We lost three calves so far. Symptom started with scours. Then wouldn't eat or get up. While laying down it looks like they are having muscle spasams. After about 3 - 4 days they die. They are only anywhere from 3days old to 6 days. They all have been new born calves. I wanted to say we had problems last year as well. The last two years we have been experiencing this. We were also wondering if maybe it could be one of our bulls. Maybe something genetic. We seem to be only losing a few not the whole heard. We have 55 herfers/angus cows. Does anyboday have an idea? My husband is really starting to get upset cause he can't save his calve. The vet always says it is scours but we think it is difinetly something else. My husband and his dad has had cattle all their lives and never experienced these many loses.
from 3 calves dying now up to 13
- Thread starter kjyoak
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bward
Well-known member
It sounds like "death by scours" to me. Scours in a newborn can be deadly if not treated immediatly. E-coli will kill them sometimes before the scours even show. The rota and corona virus though not as deadly can dehydrate a calf enough to kill it. What are you doing to treat this? Are you hydrating them with electrolytes? Giving them anything at all?
A
Anonymous
we can't get them to eat anything. We force what we can down them. We are giving them the meds. that the vet gave us. Nuflor 3cc is what they told us to give them. As soon as my husband sees any kind of problems with the calves he starts them on meds. It is just starting to bug him cause he has never had this problem before. He feels he can't save them even though he is up about every two hours checking on them. Thanks for your advice. All the symptoms are there of scours but it is just weird that is all. I have been forcing pedialyte down them but i think by then it might be too late.
I don't have any Nuflor on hand but that sounds like it might be a little light, not sure. Whenever we haul in any calves, the first thing they get is a blast of Nuflor, but that's to hel with the possibility of shipping fever. I would still check with another vet. Be upfront with both the one you use now and the one you double check with. The good vets I've worked with over the years wouldn't mind if you asked for a second opinion. There are vaccinations for scours that you can give cows shortly before they calve, not sure if it will work for what kinds of scours. That's what you ask the vet about. Maybe there is a vaccination you can give new born calves also. Knock on wood, we've never had a problem with any form of scours, but I know of folks that do vaccinate their cows.
dun
dun
Anonymous":1xbmf7fz said:
bward
Well-known member
Use an esophogeal feeder to ensure they do get adequeate fluids. Pedialyte is very expensive.... just use a commercial calf electrolyte. Get your husband to look more closely at udders. Always check the babies of cows with full udders. Really look at babies attitude.... its so hard when they are newborn and sleep alot. And they don't always get a fever either.
There is an oral e-cli vaccine you can give newborns and it must be given before 12 hours after birth or something like that. Its in the form of a paste and is fairly pricey but is highly effective. Colimmune I think is what it is called.
Might be a worthwhile investment. Ask your vet.
There is an oral e-cli vaccine you can give newborns and it must be given before 12 hours after birth or something like that. Its in the form of a paste and is fairly pricey but is highly effective. Colimmune I think is what it is called.
Might be a worthwhile investment. Ask your vet.
Christina
Active member
There is a recipe for homemade electrolytes. Dun gave me one about a year ago, but there is also one on the internet when you do a search.
A
Anonymous
thank you all for your replies. Very much appreciated. Our vet came out today and looked at all of our cattle. He suggested to vaccinate everyone of them.. He thinks it is some kind of infection that is heriditary or something. I still haven't got the full details yet. My husband is still down there giving them all shots, plus the calves. I guess time will tell in the meantime we are still trying to get the calves to eat. I hate seeing them die. They are too cute and easy to love. I will let update information as i get it. Again thanks all.
Christina
Active member
I had a second this morning to look up the recipe. The net said that is doesn't contain the ion that commercial stuff does, but still works.
The recipe: In one gallon of warm water, dissolve four table-spoons of corn syrup, 2 teaspoons of table salt,and 2 teaspoons of baking soda.
Hope all takes a turn for the better.
The recipe: In one gallon of warm water, dissolve four table-spoons of corn syrup, 2 teaspoons of table salt,and 2 teaspoons of baking soda.
Hope all takes a turn for the better.
A
Anonymous
Use a drench tube and while your doing it add 7cc of spectomyicin to the solution . Works well and cheaper than nuflor. Start early!!!
Our count has gone from 3 up to 13. Our vet finally had us take one up to Columbus, OH to have it tested. Right now i still have one calf sick eats a little. I hope we soon find out the problem. He has no idea what the problem is now. Hopefully soon we will find out..
A
Anonymous
So you took it to OSU??? I was going to recommend that you take one to the nearest vet college--it seems that whatever this is, it's beyond your local vet. I'd guess enterotoxemia, could be from E. coli or one of the clostridia but the vet college is going to be your best bet for a diagnosis. I'm doubtful as to whether nuflor is going to be enough.
