first non-sucker

[angus9259]

It isn;t always caused by lack of oxygen. That is just one passibiity, that is the reason that usually one of the questions first asked is was it a hard/long delivery. Selenium deficiency can also cause it as can poor vigor in the calf for other reasons.

Yeah, that's what was weird about this case. It wasn't a difficult delivery. She concluded that as the culprit by combining the symptoms with the color of his gums. She said it does have to LOOK like a difficult delivery to have the calf cut off from oxygen for just long enough.

 

[angus9259]

And I disagree about putting the calf on the cow right away if the calf is "puny". Don't do anything to stress the calf. Tube it. Sorry it didn't make it.

Not exactly sure what you mean by "puny". It was physically a normal calf. I agree with doing as little as possible to stress a new calf, but I find tubing to be extremely traumatic for the calf. Why not see if you can get it on the momma? Who knows. If you tube early and it dies, you blame yourself for interfering too soon. You tube late and it dies, you blame yourself for not tubing soon enough. Whatcha gonna do . . .

 

[Angus Cowman]

And I disagree about putting the calf on the cow right away if the calf is "puny". Don't do anything to stress the calf. Tube it. Sorry it didn't make it.

Not exactly sure what you mean by "puny". It was physically a normal calf. I agree with doing as little as possible to stress a new calf, but I find tubing to be extremely traumatic for the calf. Why not see if you can get it on the momma? Who knows. If you tube early and it dies, you blame yourself for interfering too soon. You tube late and it dies, you blame yourself for not tubing soon enough. Whatcha gonna do . . .

you just do what ya think is right and if it does die you have the peace of knowing you did all you could do

 

[CKC1586]

I am sorry your little guy didn't make it. Don't second guess yourself. You did the best you could. My Grandpa had a saying that it is best to keep death in the barn. Kinda helps put things in perspective.
I hope you had a good holiday with your family.

 

[Joy of Texas]

By this I did learn what causes "dumb calf",which I never knew what caused it before. I have had a few over the years and never knew it was caused by lack of oxygen.

It isn;t always caused by lack of oxygen. That is just one passibiity, that is the reason that usually one of the questions first asked is was it a hard/long delivery. Selenium deficiency can also cause it as can poor vigor in the calf for other reasons.

Thank you dun, I understand what you you are saying.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Do you see non suckers, or low vigor calves, having a breed tendency?

 

[angus9259]

Do you see non suckers, or low vigor calves, having a breed tendency?

Don't know. But I have all angus and lost 1 set of twins and two bull calves to it this year and one just hanging on. Seems related to chilling to fast after birth or difficult birth. Maybe it's not a breed tendency . . . maybe it's an owner tendency :roll:

 

[Stocker Steve]

Do you see non suckers, or low vigor calves, having a breed tendency?

Don't know. But I have all angus and lost 1 set of twins and two bull calves to it this year and one just hanging on. Seems related to chilling to fast after birth or difficult birth. Maybe it's not a breed tendency . . . maybe it's an owner tendency :roll:

My bwf crosses are vigorous and I have have not lost any. They calved in the woods during a late spring and made it work.
My Char crosses are not vigorous and I lost two. Big beautiful cream colored calves. Same owner and same snow drifts and same feed but different mothers and different birth weights... They seem to need a calving barn but that is just not in the budget.
The good news is how these Char cross cows will weigh up after some grass. :banana:

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Some of the "dumb suckers" can be attributed to Weak Calf Syndrome, which is usually caused by under-nourished dams - and some can be attributed to Selenium deficiency. Both conditions cause dumb suckers. Of course, as noted, bad weather & dystocia, also.

 

[B&L Longhorn Ranch]

Away from "dumb calves" and back to non-suckers...
Happened to me earlier this year and I spread some molasses on momma's teat and then on his lips. A few licks later he was sucking and did just fine.

 

[msscamp]

Do you see non suckers, or low vigor calves, having a breed tendency?

No, I do not believe it is a breed tendency. Most of our non-suckers were born on cold nights between check points, were unable to get up and suck for whatever reason, and became cold enough that they lost their instinct to suck. The few that were not born under those circumstances were hard deliveries, and their faces were swollen enough that they could not suck. As Angus9259 already stated - with very few exceptions - it's an owner related thing, not a breed related thing.