beef calf - bottle fed - refused milk

[herfordsrus]

We have a calf who is 2 weeks old, i am bucket feeding with a nipple as it was half a twin and the mother refused it, she has been doing really well and is alway so excited at feeding time, but this morning she didn't want her milk, was not her usual spunky self, she had no temperature to speak of, I know it is the first time but she is very dear to me and I want to catch whatever it is before she ends of sick, my husband is going to try at noon to feed her.

can anyone suggest any reason why she would suddenly not be well.

 

[jkwilson]

100 reasons, but most of them are going to involve an elevated temp. What is her temp? How's her stool? I'd recommend keeping an eye on both and offer the milk again at noon.

 

[herfordsrus]

her temp was 101.9, her stool isn't real runny, for a milk replace fed calf

 

[herfordsrus]

okay we tried the milk at noon again, she put her mouth on the nipple twice, but did not suck, so she will get tubed this afternoon, do you think electrolytes instead of milk, we've moved to a new area to determine how her stool is

 

[rockridgecattle]

sounds like the onset of scours or pnemonia.
Is the calf confined inside? What is it's area like for air circulation or poop smell? This can damage the lungs and cause pnemonia.
I would tube food and electrolyes to the calf at a 2 hour interval. electrolytes first and then some food in a couple of hours.
Start on a sulfa drug for scours.
OH WAIT
how much was the calf eating when it sucked milk good?
Too much can upset the stomach, smaller amounts more often when they are that young.

 

[herfordsrus]

she was drinking 3 litres, twice a day, she has been outside for the last week, except when they go into the creep to get out of the sun

 

[RVF]

Rockridgecattle gave a good list all I would add is navel ill to the list.