calf won't take bottle

[Susie David]

Had a moment of weakness at the sale last monday and bought a 175 # bull calf out of a young heifer, the pair was split and I sort of felt sorry for him, besides I had Susie with me and she liked him knowing that me and our son will be doing all the work, He is a real nice little balck calf but I just can't get him to take the bottle. Tried a bucket and no interest. Been tubing him to get some groceries in. He has good alfalfa, some calf starter and water in his stall but haven't seen him eat and little has been missing.
Let him out with the cows this morning and he went right for the udders and got kicked at and pushed away. He is smaller than our calves and we have one left to calve out so he is in the middle for size.
Any advise on getting him to take the bottle I've run out of ideas..
May have to get a nurse cow.
Thanks, Dave Mc

 

[randiliana]

What kind of nipple have you been using? I find that the soft rubber ones that fit onto a pop bottle work the best. How hungry have you let him get? At 175 lbs, he can handle getting pretty hungry, and that will be the only way you're going to get him sucking. At least leave him overnight, if not longer. The one we just put onto our milk cow went 2 days without food before I could get him to suck a bottle, and then convince him to try the cow. It took me at least 1/2 hour to get him to suck the bottle, and I've had some that took a lot more than that.

Now, my technique for getting them onto a bottle, first off, back him into a corner, then straddle his neck/shoulders. This way he can't back away from you, and you have pretty good control over him. Now, pull his head up to your chest, for some calves I've had good luck when I pull their head right up tight against my chest. Now, stick the nipple in his mouth, and use one hand to wrap around his muzzle so you can squeeze his mouth on the nipple (kinda like forcing him to suck). Use the other hand to hold his head up and to massage his throat so that he swallows whatever milk you get into his mouth. You may have to squeeze the bottle to force some milk into his mouth, and use a nipple that has a larger hole so he doesn't really have to work hard for his dinner at least for now.

Sometimes it will take several of these sessions to finally get him sucking. The biggest key to winning though is to have a hungry calf. Try not to really fight with him, cause the more stressed he is the less likely he is to give in and suck. And, I know that is easier said than done, there is nothing quite so frustrating as trying to get a calf on the bottle, when you know the other option for him is really, starvation.

 

[zman6133]

the wife and I had the same issue and just waited 24 hours before trying to feed him anything. Then we got in the pen with him, backed into the corner and I used my legs as a head gate. I slipped my thumb in the side of his mouth and then slid the nipple in at the same time. It took a few tries but he soon figured out that there was milk coming out of it. We also let a few drops run off his nose so that he knew what to expect and what the taste was. We have had to do this a few times to calves that are split off their mothers at the sale barn. I do not like to tube them as that becomes the norm and it is harder on them. Every calf will get hungry and as long as he is not dehydrated, time is on your side. Now all this said, this take into account that he is not coughing, head down and shooting poop out of his other end. He may need a shot of DRAXXIN to get him back on his feet as you have to be careful what they may have picked up in the sale barn. Good Luck
:hat:

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Dave, when I have had a difficult bottle-baby, I have done almost exactly what Randi posted. It works for me. I have been able to "bottle-break" calves as old as 5 weeks or more. The most difficult one I ever had was a blind calf from work (long story). Once she and I had a few rodeo sessions that ended with her on the ground and me setting on top of her, she would finally take to the replacer. The funny part about that was it took a few days to then "break" her of drinking while lying down. She learned to associate getting fed with being on the ground :lol: . I then had to "teach" her to stand up for her milk. :lol:

Let him get good and hungry, then do as Randi posted. I too have found it better to make the hole in the nipple a bit bigger.

Katherine

 

[Susie David]

Thanks for the replies...put a lamb nipple on a pop bottle and got 12oz down him this afternoon looks like it is going to be a long process but this little one is the hardest that I've had to get on the bottle.
Dave Mc

 

[randiliana]

Dave, when I have had a difficult bottle-baby, I have done almost exactly what Randi posted. It works for me. I have been able to "bottle-break" calves as old as 5 weeks or more. The most difficult one I ever had was a blind calf from work (long story). Once she and I had a few rodeo sessions that ended with her on the ground and me setting on top of her, she would finally take to the replacer. The funny part about that was it took a few days to then "break" her of drinking while lying down. She learned to associate getting fed with being on the ground :lol: . I then had to "teach" her to stand up for her milk. :lol:

Let him get good and hungry, then do as Randi posted. I too have found it better to make the hole in the nipple a bit bigger.

Katherine

I had one like that one time, except she was a perfectly normal calf. Once she ended up on the ground she started sucking.

Good luck Dave.

