Calf Trouble

[turklilley]

I'm having trouble with newborn calves this month. Six of Seven calves died soon after birth, or a day or two later. They seem
too weak to stand and nurse. It's cool here, 20s and snow. I don't like winter calving, but that is what I have this year. I try to get them inside the barn, but my cattle will only go in the barn to eat chop. Mothers go with the herd rather than follow the calf. Body condition of the cows is very good, maybe slightly fat.
I have searched the web for diseases, but can't point to anything. Anyone have any Ideas?

 

[cowgirl_up_47]

Do you have minerals available to the cows?

Maybe they are deficient in some kind of vitamin or mineral, like selenium. Maybe give the calves a shot of BoSe and vitamins A and D after birth.

Are they getting colostrum? If they are too weak to stand and nurse, they probably aren't.

 

[Brandonm22]

Get a vet out there. You have already lost thousands of dollars in future income. Figure this thing out pronto. I can't possibly know enough over the internet to tell you whether you need to build a calving barn, to improve nutrition, to implement a new vaccination program, to implement a controlled calving season, or sell all the cows and get out of the business.

 

[randiliana]

I agree with Brandon!!

Temps shouldn't be too cold unless you have some other issue going on. Could be disease, could be a mineral deficiency.

Call a VET.

 

[turklilley]

There is minerals mixed in the chop, I Don't remember exactly what, or how much, Plus mineral salt blocks. Some calves nurse, some don't. The one today could not get up, tried a couple times, I got him up, but couldn't get him to suck. He was dead six hours
after birth. This is new, I lost probably one, sometimes two out of a hundred for the past 3 years.

 

[Bez+]

There is minerals mixed in the chop, I Don't remember exactly what, or how much, Plus mineral salt blocks. Some calves nurse, some don't. The one today could not get up, tried a couple times, I got him up, but couldn't get him to suck. He was dead six hours
after birth. This is new, I lost probably one, sometimes two out of a hundred for the past 3 years.

You raised this many animals and cannot remember the feed contents? Smells fishy to me.

Flat out - no one on this board who raises cattle - would - at this stage would even be remotely considering a discussion on feed.

The cost of a veterinarian visit and diagnosis is far less than the loss of your animals.

So far the loss of calves has cost you around 3000 bucks if you value the sale of them down the road at 500 bucks each.

You could probably have a veterinarian out there once a year for an entire herd health check - and a complete vaccination regime - for less than the cost of lost revenue you have experienced to date. Think on this. There is a reason people need to develop this relationship.

I would drive to his house and drag him out of bed if required.

There is where you need to focus your efforts.

You have received solid advice - and come back with a feed discussion and no mention of veterinarian assistance. Makes me wonder at what I am reading.

You got a problem and you are not going to solve it here on this board.

Saving veterinarian costs by seeking advice from total strangers on an anonymous board - with your troubles - and stated experience with cattle numbers - is being penny wise and pound foolish.

Let us know what happens after the visit - if indeed you are even planning to have one come out to see what can be done.

Bez+

 

[cowman30]

I'm having trouble with newborn calves this month. Six of Seven calves died soon after birth, or a day or two later. They seem
too weak to stand and nurse. It's cool here, 20s and snow. I don't like winter calving, but that is what I have this year. I try to get them inside the barn, but my cattle will only go in the barn to eat chop. Mothers go with the herd rather than follow the calf. Body condition of the cows is very good, maybe slightly fat.
I have searched the web for diseases, but can't point to anything. Anyone have any Ideas?

BVD-PI will cause dumb suckers.

 

[LoveMoo11]

Like everyone else said, get a vet out there. You don't want to lose anymore calves and want to put a stop to anything that may be wrong with your cows. You could also send one or two of the calves to the state or your land grant university for a necropsy.

 

[VtMapleGal]

I agree, call a vet. Did they have fevers? When was everyone wormed or the last time a vet checked a fecal sample?

 

[cowman30]

I agree, call a vet. Did they have fevers? When was everyone wormed or the last time a vet checked a fecal sample?

Having worms would not cause them to be dumb suckers. The fecal would tell ya if they had worms, coccidiosis or perhaps other disease but other than that these calves dont need a fecal. They are more than likely PI calves.

 

[braunvieh]

Just was at a meeting the other day and a rancher said they lost several calves due to weakness, like never before. Turned out they were very copper deficient, even with mineral. So they changed to a mineral with high copper and it fixed their problem. Minearal salt blocks are almost entirely salt and not enough minerals to meet their requirements, esp at calving time.

 

[Roadapple]

That's what my vet said, it's a copper shortage.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Calved out 100 calves. Must be dumb luck. You NEVER let a calf go over 12 hours without getting colostrum in them. If they don't suck, YOU TUBE them. If you don't know how, sure is PAST TIME for you to learn.
Don't know how anyone could lose that many calves and not have the vet out - or haul a calf in for autopsy.
Pi BVD calves, or major Selenium/Copper deficiency, or cows are not in as good a condition as you think they are. Most owners are barn blind.
Throw out those mineral blocks & get yourself some REAL mineral - loose form.
What is "chop".
You didn't search very well - Weak Calf Syndrome would get you to Pi BVD & Selenium.

 

[cowman30]

Calved out 100 calves. Must be dumb luck. You NEVER let a calf go over 12 hours without getting colostrum in them. If they don't suck, YOU TUBE them. If you don't know how, sure is PAST TIME for you to learn.
Don't know how anyone could lose that many calves and not have the vet out - or haul a calf in for autopsy.
Pi BVD calves, or major Selenium/Copper deficiency, or cows are not in as good a condition as you think they are. Most owners are barn blind.
Throw out those mineral blocks & get yourself some REAL mineral - loose form.
What is "chop".
You didn't search very well - Weak Calf Syndrome would get you to Pi BVD & Selenium.

Bingo.


It goes back to what I said before. You could try a shot of BoSe but I bet it is PI BVD