I'll give you a secret which works on some of these really weak calves. I use activated charcoal (usually in a sugar base, charcodote) which I buy premixed. It is drenched in to the calf. (about 60-120ml) I also put them on IV fluids with added dextrose (I add it). Pending info from OSU, it doesn't hurt to try this! Also clean out your calving area, either lime or bleach the floor and rebed. Include spraying/scrubbing your walls and gates to try and get a handle on this--assuming you can't move the calving to a virgin territory (never had scours or sick calves in last 5 years...)
Good Luck!
V
I'll give you a secret which works on some of these really weak calves. I use activated charcoal (usually in a sugar base, charcodote) which I buy premixed. It is drenched in to the calf. (about 60-120ml) I also put them on IV fluids with added dextrose (I add it). Pending info from OSU, it doesn't hurt to try this! Also clean out your calving area, either lime or bleach the floor and rebed. Include spraying/scrubbing your walls and gates to try and get a handle on this--assuming you can't move the calving to a virgin territory (never had scours or sick calves in last 5 years...)
Good Luck!
V
Running Arrow Bill
Well-known member
My recipe for healthy calves:
1. Start with quality cows, bulls, who are current on all vaccinations & de-worming.
2. Know who you are buying from and the quality of their operation.
3. Obtain medical records from your seller (if they don't keep them, they are probably hiding something).
4. Isolate all new purchase arrivals and de-worm; vaccinate calves if you are unsure of their vaccination protocol.
5. Maintain a clean and safe livestock area and clean calving areas.
6. Shipping fever, sale barn animals, other things they can "catch" from a multi-source herd.
7. Provide adequate nutrition, proper minerals, clean water, dedicated vaccination/de-worming program for all your stock on a regular basis.
8. Buy only quality stock adapted for your geographic area.
9. In the long run, "It costs no more to go first class..."
10. Pay up front for quality or pay later with higher care costs, Vet bills, cattle loses.
1. Start with quality cows, bulls, who are current on all vaccinations & de-worming.
2. Know who you are buying from and the quality of their operation.
3. Obtain medical records from your seller (if they don't keep them, they are probably hiding something).
4. Isolate all new purchase arrivals and de-worm; vaccinate calves if you are unsure of their vaccination protocol.
5. Maintain a clean and safe livestock area and clean calving areas.
6. Shipping fever, sale barn animals, other things they can "catch" from a multi-source herd.
7. Provide adequate nutrition, proper minerals, clean water, dedicated vaccination/de-worming program for all your stock on a regular basis.
8. Buy only quality stock adapted for your geographic area.
9. In the long run, "It costs no more to go first class..."
10. Pay up front for quality or pay later with higher care costs, Vet bills, cattle loses.
A
Anonymous
The only thing we have bought was the bulls. And they came from high dollar bull sales with all the papers you mention. Our cows have been here some for a very long time and others since they were born. Our holsteins we have bought and they are kept from the others and are over a year old now. they were vacinated when we bought them. But i do agree with what you said. If we had bought them a stock sale i would be worried.
We got result back. They say the calves are starving. Don't know what they call it but i guess when they eat it just goes right through them. We are waiting on the medicines to come in. Don't know what meds. yet but we need to vacinate all calves as soon as they are born. When vet shows up i hope to get all the answers but from my understanding they are calling it the scours. I will post it as soon as i get more answers.
A
Anonymous
We slowly moving our calving season back to november/december time frame to aviod the scours. As soon as it starts freezing and thawing on a daily basis all new born calves get a first defense bolus. They are expensive but cheap compared to loosing a calf. Any calf that looks like they might be starting to scour gets sulfame pills and 10 cc "spectram halt" pig scour medicine the vet reccomended. We ran into serious problems four years ago when the birds came back north. They brought a new virus with them that our animals had no immunity to. All the cattle farmers in my area had the same problem at the same time.
pat
pat
A
Anonymous
calves diagnosed with roda virus and ecoli. Since we vacinated them things seem to be slowy improving. Say they are starving cause everything is going right through them..
A
Anonymous
I had a hereford calf scour ( it was three weeks old) a few years ago, I'd never had a calf scour that bad before. I suspect the holstein steer I was boarding infected him. He recovered fine eventually, after treatment with electrolytes, though he pooped out some of his gut lining I guess he grew a new one. He wasn't set back much even. I would suspect the holstein calves, they could carry that virus or bacteria and be immune to it.
A
Anonymous
I don't have any Nuflor on hand but that sounds like it might be a little light, not sure.
dun
The vet probably wants two doses of Nuflor given. In a single dose I went as high as 10cc per hundred. I would try Baytril on some, sometimes it works better on scours.
dun
The vet probably wants two doses of Nuflor given. In a single dose I went as high as 10cc per hundred. I would try Baytril on some, sometimes it works better on scours.