 

[MBarker73]

I have a hereford leppy we got last week. He'd been on his own a few days in the mountains and momma never came to claim him. He's in a pen with water, salt block, alfalfa and calf manna. We estimate he's about 2 weeks old. Tried the bottle and no avail. Tried a pail, nothing. He's getting along ok , but has no interest in calf manna or drinking much water. Gave him some electrolytes by tube last night and he really protested that! This is my first leppy calf so I'm unsure how to proceed next. I have read everything about letting him get hungry - but if he's on good alfalfa and I can get him to eat the calf manna (only sprinkled a little alfalfa on top of the pellets today so he had to get a taste) - is it OK to NOT give the milk replacer??

 

[Hereford2]

Hi your calf will need milk a minimum of 6 weeks, otherwise it probably wont survive,.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Randi's right on!!
MBarker - what is a leppy????

 

[AM Ranches]

Hi there,

I have a one week old bull calf, who was a single, and began taking the bottle fine. The other night, he didn't want to eat and refused even after "forcing" some MR down his throat. He began this sort of grunt upon respiration the next morning and still wouldn't feed. Gave him a dose, 3cc of Excede, and 20cc of Anitoxin. He has had colostrum added to his MR and drank of the mother after birth is what i was told. We have also given him electrolytes as he appears dehydrated. The last day this has been through a tube. The vet prescribed some selenium and a 1cc dose of bamamine and believes he has an ulcer. No bloating, has regular bowel movements. Is not scour looking. He is not kicking at his sides. He is grunting and wont take a bottle.

 

[Speckles]

I've got a 9 day old calf that was born in a blizzard - we aren't sure if he got colostrum because his mom had plugs. Put him the barn and she stepped on him and now part of his hoof is falling off. We never did get him colostrum because we realized she had plugs too late. She also has a terrible udder, teats are huge. He had respiratory issues and he's had penicillin, resflor and metacam. I've been tubing him with milk replacer and electrolyte for the last 9 days. He will move his mouth side to side when I put my finger or the bottle in it but he will not suck or do anything useful. He will stand on and off but doesn't move much. At a loss of what to try. The bottle I am using has a "peach teat" which is supposed to be easier for them to suck out of but still doesn't seem to be working. I inquired about vitamin shots with my vet and he said "its not proven to work" and thought it wasn't necessary. Any ideas are appreciated!

 

[Buck Randall]

I've got a 9 day old calf that was born in a blizzard - we aren't sure if he got colostrum because his mom had plugs. Put him the barn and she stepped on him and now part of his hoof is falling off. We never did get him colostrum because we realized she had plugs too late. She also has a terrible udder, teats are huge. He had respiratory issues and he's had penicillin, resflor and metacam. I've been tubing him with milk replacer and electrolyte for the last 9 days. He will move his mouth side to side when I put my finger or the bottle in it but he will not suck or do anything useful. He will stand on and off but doesn't move much. At a loss of what to try. The bottle I am using has a "peach teat" which is supposed to be easier for them to suck out of but still doesn't seem to be working. I inquired about vitamin shots with my vet and he said "its not proven to work" and thought it wasn't necessary. Any ideas are appreciated!

If it's really as bad as you make it sound, you probably ought to consider euthanasia. Sometimes trying to save them causes more suffering than it's worth.

 

[greggy]

I've got a 9 day old calf that was born in a blizzard - we aren't sure if he got colostrum because his mom had plugs. Put him the barn and she stepped on him and now part of his hoof is falling off. We never did get him colostrum because we realized she had plugs too late. She also has a terrible udder, teats are huge. He had respiratory issues and he's had penicillin, resflor and metacam. I've been tubing him with milk replacer and electrolyte for the last 9 days. He will move his mouth side to side when I put my finger or the bottle in it but he will not suck or do anything useful. He will stand on and off but doesn't move much. At a loss of what to try. The bottle I am using has a "peach teat" which is supposed to be easier for them to suck out of but still doesn't seem to be working. I inquired about vitamin shots with my vet and he said "its not proven to work" and thought it wasn't necessary. Any ideas are appreciated!

Prob better starting own thread, but anyways....

A lot will just do that, even when been on mum first, the rubber teat is not natural.....

So, you need to be persistant and patient, some take straight away, some need a few days to really learn, being hungry helps.....

So.....put the teat in....then put finger under or over teat from side and sqeeze milk in.....let it swallow and keep doing this....at times when swallowing take fingers out and sqeeze snout so milk exits the teat.....

Is very time consuming, but most will get it.

The rest does not sound great.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

If he is losing a hoof, IMO you are wasting your time.
Comment about the vet's remark "inquired about vitamin shots with my vet and he said "its not proven to work" and thought it wasn't necessary" - where are you located? Here in US, "most" areas are SE deficient and it is really important. Also, it is good to give A&D at birth. Not saying this will help your calf.