Dead head calf

[Ky hills]

The calf was born November 15, didn't seem anything unusual, cow was up calf was laying down when first found him.
This is her 4th calf. She got bred the first time at 6 months old calved unassisted at 15 months, all of her calves have been lively.
The next morning calf came up with her but was laying around and I marked it up to being just tired from birth as some calves lay around that next day, but it seemed more so than usual so we got them in. Thought maybe he may have a navel issue as it looked like the cord may have broken off high. Gave him LA 300 and he seemed ok other than just still not being very lively. Went ahead and banded and tagged him before turning back out. In the days right after that he seemed to still be slow, but would run behind the cow and keep up with her.
At about a week old found him one morning in the bottom of the lot laying with another calf, they had came up with the cows but didn't come on into the second lot. The other calf which was older jumped up and took off as I approached and this one just laid there with its head down. I tried to see if if it would get up and it seemed like it couldn't. Took it back to the barn. It had been laying in the mud and it's body temperature had dropped I could tell when I tube fed it Resorb, and gave him some Resflor. He got stronger over the next couple days, but still doesn't seem like it's quite right.
He's nursing the cow and his sides feel full, stretches when he gets up but just mopes around and lays back down fairly soon.

 

[Dsth]

do you know if the calf sucked for sure. Cow could possibly been sucked on by another calf while in labor or shortly before calving and didn't have a good colostrum supply. symptoms are what I would expect from a calf that didn't get good colostrum after birth.

 

[Ky hills]

do you know if the calf sucked for sure. Cow could possibly been sucked on by another calf while in labor or shortly before calving and didn't have a good colostrum supply. symptoms are what I would expect from a calf that didn't get good colostrum after birth.

No I don't know for sure, but the cow was off by herself with the calf when we found the pair. Your post jarred my memory, last year, another cow calved very close in time to this one and her calf often nursed this cow as an older calf I would see it nursing from behind while her own calf nursed from one side. Those calves have been weaned several months, maybe some of this years calves have found out they can steal milk too.

 

[Dsth]

No I don't know for sure, but the cow was off by herself with the calf when we found the pair. Your post jarred my memory, last year, another cow calved very close in time to this one and her calf often nursed this cow as an older calf I would see it nursing from behind while her own calf nursed from one side. Those calves have been weaned several months, maybe some of this years calves have found out they can steal milk too.

a few years ago, my then boss cow claimed a calf (about 2-3 days old) that was not Her's when she was in labor. would not let the calf's mom near that calf. the boss cow had her calf a little later, claimed her newborn and older calf was reunited with its mom. boss cow's calf acted just like you described in your post and started acting sick on about day three. vet took blood sample and determined that calf did not get adequate colostrum and died a few days later even after treatment. I saw newborn sucking on cow shortly after birth so I know it sucked. I figure the older calf sucked the boss cow when she was claiming it and consumed most if not all the colostrum milk before boss cow's calf sucked.

 

[bird dog]

My guess. Calf spent to much time in the birth canal and was oxygen starved. Probably won't get better but you never know.

 

[Logan52]

Kind of like Bird Dog, too long in birth canal resulting in a "dummy" calf. I had one last year. It turned out to be my biggest calf of the year that fall.
All the replies are possibilities and I have had several over the years.
They sometimes chill and die outside. Shut up in barn with cow and maybe a couple of tubings and most do well.

 

[gcreekrch]

I would keep them up close for a while. Where there is a pulse there is hope.

 

[Ky hills]

Update: Got the cow in the chute to see if her udder is ok. Calf just seems like he's weak and no real change for better or worse it seems and though the cow has raised calves before we were wondering about if she would be milking enough.
When I checked the udder the first time she had been with the calf and didn't get anything out of one side. Got milk out of the other side, but didn't seem like she had much. Separated cow and calf yesterday afternoon and got cow in chute this morning. Was hoping she would have a full udder but it didn't seem to have anymore than yesterday. Seemed no tighter and just didn't seem to be coming out much at all.
She's raised decent calves in the past, she's young and in good shape, other cows and heifers that have calved are doing ok except for the incident with bloated calf.

 

[Travlr]

Update: Got the cow in the chute to see if her udder is ok. Calf just seems like he's weak and no real change for better or worse it seems and though the cow has raised calves before we were wondering about if she would be milking enough.
When I checked the udder the first time she had been with the calf and didn't get anything out of one side. Got milk out of the other side, but didn't seem like she had much. Separated cow and calf yesterday afternoon and got cow in chute this morning. Was hoping she would have a full udder but it didn't seem to have anymore than yesterday. Seemed no tighter and just didn't seem to be coming out much at all.
She's raised decent calves in the past, she's young and in good shape, other cows and heifers that have calved are doing ok except for the incident with bloated calf.

Makes me wonder if the calf is dehydrated...

 

[Ky hills]

Makes me wonder if the calf is dehydrated...

Yeah, we're thinking his issues are nutritional. We've resorbed a few times including last night when pulled him off the cow. We gave him powdered milk replacer this morning and kept him away from the cow to see if he shows any signs of improvement.

 

[bird dog]

Does the calf have a strong sucking reflex and take the normal amount? Was it easy to get it to take a bottle?

 

[Ky hills]

Does the calf have a strong sucking reflex and take the normal amount? Was it easy to get it to take a bottle?

No he won't take a bottle tube fed him.
Doesn't seem to be very strong nursing the cow either

 

[MurraysMutts]

No he won't take a bottle tube fed him.
Doesn't seem to be very strong nursing the cow either

I bet he is discouraged from nursing if he ain't getting anything to speak of. I've seen that a couple times. Usually it takes a little bit, but once the light bulb comes on, the bottle will be empty!!

Hate to hear that about the cow. Hope to hear better news soon. Bet your wishing you'd a checked that cow sooner. Don't fret! Your on the right track now!

 

[J Hoy]

Check to make certain the calf doesn't have a cleft palate. That makes it very difficult for a calf to suckle.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Oh Joy. We love you.
Have you taken the calf's temp?

 

[gcreekrch]

Did it live?

 

[Ky hills]

Did it live?

No

 

[gcreekrch]

No

No matter how hard we try, we can't kill them all…..

 

[Travlr]

No matter how hard we try, we can't kill them all…..

Craigslist is sure proof of that...

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Cow might have been a good cow for the first 3, but if she isn't producing enough milk and you lost #4 because of that, don't keep her and give her a chance to lose #5 or #6.