reasons calves get sick.
dun wrote:
The lack of colstrum gets a lot of ink on these boards, but not every calf that has a sickness can be blamed on it. Chill, stress, exposure to other pathegins that no immunity was passed, poor managment, over feeding, etc.. There are tons of reasons calves get sick.
rockridgecattle":3gdlcr4v said:coming into this thread on the last page has it's disadvantages but i want to comment on the colostrum thing being mentioned.
Dun you are right, not every sickness is cause by lack of colostrum but it can be traced back to lack of it...
The lack of colostrum plays a very important role.
1. a calf is born with zero zilch nothing for immunity. It has no way of fighting any infection from the moment it hits the ground.
that would be in human terms like coming in contact with a virus or bacteria that is totally foreign to us with no immunity to fight it with. We become infected and the body has to make antibodies to fight the infection which brings me to point 2
2. when the body gets stressed by sickness and has no way to fight, the body has to make antibodies. By the time correct antibodies are created, there is already millions of pathagens in the system. Now the system has to go into overdrive and manufacture enough antibodies to fight the pathagens.
If a calf is given the proper anti bodies at the correct time from birth it raises the immunity immediately by the passive transfer from the dam to the calf.
Then if the calf comes into contact with an pathagen it has the ability to fight it. Thus less stress on the system of the calf enabling it to fight again if need be.
Ask your self these simple questions
Why is that calf at the sale barn?
Why is that calf not on it's momma?
More than likely there was a problem between the two.
Calf did not bond with momma...lack of colostrum
Momma sick, momma died...lack of colostrum
Momma matistis...lack of colostrum
Momma nuts and got shipped or .22...not eager to work with her and the calf, lack of colostrum
So
the calf gets shipped, mixed with how many other animals which might be carriers to IBR BVD, the commom cold, scours, pnemonia, and any numerous antigens.
Results
in a calf with a compromised immune system from birth, fighting all known and unknow pathegens, stressed from shipping and no mother to look after...how would our immune systems hold up to half of that in human life?
Rabbit trail i know but any sickness in a calf can be traced back to lack of colostrum whether we want to admit it or not.
dun wrote:
The lack of colstrum gets a lot of ink on these boards, but not every calf that has a sickness can be blamed on it. Chill, stress, exposure to other pathegins that no immunity was passed, poor managment, over feeding, etc.. There are tons of reasons calves get sick.
Poor management is a cause of lack of colostrum
exposure to pathegens and unable to fight is a cause of lack of colostrum
Fighting chill is a management issue...relates to lack of colostrum...if it had enough it's body would be able to fight any sickness derived from this stress
over feeding well is a management issue...get with the program
yes there are tonnes of reasons but they all go back to...management of the cow to produce enough healthy colostrum and calf recieving it in a timely fashion, to minimize and reduce herd heath stress
End of the book
LGodlove":1fof3dxs said:Rockridge,
I agree with you. If I would have gotten the calf off an individual instead of the sale barn, much of the bacteria/germs/stress could be avoided. I plan to look into finding a source for buying from an individual come spring when I'm ready to take on more.
Right not, I'm concentrating on the last two I bought and giving them the best I can.
I want to ask you and Dun what you can give these calves to get them pooping solid again. Everyone said to nix the pepto, but I'm using it because if I don't get them solid again, they dehydrate more and more. The little lady is peeing and so is my fella. I had to bring him in with her this morning because it's a balmy 15 degrees here and he was shivering pretty good and with being sick, I'm concerned he can't hold up under the cold. I hate doing this, but hate it worse if he kicks the bucket on me for not.