Bottle feeding HELP

[St3]

Looking for some advice please!
Despite having a beef heard of around 75 head, my kids wanted to raise their own calves to make money.
I've been down the road before and knew better, but have in.
Bought 2 calves and guess what????? One is sick! He's probably 3-4 weeks old, we've had him a little over a week. He gets up and perks his ears up. Walks around and even bawls at me sometimes….. not very energetic but acts hungry. Then sniffs the bottle and walks off. I've tube fed him several times. I've given him a few shots of antibiotics. He won't suck. He did the first few days but not anymore.
He isn't coughing
He has been in and out of scours
He drinks a lot of water on his own

He's driving me nuts.
I've had calves get like this for a day or two but then they die or bounce back…. He's stuck in zombie land.

Please help.

 

[farmerjan]

Take the water bucket away. Unless he is in the hot sun, he will not dehydrate in 8 hrs or so, at 3-4 weeks, unless he has a serious case of scours.
Put the milk in a bucket... he might not like the bottle/nipple... That is just for suggestions to see if he will go back on milk.
Antibiotic shots will not do much good... he needs something for possible coccidiosis... that age is very typical of when they seem to come down with it... scours sometimes, erratic appetite...
Give him a syringe (without a needle) of 2-3 cc, STRAIGHT from the bottle of CORID, in his mouth as far back in his throat as you can, so it will get swallowed... Once a day for 5 days... NOT DILUTED... my old vet told me it will do more good that way than trying to get the diluted amount in them.... Usually, IF coccidiosis is the problem, he will start wanting to eat more in 24-48 hours or so.
This might not be coccidiosis... but the age frame is right and the "symptoms" are typical... plus it will not "damage him" if it is not coccidiosis...

B vitamin complex shot, to help stimulate the appetite.... try some probiotic paste given at the opposite time of the corid...to get the gut tract working better....

 

[wobbie1775]

I have had similar twice. I get the 4 pint bags of electrolytes and give them half a bottle (2 pints) about 3 times a day (no milk replacer during this step) I think this step 'cleans them out' like when you get mild food poisoning and just need to 'start over' with your gut... After a day or two of electrolytes only, they get weaned back onto replacer, maybe about 2 pints the first/second feeding and then work back up to full bottles.

 

[St3]

Gonna give that all a shot!!! Thanks guys. I'll keep ya updated.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Go with what @farmerjan says first!

I've been very fortunate with most of mine and don't 'think I've had to deal with coccidiosis


@St3 Posted at the same time. Yep. Jan knows!

 

[TCRanch]

This might help identify what type of scours you're dealing with.

 

[puzzled in oregon]

This might help identify what type of scours you're dealing with.View attachment 47583

It's to graphic

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Fir what it's worth - The calf guy at the dairy where I bought my heifers said calves that are tubed a lot loose their suck reflex because they get full by not sucking.

Calves that are short of selenium lose or don't have a suck reflex. Most soil in the US is short of selenium. I got some selenium paste made for lambs and goats from the feed store and gave a goat sized dose. Next morning she was sucking like mad.

Many times I have used Re Sorb electrolyte powder from the feed store. You need 6 pouches. Mix 1 pouch with 2 quarts of water and tube it to them if they won't suck. Give 2 pouches the first and second day 12 hours apart. No milk or replacer at this time. The next two days for those 2 daily feedings mix 1 quart of Resorb with 1 quart of milk. We've saved the lives of several souring calves this way. A vet taught me this.

 

[St3]

Love this site. Glad I found you all!

Update!
Took water away this morning. Didn't want milk in the AM…. He was standing when I got home so I give him 3cc of Corid and then he drank 90% of a bottle.
We will see.

 

[Travlr]

Love this site. Glad I found you all!

Update!
Took water away this morning. Didn't want milk in the AM…. He was standing when I got home so I give him 3cc of Corid and then he drank 90% of a bottle.
We will see.

If you're gonna hang around here please go to your profile and fill in a location.

 

[St3]

If you're gonna hang around here please go to your profile and fill in a location.

