Blue Albion calf

[blue albion]

I have a 2 1/2 week old Blue Albion. The mother is very old and she is not able to give milk sufficiently to her calves. The calf always goes to the mother after she empties the 3 quart bottle. If she was getting enough milk from the mother she would not drink the 3 qts to begin with.

I have been feeding her every day with milk replacer. She is the tamest calf, but most of this breed is. She does not have the right energy that a calf should have. Yesterday she had a hard time getting up. She is kinda a loner too. Never follows the herd. Hangs out alone and seems to sit to much. I feed her about 6 quarts a day. All she can drink. But I do not live at the farm, so her feedings are when I get there and then few hours later, before I leave. If it was more spread out over the day maybe it would be helpful? Or is there something else besides milk replacer I should feed her? Since milk replacer cost about the same as milk from the grocery store. A 50 pound bag cost me almost $70. A gallon of milk cost $2.19 at the grocery store. Thats like 32 gallons of milk vs 1 bag. I was thinking of mixing real milk with water and milk replacer that I have. Would this be helpful? Is there something else I could be adding to her feed?

 

[Buck Randall]

You can feed milk replacer or whole milk, but I wouldn't switch back and forth. It's hard on their digestion. If the cow can't produce enough milk, she probably didn't produce enough colostrum, so expect problems related to that. Usually a calf that seems "slow" has something wrong that hasn't been diagnosed yet. It would be worth having a vet look her over to treat earlier rather than later.

 

[blue albion]

OK thank you. I suppose I should call a vet. Just that they over charge and mostly do nothing. I will call tomorrow.

The problems with colostrum, do you mean the calf or the cow? Because the cow is ancient. At least 15 yrs old maybe pushing 20. She is only kept because she is blue. She gets around just fine. All of them are grass fed.

DOES IT MATTER THE TYPE OF MILK REPLACER USED FOR YOUNG CALVES?

 

[moses388]

Cute calf! I feed my bottle calves twice a day. In a perfect world, it's supposed to be every 12 hours. Unless you also feed electrolytes then you feed every 6 hours alternating between replacer and electrolytes. Like you, I pay $70 a bag for replacer; but it's all milk and not the soy stuff.

Usually if a calf lives to 3 weeks old, they are "out of the woods" so to speak. So I'm curious that there would be something wrong. Between 3-4 weeks old I start pail feeding, but they still get fed the same amount. That's usually when the calf begins nosing around their starter pellets. Looks like the calf has what it needs for now: replacer, grass, and clean water. Colostrum is fed during the first 24-48 hours of the calf's life. I hope you can find the time to give your cattle the attention they deserve.

If the cow is unable to raise her own calf, the cow should be sold. The heifer calf can be her replacement.

 

[blue albion]

She would not be sold, she would be slaughtered. I do not have many of this breed left, So I hope to get more from her.

She does seem to have energy when I try to get her to go somewhere. Then she digs into the ground when I try to push her or if i pull her then she pulls back with a good force.

 

[moses388]

DOES IT MATTER THE TYPE OF MILK REPLACER USED FOR YOUNG CALVES?

CattleToday members have reported problems feeding soy milk replacer. It has caused calf scours. Feeding all-milk replacer fixed the problem.

 

[moses388]

I suppose I should call a vet. Just that they over charge and mostly do nothing.

The alternative is to do your own vet work. You can start by taking the calf's temperature.

 

[Buck Randall]

OK thank you. I suppose I should call a vet. Just that they over charge and mostly do nothing. I will call tomorrow.

The problems with colostrum, do you mean the calf or the cow? Because the cow is ancient. At least 15 yrs old maybe pushing 20. She is only kept because she is blue. She gets around just fine. All of them are grass fed.

DOES IT MATTER THE TYPE OF MILK REPLACER USED FOR YOUNG CALVES?

If the cow didn't produce enough colostrum, the calf does not have the immunity needed to protect against pneumonia, joint ill, navel ill, etc.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Yep. What @Buck Randall said.

Yes. All milk protein milk replacer. NO SOY!
20/20 milk replacer will do fine. I've been using dumor here lately. But have had great results with sav a caf ultra 24 multi species.

3 qts is more than sufficient at a feeding. Usually 2 qts does well.

I would not be feeding 3 qts and then 3qts a few hours later. Needs to be as close to 12 hours apart.

Sounds like that calf need to come home with you and live in the back yard for a few months where u can properly care for it.

Where abouts are you?
There are several members here who will raise it for you at a minimal cost, if you are not able

 

[Son of Butch]

I have a 2 1/2 week old Blue Albion.
I have been feeding her every day with milk replacer. She does not have the right energy that a calf should have. Yesterday she had a hard time getting up. I feed her about 6 quarts a day. All she can drink. But I do not live at the farm, so her feedings are when I get there and then few hours later, before I leave.

If it was more spread out over the day maybe it would be helpful? Or is there something else besides milk replacer I should feed her?

18% texturized calf starter feed, (sold in 50 lb bags)
yes, more spread out is helpful, 2-3 qts 6-12 hrs apart is better than 2-3 qts
4 hours apart.
IF you want to add something to her milk, you could mix a raw egg in the milk
for one of her 2 daily feedings.

 

[blue albion]

she does not have diarrhea

 

[blue albion]

Supreme 20/20 Calf Milk Replacer is what i am feeding her now from fleet farm.

• Non-medicated formula

• Supports healthy, swift growth

• Contributes to a healthy gut

• Probiotics added

• Enhanced combo protein sources

[h3][/h3]

https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/sp...replacer/0000000256665?Ntt=calf milk replacer

 

[Son of Butch]

take her temperature before calling a vet

 

[Son of Butch]

feeding her calf starter will speed up her rumen development to aid her in utilizing a grass/hay diet sooner

 

[blue albion]

Looks like the temp should be between 101 - 104. I will pick up a thermometer tomorrow.

This is a picture from today. She was doing good today. She was up walking around when I got there. Had her follow me around for a while. She knows its time to eat when she sees me. She drank 3 qts then a few hrs later 3 more qts. I made it a little stronger than before.

 

[MurraysMutts]

I have no experience with blue Albion. She looks awful skinny to me. And under the weather.
Time may be of the essence...

 

[Son of Butch]

102-103 is the normal temp for calves, I don't get excited until over 104.5

 

[Lee VanRoss]

Blue Albion>Without giving an exact location are you located in the States? Most of what information I have (not much) has
Blue Albion in Wales, Ireland and Scotland. The breed is certainly not a household name in my limited circle. I must confess that
although I am not involved with them, I grew up in a household where anything other than a hereford was a different species of animal!

While I can appreciate your reluctance to consult a vet it might be in the best interest of your investment to establish a relationship
with some one with knowledge of animal health and husbandry a.k.a. a vet. There are still some good ones out there.
Be careful about experimenting with different rations. Once a calf gets antibodies from the mother or synthetically and some milk
for a month or so it will naturally take to grass. (I like the egg in the milk but don't overdo it).
I wish you success with your venture and hope you have better luck than Studebaker or Hudson. LVR

 

[MurraysMutts]

It appears that milk replacer is a soy/milk protein blend.
I've not had good luck with that. Neighbors about killed theirs with it. Not that particular brand.
They switched to an all milk protein and fixed him right up. After we tubed him a few days to relieve the bloat.

 

[BFE]

Interesting. I live about five miles from Albion which was an English settlement.