minimum colostrum?

[KNERSIE]

What is the absolute minimum amount of colostrum a newborn can get away with?

Had a heifer calf that shows no interest in the calf at all. milked the heifer and got about a cup of colostrum. Will give that to the calf and get more fresh colostrum from a nearby dairy in the morning.

This is new to me, never had a heifer show no interest in a calf at all before, had seen it in ewes, just never in my own cattle. After how long should I just give up and bottle raise him?

 

[rockridgecattle]

can you get ahold of some oxytocin? Give her a shot before milking, maybe she is being stubborn.
I believe it's 2% of their body weight twice given. If you use dairy cattle colostrum you need more because their milk has less quality vs quanity. Beef don't have the quanity of milk a dairy has so their colsotrum is more concentrated. Clear as mud?
We try to keep a dose of powder colostrum on hand just in case.
If you use powder colostrum...good quality...100 Imuglobulins them about 3 cups.
Hope that helps

 

[KNERSIE]

Thanks, she is being stubborn, can't get any oxytocin untill tommorrow morning. Calf drank the colostrum eagerly as well as about a pint of raw milk I got from the dairy.

After I got the colostrum in him, took Knersie with me to the calf and the heifer immediately responded by chasing him away and started sniffing the calf a few times. So all hope isn't lost yet. Will try and put calf on her as soon as the sun is out. She's not trying to kick him away, she just isn't interested in him.

I know where she will go as soon as this calf is weaned...

 

[Bez>]

Not to minimize the importance of colostrum - they in fact can get by with none.

We have in the past raised orphans to feeders with milk replacer and had no health issues.

We just gave them any extra love and attention we thought they needed until they were weaned. Which by the way was further down the time lines than suggested by the directions on the bag. Weaning times on milk replacer bags may work for the little calves raised as pets - but generally speaking they need to go a bit longer if they live in the fields with the cows.

Unless they become milk thieves - which many do.

Regards

Bez>

 

[msscamp]

What is the absolute minimum amount of colostrum a newborn can get away with?

0, although some is better.

This is new to me, never had a heifer show no interest in a calf at all before, had seen it in ewes, just never in my own cattle. After how long should I just give up and bottle raise him?

It happens. It depends on the heifers attitude and how long you have to invest in putting her in the chute and fighting with her. If she is openly hostile to the calf, cut your losses and ship the bitch. If she is not openly hostile, just uncertain or 'confused', she may just be a little shell-shocked and will come around with a little time. Only you can make that call.

 

[cowvet]

It would be a gamble raising a calf that had no colostrum - a big gamble!!! Calves are totally reliant on the antibodies they get from the colostum to protect them from a huge range of cattle diseases they can pick up prior to getting vaccinated etc.
The calfs gut is only able to absorb these large proteins (antibodies) for the first 24 hours of life, after that colostral antibodies are digested rather than absorbed into the bloodstream. If they are no longer absorbed into the bloodstream they will still give a bit of "local" protection in the gut from some of the gut type diseases.
My general recomendation is that calves have at least 4 litres of good quality colostrum - in a perfect world 2 litres before 6 hours of age, another 2 litres by 12 hours of age and anything from then on is a bonus!

The best colostrum is fresh colostrum, frozen is good to but remember not to overheat it when warming it up (not in the microwave!) as this will destroy the antibodies. There are also a range of colostrum replacers - a decent one should have on the label the IgG level.

 

[KNERSIE]

Thanks for the info, cowvet.

The problem has solved itself, after getting about 1.5 l of milk into the calf he was persistant enough that the heifer accepted him. When I got there this morning he was nursing and she started talking to him, they are already out on pasture.

 

[mnmtranching]

I've had good luck with a colostrum replacement product. It's $20 for a packet that makes 2 qts. Saved 3 calves last year and 2 this year. Weak twins and a premature. 100% saved so far.

As far as the heifer, don't waste your time. She will never be a good mother. Sell her soon she will bring a good price as a open heiferette.

 

[hillsdown]

I've had good luck with a colostrum replacement product. It's $20 for a packet that makes 2 qts. Saved 3 calves last year and 2 this year. Weak twins and a premature. 100% saved so far.

As far as the heifer, don't waste your time. She will never be a good mother. Sell her soon she will bring a good price as a open heiferette.

This year a third of my moms were heifers the middle 4 that calved all took a while to accept their calves so there first 3 days were with me as mom.Now they are attached at the hip and very protctive and the little turkeys are growing like crazy.I will keep all of my heifers next year it should be no problem with them.The good thing about being interactive with the babies when they are new is that you can still go up to them when they are three months old and work with them as they still remember you as being safe.However if I had 200 head of heifers and half were that way I think I would be in a padded cell ;-) .