Yes sir.

 

[kenny thomas]

This might help someone. I think there is a more detailed map but can't find it at this moment.

 

[Travlr]

View attachment 47590
This might help someone. I think there is a more detailed map but can't find it at this moment.

Correlation does not imply causation... but it's interesting that "where the buffalo roamed" is where there is no lack of selenium...

 

[St3]

Fir what it's worth - The calf guy at the dairy where I bought my heifers said calves that are tubed a lot loose their suck reflex because they get full by not sucking.

Calves that are short of selenium lose or don't have a suck reflex. Most soil in the US is short of selenium. I got some selenium paste made for lambs and goats from the feed store and gave a goat sized dose. Next morning she was sucking like mad.

Many times I have used Re Sorb electrolyte powder from the feed store. You need 6 pouches. Mix 1 pouch with 2 quarts of water and tube it to them if they won't suck. Give 2 pouches the first and second day 12 hours apart. No milk or replacer at this time. The next two days for those 2 daily feedings mix 1 quart of Resorb with 1 quart of milk. We've saved the lives of several souring calves this way. A vet taught me this.

Great point! I've seen it in action with our main herd. We started putting out selenium blocks a few years ago when our vet recommended it. We've had next to zero pinkeye or any other sickness since. Selenium is a must…. will bottle calves lick mineral?

 

[farmerjan]

Most calves will lick some mineral, and sometimes they will EAT it and can get sick from it. We give a single shot of BoSe to calves if they are showing any sign of weak pasterns, knuckling at the ankles and such... and since you, and we, are in "questionable/variable" area, the best thing is to assume they might be low. PLUS, since these are bought calves, you just don't know about their previous "nutritional level"...
And since you supplement your beef cows, that tells me that you are most likely in an area that is deficient. I would get the paste for the goats that @TexasJerseyMilker mentioned... give a dose to each. Selenium is water soluble, so will get utilized and excess will get passed through and excreted fairly quickly. You can overdose but a one or 2 time dosage to help "get them going" won't hurt unless you give them 10 times what it calls for. It is not recommended for long term use at high dosages...
I think part of it was the tubing causing the sucking reflex to slow some, and he was filling up on water and that will mess with their gut tract. At 3-4 weeks, they are still 90% dependent on milk for nutrition... not enough milk and too much water will make it "run out" the other end, as will too much milk in the beginning. That "true milk stomach" is small and can only digest so much at a time. And alot of water will mess up the bacteria that breaks down the milk because they are being "starved" for nutrition too...

If he starts eating better and the manure firms up so not scoury, stop the Corid even if it is only 2 or 3 doses... it was more likely more nutritional/food based (lack of milk even) than anything else.

Another old time trick... beat 1 or 2 raw eggs and add to the milk if it is drinking a bottle... extra protein, very digestible, and helps to tighten up loose manure too...

 

[TCRanch]

It's to graphic

One of the photo contest subjects was Cow Poop a long time ago. Now that was graphic!

 

[puzzled in oregon]

One of the photo contest subjects was Cow Poop a long time ago. Now that was graphic!

Can you imagine if the world of amateur photography should master the unique technology of "Scratch and Sniff".

 

[farmerjan]

Can you imagine if the world of amateur photography should master the unique technology of "Scratch and Sniff".

 

[St3]

UPDATE
He was up and ready to eat this morning. He took 1/3 of a bottle and quit.

Around lunch time he was up and active again a drank another 1/3.

I've put milk in his bucket twice and he doesn't touch it.

Poop is solid now.

I still haven't given him the water bucket back. When should I? Maybe once he's back to 2 bottles?

 

[Double R Ranch]

UPDATE
He was up and ready to eat this morning. He took 1/3 of a bottle and quit.

Around lunch time he was up and active again a drank another 1/3.

I've put milk in his bucket twice and he doesn't touch it.

Poop is solid now.

I still haven't given him the water bucket back. When should I? Maybe once he's back to 2 bottles?

How much are you trying to feed him? What kind of milk are you using?
Glad it looks like you are turning him around.