Hi I am new here and to cattle in general. Two of my children are raising dairy calves for 4H this year. They are 5 days old now and are being fed 3x a day 1.25 qts of milk replacer. The first one had scours when she was 2 days old. She was given 2 injections of baytril & electrolytes over the last 4 days and had a nice stool today so we think she is on the mend. She is active and bright eyed and her nose is nice and wet. The other calf is very active, jumpy, kicks a lot, loves to have her bottle but we have noticed a lack of BM since she passed her first yellow colostrum stools. We check every few hours for poop but unless she is eating it, she isn't going at all, she urinates often. The vet said I don't need to worry until she stops eating. Is this normal? Should I have him come out and check her over? I feel like a paranoid mother but I don't want her to have a twisted gut and wait too long and lose her. Any help is appreciated - Thanks!
dairy calf not having bowel movements 2 days now
- Thread starter 4H mom
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I would be giving this calf some electrolytes right now. The reason I say this is that sometimes scours can be so watery that all you will see is a wet spot where the scours hit the ground rather than runny, watery poop. Also, if these calves are being raised together, in the same pen, then one has very likely infected the other.
And, yes, definitely, take the calf to the vet and have it checked it out...it could be nothing, and it could be very serious...like a blockage. And, if it is scours, it could be extremely serious, also. But, something just ain't quite right, here.
I get so tired of vets blowing off baby calf illnesses, especially when people are trying to raise them and keep them healthy.
Where did these calves come from, btw?
Alice
And, yes, definitely, take the calf to the vet and have it checked it out...it could be nothing, and it could be very serious...like a blockage. And, if it is scours, it could be extremely serious, also. But, something just ain't quite right, here.
I get so tired of vets blowing off baby calf illnesses, especially when people are trying to raise them and keep them healthy.
Where did these calves come from, btw?
Alice
The calves came from a local dairy. They are being raised in adjoining pens, they each are in a calf hutch and have a small yard area. They have no contact with each other except through the panels when we let them out. I will call the vet again when he opens this morning. My daughters are out feeding now so I am hoping for a report of poop.
yes, both heifers they were 18-24 hours old when we received them on Wednesday the 14th so they are now approx 7 days old. No poop again but she is eating quite well - very frisky - she looks healthier than the one that has had scours. Thanks for the help. The vet opens in 2 hours so I will see if he will come out.
Vet is supposed to call me back after lunch. We fed this am and still nothing. Calf is frisky and ate well but nothing is coming out of her except urine. Can milk replacer even be constipating to calves? I am becomming obsessed with poop! The calves are not in the same pen - they both have calf hutches and their own pen area. They were only together the day we brought them home and at the dairy. This is crazy!
Vet was just here - took temp, listened to lungs all is well. Checked pen and thought there might be a slight trace of really watery manure. He thought the calf should be getting more milk replacement than it is right now, bumping up to a full 2 qts per feeding since the calf is large. He stuck a tube down her anus and poop came out!!!! yellow and firm so we don't have a twist or missing part yea!! We will be watching her very closely for scours and continue monitoring for poop but he thinks she is FINE!!! 
Thanks to all who have responded and helped out. I'm sure I'll be back.
4H mom
Thanks to all who have responded and helped out. I'm sure I'll be back.4H mom
4H mom":gf85br55 said:
You're not even feeding her a gallon of milk replacer a day - no wonder she isn't pooping! The chances of a 5 day old calf taking in enough solid feed to make up for the deficiency in milk replacer is slim to none, since their rumen isn't developed enough to be able to process it. Build her up to at least a gallon a day.
Sorry mistyped 1.75 qts a feeding (three feedings a day) - knew we were over a gallon but didn't re-read my post. Now she will be at a 1.5 gallons a day not a large bump but a bit more. We have calf creep avaliable but don't expect her to really eat it for another couple weeks. Thanks for catching my mistake!
sjr725
Well-known member
Hi 4HMom - just curious and you don't have to answer if you don't want - but what did you have to give for day old heifers? Are the registered? I buy steer calves from a dairy near us that cross breeds it's first calf holstein heifers with small angus bull and I buy all the bull/steer calves from them. I get them when they are just coming off the bottle so it's much easier to deal with them. But I'm curious about your heifers - I have considered asking the guy I deal with to sell me a few of these beef cross heifers - just as prospects for nurse cows?
Hi all - great news! - when we went to feed this am she had pooped (in the water bucket of course). Nice and brown and somewhat solid. I think she just needed a bit more liquid than she was getting. She always has water in her hutch but I don't think she drinks much of it. Getting a bit more milk must have helped.
sjr725 - we paid 300 each for our heifers - it is a 4H special from the local dairy - usually they charge about 600. Steer calves you can get for about 100 - also day old. I'm not sure about registration - they are all numbered and tagged but no paperwork except for the receipt with their number and who they were sold to. Our county is very supportive of 4H and the dairy is gracious to provide a calf for any 4H member who wants to raise one. You can only get one per 4h child and if they die your project is over
scoot129 - we havent been rubbing her back when we feed, just in the afternoon when we let them out of their hutches and give them a good rubdown like mama would. I will tell my girls to try this when they are feeding. My eight year old is still a bit fearful of her calf but I will help. It's a great learning experience for all of us
sjr725 - we paid 300 each for our heifers - it is a 4H special from the local dairy - usually they charge about 600. Steer calves you can get for about 100 - also day old. I'm not sure about registration - they are all numbered and tagged but no paperwork except for the receipt with their number and who they were sold to. Our county is very supportive of 4H and the dairy is gracious to provide a calf for any 4H member who wants to raise one. You can only get one per 4h child and if they die your project is over
scoot129 - we havent been rubbing her back when we feed, just in the afternoon when we let them out of their hutches and give them a good rubdown like mama would. I will tell my girls to try this when they are feeding. My eight year old is still a bit fearful of her calf but I will help. It's a great learning experience for all of us
