Bottle and Cow Fed Calves

[mulberrygrovefamfarm]

We had 2 sets of twins this year. The first was to an old cow with a huge udder. The twins are doing great. The second set of twins that we had about a week ago were to a heifer and they were pretty small. So we've been supplemental feeding them 1/2 milk-replacer and 1/2 goats milk. They really took to the bottles and but they also nurse from the cow. These are black angus calves and weigh probably around 45 - 50lbs each. One has slight scours but the scours aren't terrible. Neither looks dehydrated. They are a little on the inactive side compared to "normal" calves but not really that noticeable. Looking for any suggestions, advice or comments. Would you pull the calves away, stop bottle feeding, treat them like bucket calves, increase their bottle feeding amounts at regular intervals etc?

Thanks

 

[alisonb]

How much and how often are you feeding?

 

[hillsdown]

Leave them on the heifer and keep supplementing them. Also hit the with B12 and a&d ..

Like Alison asked how muck and how often ,what kinda of replacer an all milk or soy ? Do they have access to grain and good leafy hay ?

 

[angie1]

Leave them on the heifer and keep supplementing them. Also hit the with B12 and a&d ..

Absolutely do this. As to the rest, I have a tendency to over evaluate calves that could be concerns (as well as heifers/cows due to calf). You know the deal, they look at me sideways and I am wondering if its some sort of sign. :help: Interevene as little as possible. If at all possible, the cow should be allowed and encouraged (at times even forced) to take care of her calf. Sounds like yours is willing, so that is a bonus for you. It is good that you are supplementing, I would imagine it is not uncommon for heifers to have problems keeping up. Watch her condition and see if she seems to be significantly pulled down compared to her herd mates. Goat milk is good for calves, as is real milk milk replacer (as opposed to soy). Soy is cheaper, but the cost of feeding cheap replacer will more than get you in the end.

 

[larryshoat]

Leave them on the heifer and keep supplementing them. Also hit the with B12 and a&d ..

Absolutely do this. As to the rest, I have a tendency to over evaluate calves that could be concerns (as well as heifers/cows due to calf). You know the deal, they look at me sideways and I am wondering if its some sort of sign. :help: Interevene as little as possible. If at all possible, the cow should be allowed and encouraged (at times even forced) to take care of her calf. Sounds like yours is willing, so that is a bonus for you. It is good that you are supplementing, I would imagine it is not uncommon for heifers to have problems keeping up. Watch her condition and see if she seems to be significantly pulled down compared to her herd mates. Goat milk is good for calves, as is real milk milk replacer (as opposed to soy). Soy is cheaper, but the cost of feeding cheap replacer will more than get you in the end.

I agree with hd and angie. Be careful it is easy to overfeed a 50 lb calf. They sent me a couple of peewee's last week they're getting a quart of milk twice a day and doing fine.

Larry

 

[mulberrygrovefamfarm]

They are getting 6 pints a day split into 3 feedings. We are feeding 50/50 goats milk to replacer. The replacer is a milk based replacer.

 

[backhoeboogie]

They are getting 6 pints a day split into 3 feedings. We are feeding 50/50 goats milk to replacer. The replacer is a milk based replacer.

You're overfeeding for a 45 lb beef calf and with them nursing off of the heifer.

Heifer is also a confusion part for me. My definition of "heifer" doesn't match most in this forum. If an animal has had a calf, she is no longer a heifer in my thinking. Sort of like a filly to a mare. Some in this forum have heifers that have already had a calf.

Don't let the udder size fool you. Some cows with smaller udders put out a lot of milk. Some cows with huge udders give little.

 

[mulberrygrovefamfarm]

OK so she is now a cow. The heifer and the calves have lost interest in each other. I can walk the calves down and they will nurse for a few minutes, but then they wonder off. Looks like they are turning more into bottle calves.

 

[mulberrygrovefamfarm]

Should I just start treating them as if they are bottle calves and be done with it?

 

[dun]

Should I just start treating them as if they are bottle calves and be done with it?

Are they same sex twins? If they are I would pull one calf and bottle feed it till I could find someone that wantsa bottle calf. If they're mixed gender I would leave tyhe bull on the cow and ship the heifer

 

[mulberrygrovefamfarm]

They are the same sex. One is down with a fever. Vet thinks it is an infection from lack of colostrum being twins to a heifer (cow). Vet doesn't give much of a chance to the 1 twin with the infection but we're trying Nuflor.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Nuflor is a good choice in my opinion. Maybe a little Banamine too for the fever.

I have a nurse cow that I often graft calves onto. You might check around and see if anyone has a nurse cow. They might take one of the calves off of your hands.

 

[mulberrygrovefamfarm]

It's the wife here--where do I find b12 and a & d? I'm even more of a beginner than my husband but he is out and 2nd twin now has fever so I thought I would jump on here and read advice. Thanks!

 

[hillsdown]

From your vet, also get probiotics for them as well. At their age the b12 and a&d can be given orally in a syringe if you would rather than give them another needle..

 

[hillsdown]

From your vet, also get probiotics for them as well. At their age the b12 and a&d can be given orally in a syringe if you would rather than give them another needle..

Just ask your vet when you go there ...

 

[tobytonya]

hillsdown
Question for you. I took your advise, as I have 5 bottle calves and 3 were not doing so good. In short the 3 would no longer suck the bottle and started to scour, I gave antibiotic and they were fine until the next day-then back to the same thing-not sucking. I gave them all a shot of vit b and a&d along with antibiotic LA-200, and changed replacer to purina 100. My question is should I have given the vit b and a&d in one shot-SQ. Thats what I did and everything appears OK-but just for future reference should I do this? All 3 are doing better.

 

[hillsdown]

hillsdown
Question for you. I took your advise, as I have 5 bottle calves and 3 were not doing so good. In short the 3 would no longer suck the bottle and started to scour, I gave antibiotic and they were fine until the next day-then back to the same thing-not sucking. I gave them all a shot of vit b and a&d along with antibiotic LA-200, and changed replacer to purina 100. My question is should I have given the vit b and a&d in one shot-SQ. Thats what I did and everything appears OK-but just for future reference should I do this? All 3 are doing better.

I do it together in an oral syringe or toss it in with the electrolytes if I have to and have never had a problem, so I cannot see any difference in giving them IM together either..I have gone over my protocols with our vets many times and they have never said to not do this, so I think you should be safe and your little ones are improving.

You can give B12 for 3-4 days in a row if you need to .

I am glad they are improving, if they fall back try calf span boluses or a sulfa based antibiotic like trivetrin.