: Hello, in responce to calves scouring, it may be due to a rapid<br>change in thier diet, if that is the case wait at least 14 days for<br>the microflora in their digestive tract to adjust to the new diet.<p>If that iss not the case smell the hay, and check it for mold or mildew<br>the hay should smell sweet and clean and have a semi soft texture.<br>If the hay is musty or has an unusual odor it may be the cause of the <br>problem.<p>Next is the feed you are feeding designed to be fed to show calves?<br>It should be a higher percentage protein, but it should also have <br>an adequate fiber content or roughage source as show calves do not <br>usually get a great deal of hay as thiss can cause them to build a <br>hay belly. 1 or 2 flakes of hay per head at most for show cattle <br>is recommended accept for cow calf pairs on feed, then it is much <br>higher.<p>Fast Track is a feed additive for cattle just being put on feed or<br>for cattle that are beeing pushed hard on feed. Thiss additive is <br>in a powdered form and is easy to top dress the feed with. It is <br>very affective in aiding in degestion and keeping the feces firm, <br>there is also another that worksss well, it is a blue gell that <br>must be given oraly to the animal twice a day for best results, <br>but I can not think of the name just now. Also if the calves are still <br>scouring, check the feces for any signs of small deposits of blood,<br>if you see these you may be dealing with coccidiosis, a large intestinal<br>disease that can easily be treated with an ionofore or coccidiostat.<br>Coccidiosis is passed from birds andd poultry,m mostly chickens, and this <br>will greatly reduce your weight gains and be a persistent problem is not treated.<p>General rule, if the feces is not firm or in nice little piles<br>then the animal is not getting the best use of the feed<br>SSeening in a fecal sample is the best idea and is fairly <br>cheap in relation to other vet costs. If you don't enjoy<br>doing your own vet work this would be the fastest way to <br>determine the cause of the problem. Good luck with your calves.<br>
