jkwilson
Well-known member
Seems like whenever we have a bull calf with any size to it, say over 90lb BW, they are very slow to figure out the nursing and standing thing. Mu-Se shots (past white-muscle problems), tube them with colostrum or instant colostrum and bring them in where it's warm and dry is our standard treatment. Most won't suck a bottle aggressively enough to get anything out of it.
In the past, at a vets recommendation we've mixed part of a package of Resorb with the colostrum for energy, but the results were mixed, and another vet said it might interfere with the immunity transfer from the colostrum.
Usually they are okay after 3 or 4 days of late nights and early mornings feeding them and helping them learn to nurse, but it would sure be nice to have them pop up and nurse like the 70 lbers do without living in the barn
Current dumb bull is out of an 8 year-old cow who has always had moderate sized calves, and a bull who has good calving ease EPDs and has thrown mostly 70-75 pound calves. Healthy, and able to stand and kick :x , but not much sucking instinct or urge to root around momma for food. We don't usually feed too heavy to try to let them get hungry before the next feeding.
Anybody got advice for getting them on their own a little quicker?
In the past, at a vets recommendation we've mixed part of a package of Resorb with the colostrum for energy, but the results were mixed, and another vet said it might interfere with the immunity transfer from the colostrum.
Usually they are okay after 3 or 4 days of late nights and early mornings feeding them and helping them learn to nurse, but it would sure be nice to have them pop up and nurse like the 70 lbers do without living in the barn
Current dumb bull is out of an 8 year-old cow who has always had moderate sized calves, and a bull who has good calving ease EPDs and has thrown mostly 70-75 pound calves. Healthy, and able to stand and kick :x , but not much sucking instinct or urge to root around momma for food. We don't usually feed too heavy to try to let them get hungry before the next feeding.
Anybody got advice for getting them on their own a little quicker?