Any tricks to getting a dumb calf to suck??

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Fdltcwgrl

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I have a calf that is 3 days old, mothers tits where plugged when he was born looked like he tried to suck but couldn't get her unplugged. He was out for around 12 hours. Got him in and tubed him with colostrum.
He now won't even try to suck have been tubing him hoping to get some nutrition to him and maybe his sucking mechanism will come back? Gave him B12 this morning no change tonight.
Any suggestions?
 
Maybe the roof of his mouth or lining of throat was scraped or injured tubing and now causes him pain if he sucks?
I prefer they suck down a bottle rather than tubing, takes more time and patience but safer to do. Anyway....
Sounds like you'll just have to continue to gently tube him until he comes out of it or learns to drink from a bucket.
Get a bag of calf starter feed (rolled grain is better than the hard pellets) hand feed small amount and maybe the flavor
will get him to start sucking on your fingers as you do it.
 
Your going to have to work with him. It's probably going to take a few times to. Warning in advance, you will need the patience of Job here. Lots of options: place mom in chute or headgate, make sure mom's teets are unplugged, express some milk from her and smear on teets. Get behind calf so he can't back out on you, physically place teet in his mouth(assist his latching on) while teet is in mouth, cup his top and bottom jaws with your hand and gently squeeze while teet is in mouth. Alternate between squeezing and releasing the pressure, this should get some milk into his mouth. If you get milk oozing out sides of mouth, then move onto gently stroking his throat in downward motion to stimulate swallowing. BE PATIENT, the first time can be very difficult and frustrating for all parties.
Other tips include sticking your finger in his mouth from the side (this will make it easier to open if he is clenching shut. You can also use your finger, once in mouth, to stimulate top palate. This will often stimulate suck reflex.
If too hard to get him on mom (or he is too weak) get him sucking on a bottle first, then transition to mom.

Always watch for mom kicking at you while down there. Good luck. Hope this helps some.
 
*Update*
Still not sucking he's getting alittle more life and will atleast hold the nipple now I spent an hour with him last night and another hour this am.
I think he's to weak to skip any meals so hopfully he gets it soon!
Thanks for all the advice.
 
Got to get his energy up and him healthy. Tube him until. I spent 9 days on one last year. That was nearly dead when I found him. I never got him to suck a bottle but on the 9th day I tubed him he was still hungry I guess and went straight to his mama and started sucking.
 
I bet you get this one going, but I had one last spring never did suck. I tried it all.
 
Fdltcwgrl":j08e4s36 said:
*Update*
Still not sucking he's getting a little more life and will at least hold the nipple now. I spent an hour with him last night
and another hour this am. I think he's too weak to skip any meals so hopefully he gets it soon!
Thanks for all the advice.
I just want to encourage you to keep at it, I know how time consuming and frustrating it can be.
Best of Luck and hope future updates will bring good news. We're all pulling for you.
 
I totally hate tubing a calf for very long. I think at some point its counter productive. But in some instances has to be done if the calf is really sick..What i do for a calf that is not weak, but just refuses to suck a bottle is this...I get a 50 cc syringe and some fish tubing, .like for aquariums air pumps, need to fit on the syringe. It needs to be long enough to reach the back of the mouth without going down their throat. Feed them this way and get them to learn to swallow. It takes longer, so i feed more often, but only the recommended amount.. I totally understand the frustration. Was a big problem when our herd was mostly sim, big dumb calves were common..ugh...........I have had 2 this season so far, both a twin i took off the cows. Neither had nursed so i used some of my ratholed colostrum..Stuck the bottle in their mouth and it was instant with both, sucked the bottle dry the first time, one never let go....I was like, WTH, how often does that happen. I've grafted one, and now the other waits. I just hang the bottle on the fence and he goes to town...
 
I had two that wouldn't suck until my neighbor showed me a lamb nipple on a beer bottle trick. It will take patience but in 15 minutes you should have him sucking. Just make sure you give milk replacer and not beer. :cboy:
 
Just saw your last post. I lost one early this calving season because I couldn't get him to suck. Make sure you get a lamb nipple for those fickle ones. Sorry about your calf.
 
Fdltcwgrl":2g5f66zd said:
I have a calf that is 3 days old, mothers tits where plugged when he was born looked like he tried to suck but couldn't get her unplugged. He was out for around 12 hours. Got him in and tubed him with colostrum.
He now won't even try to suck have been tubing him hoping to get some nutrition to him and maybe his sucking mechanism will come back? Gave him B12 this morning no change tonight.
Any suggestions?
Stick with it I have seen them take a week or longer to get the hang of it.
It is different with everyone.
 

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