Diarrhea in a 300lbs heftier

Chicken cow · Apr 20, 2013

I have a Brahman heftier and she has a dark green black colored diarrhea. She has had it for over a week. The other calves bully her. She seems fine and alert. She eats 2-3 lbs of feed and a lot of hay each day drinks plenty of water and licks the mineral block. What is the cause of the diarrhea ? Should I do anything. I though it would pass but she still has it. I bought her three weeks ago and she got out the day I brought her home, my neighbors kept her for two weeks in the large pasture so she would settle down and she's Ben in my pen for 8 days now and she still has a diarrhea. None of my other calves have it thought all theirs is firm and brownish color. Any ideas? Thx

denvermartinfarms · Apr 20, 2013

When was she wormed and what with?

Chris H · Apr 20, 2013

Chicken cow":3ohtn6e9 said:
I have a Brahman heftier and she has a dark green black colored diarrhea. She has had it for over a week. The other calves bully her. She seems fine and alert. She eats 2-3 lbs of feed and a lot of hay each day drinks plenty of water and licks the mineral block. What is the cause of the diarrhea ? Should I do anything. I though it would pass but she still has it. I bought her three weeks ago and she got out the day I brought her home, my neighbors kept her for two weeks in the large pasture so she would settle down and she's Ben in my pen for 8 days now and she still has a diarrhea. None of my other calves have it thought all theirs is firm and brownish color. Any ideas? Thx

Shouldn't have put her with your calves. Should have kept her separate for a while to watch for things like this. Your calves are now exposed to whatever caused her diarrhea. I'd still separate her and watch the others.
It's possible she's OD'ing on the mineral block and causing the discolored diarrhea. She could be short on minerals and loading up on it. If you separate her, pull the mineral for a few days and see if there's a difference in her manure. If it is the block, she'll eventually adjust.

Running Arrow Bill · Apr 20, 2013

Should have isolated her and de-wormed her upon arrival for a week or so.

That said,

There is a chance she has coccidiosis. If so, perhaps as a precaution, start treating her with Amprolium (aka Corid) for a 5 day schedule (read instructions). She might also have a case of "sale barn" scours. Would also need Rx.

If is coccidiosis, ALL animals in her pen should also be treated at same time.

JMO and I'm not a Vet...

Chicken cow · Apr 21, 2013

denvermartinfarms":35lztha8 said:
When was she wormed and what with?

Pour on yellow box ivermectin, she was de wormed the day I bought her at the barn. Today it was a little thicker and it was a normal brown color no longer dark. Still diarrhea though. I released all of them today to roam on a small 12 acre pasture. Hope the others don't get it. What are the signs of coccidiosis? Thx