calf issues

[rockridgecattle]

Ok, I knew that this season would be tough. All of last year's flooding then poor pasture, some hay issues would lead to some calving issues.
The first round of calving the calves came out strong. Lost a few, head back in the birthing canal, bag over the face, heart defect, and something else, forget.
But now the calves are coming out weak. Everyone of them needs not just a selenium preventative (all our calves get 1cc at birth). But now, the last week or two of births, 90% are getting the treatment dose. 75% of them need help getting up and sucking. One was born head up tried to get up, then was so weak, flat out. No energy. That was the worst one. Had to help him up, some epi, then wait a few hours, then get him up to suck. He is on his own now, but still slow and lethargic. Two are a bit stupid. Never seen anything like this.
So, since hubby puts out the mineral all the time, I asked him how it has been consumed. I ask him this on a regular basis...monthly or so. He got this batch in the fall, and he says he has noticed a drop off in consumption over the last little while. They have not taken to it as normal. He has had to pull the salt block and add more salt to the mineral ( we normally add salt to the mineral but now adding more). And still the consumption is lower than it should be.

I asked him how long this has been going on. On and off with with batch. Sometimes I forget that he only gives half of the story. I should have been more on top of asking how their comsuption has been, with a few more questions to get the whole truth.

The mineral is the same brand we have used the last 10 years, and the cows love it, consume alot of it. Now the coats are a bit rough, the black cows are showing signs of red tinges again. We had one lumpy jaw case this year, (we add extra iodine regularly).

The only change to the cow's diet from past years is, they get a green feed bale or two a week. Normally we do not have green feed, just wild hay, alfalfa grass hay and alfalfa hay. So 60 cows get 1-2, 900-1000 lb green feed bales per week.

Hubby is going to chat with the cow forage guy at the ag office today, and then call the feed company about the mineral, and chat with the vet to get her take on things today...
Would like to read your thoughts. The cows are in excellent shape...some of them too good of shape. The weak calves are getting me worried though.

Edit...along with the lumpyjaw case, two cases of cow pnemonia which could be related to the dusty some what moldy hay (overland flooding the last few years has seen an increase of the dusty hay) and also some mastitis this year. We have had no pnemonia problems since...can not remember the last case...and been over 12 years since our last case of mastitis

 

[I luv herfrds]

Just read your post to my hubby and he says there is a very good chance it is the moldy hay.
Hope you find out the causes soon and it gets corrected.

 

[rockridgecattle]

Thanks ILH.
Hubby talked with the ag guy, suggested adding sweet 35 or was it 45 to the mineral. It is molasis...i third to one third. He also told hubby to check the mineral and make sure it is 16:16 and not 18:18
The vet said, get hay tested, hubby is not to keen on that expense, add multimin to the calves (already doing that) go treatment instead of preventative on E/sel, and find a way for them to consume more mineral...IE grind and add to feed to force feed. But we do not own a tub grinder, or get some grain and mix mineral.
Hubby has mixed the sweet 35 to the mineral...hoping that works, and trying to convince him to get hay tested this late in the game, I dunno

 

[I luv herfrds]

I had to have our oat hay tested for nitrates so I know it's a pain, but for the health of your herd it is worth it.

Hope that all helps. Fingers crossed.

 

[rockridgecattle]

So, here is the update, wild as it may be and as fortunate as we are there were not worse problems
Update 1: When we bull test next week the vet is going to draw blood from about 3-5 cows to see where they stand on the minerals and vits
Update 2: Hubby, when he picked up the mineral from the local store, he did not properly read the tag. He read, 16:16, and that was it. The store who just recieved the shipment did the same thing. What happened was, hubby went to a neighbor who he was told was feeding a different mineral. The guy said come and get a bag to try. Hubby gets there and finds out it is the same brand. So, instead of taking a bag, he takes the tag and gets home and compares tags. What he finds out he kicks himself in the @$$. He was given and picked up the wrong mineral. Yes he got 16:16, but on the third line down, in the same color and typeset....medicated. With monensin. After calling feedrite, he finds out that feeding this mineral when not in a ration could be dangerous to the cows. Now he is glad he did not add as much sweet 45 to the mineral as what was recommended.
Since Nov 13 of last year, the cows have consumed 7 of 20 bags of mineral for 62 cows, two yearling and 3 bulls. There is probably 3 bags in the field as we speak....cows that have not calved, the bulls and yearlings, and the cows that have calved...which means 4 bags consumed.

We are very lucky. Feed rite is coming to the door tomorrow with 20 bags of 16:16 and picking up the remaining 13 at no charge to us.

I suggested they change tag colors for minerals with medication and minerals without. They shot that one down since feedrite markets minerals for many animals, they chose to color code to the animal...poultry, pig, beef, dairy.

So, my next step is to write them and suggest that the mineral bags themselves should be stamped in big letters....medicated etc.

This could have been worse for us. We got off lucky. I am told they, feedrite will be checking into why we were given this mineral instead of what we asked for....and if any other producer is facing simillar issues. My guess, the guys in Winnipeg messed up. When they ran out, they rushed a batch and bagged it and sent it out wrong.

Glad feedrite is making it right with us.

 

[KNERSIE]

Glad you came out OK with that, it might be worth your while asking the vet that given the problems the calves had whether you shouldn't be giving Multimin or some other form of Selenium and copper to the cows before breeding season.