NEW CALVES very slow starting???help

[fnfarms1]

I bought 7 new heifers back in the fall. charolois cross heifers apparently bred to charolois bulls. I've had 6 calves so far, first dead(way small under developed), rest are alive but I've been drench feeding them for 3days-2wks depending the calf before they get up and going to where I feel comfortable. heifers look to have milk and seem to when I check them in the chute. question is....have I just been lucky or is this normal. Id expect this on say 1 out of 3 or 4, but all of them? all concerned mommas etc, calves just very lethargic and droopy. been giving Nuflor and Baytil to avoid health issues. speaking to vet, he has no advice.

 

[Ol' 243]

been giving Nuflor and Baytil to avoid health issues. speaking to vet, he has no advice.

Waht kind of vet has no advice? Might give you wrong advice, but none????

 

[TCRanch]

Do you know the health history of the heifers, specifically vaccinations? Did the calves receive colostrum? Do they have scours (in which case are you giving them electrolytes)? I'd take at least one of them in to your vet so he/she can do a thorough examination but I'm surprised he/she didn't offer any suggestions such as Bo-Se, Vitamins, etc. And no, that is not normal.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

I would also suggest the AD&E as well as possibly Selenium. Are you in a Selenium deficient area? A shot of Bo-Se for the calves may be what's in order.

As Ol 243 posted, what kind of Vet has nothing to say? Is this Vet a large animal Vet (other than horses)?

 

[JMJ Farms]

I can't tell you how much it actually helps but I give a BoSe shot and a vitamin A&D shot at birth. It's cheap and it's working well. I'd definitely give it a try if I were you.

 

[littletom]

What type of minerals have you had out for the heifers since you bought them?

 

[dun]

Did you observe the birth of the calves? Overly long birthing can cause dumb suckers.

 

[fnfarms1]

Ok. Try to answer as many as I can. Vet is a large animal vet, does very few horses. Only advice was to check if cow had milk etc. I did do bit AD&E just trying to find a cure. Not sure if got colstreum from cow, did give most of them the powdered colstreum. Heifers have been on Right Now mineral by Cargill since November.

 

[dun]

Ok. Try to answer as many as I can. Vet is a large animal vet, does very few horses. Only advice was to check if cow had milk etc. I did do bit AD&E just trying to find a cure. Not sure if got colstreum from cow, did give most of them the powdered colstreum. Heifers have been on Right Now mineral by Cargill since November.

Did you observe them being born?

 

[fnfarms1]

I saw 2 of the 5 live calves born. Nothing out of the ordinary. One calf I'm not sure how he made it, due to size, without some help. but I didn't see the birth and he's same health as the rest, has to weigh over 100lbs, for first calf heifer, that'a girl.

 

[fnfarms1]

Oh and no, I don't know about vaccines on heifers, but on a droopy calf id think an illness would have just killed them. Best I can tell it seems nutrition related, because in time they seem to come around. But they have had same treatment my heifers always get, including ones I kept out of my cows. No issues except these outside sourced stock.
First live one that's about 3wks old now still seems bit starved but he's making it. Heifers still getting feed to promote milk production and their body condition.

 

[fnfarms1]

Tried bottle only couple times afraid they wouldn't go back to cow, cuz I've had that happen alot

 

[fnfarms1]

That would be a simple explanation, but several never even got up after birth. Which to me leads toward a deficiency. Last one I had didn't stand until 4th day. So I'm sure could be not enough milk, but just boggles the mind. Seems to me even a malnutrition calf should get up couple times after birth.
I gave the youngest 2 a dose of Multimin90 a bit ago, which if a selenium or copper issue, should help. The others will get same dose in a week when work cows. I got one left to be born, ready to get it over with.

 

[TCRanch]

Which begs the question; what are your heifers BCS? You mentioned you were feeding them (presumably extra cubes/20% protein) but are they at least a 5?

 

[littletom]

My dad had some similar issues 3 years ago lost a few took a dead one to one of ky's diagnostic labs. They said selenium deficiency so we gave the rest multimen. No more problems, that year. The next year his first one born same field poor doer. We think here we go again. However we completely changed mineral program. So we give the multimen, next day it dies. Haul that one to Brethitt they say selenium overdose killed it. This is why I asked about minerals. We have stuck with the mineral we use year around. And not used multimen the last 2 years and not had problems. I would talk a little more in depth with a vet. And talk with a nutritionist through your feed provider.

 

[littletom]

When you work them I would have vet to pull some blood. And see what that shows. My wife is a vet I will ask her tomorrow if she has any thoughts.

 

[fnfarms1]

BCS id say at least 5s. One may be a 4 but I think always going to have a thinner build. I feed a 14% feed ration. Has a vitamin mix in it, soybean hulls, chop corn, rumensin, etc.

 

[Putangitangi]

What's the Iodine status of that part of the world? Here we're deficient and a local farmer, after having several dead and weak calves, tested and discovered he needed to supplement. Hearing about him, I've been doing that (a bit in their water, regularly, through winter pregnancy) for several years and the calves bounce to their feet very smartly.

 

[fnfarms1]

Not sure about area deficiencies. All calves are up and going. Time will tell I suppose. Cows are on a 7-8lb feed ration now, how would sending them out with regular cows ie. just grass diet effect them? A deficiency I would think would be fixed by a quality mineral program for 2-3months. This Right Now mineral is supposed to be formulated for your specific region, although I know deficiencies could be isolated within areas.

 

[customcattle]

We have had a few slow starters. We give 5cc vitamin B and 1-1/2 cc of banamine they usually pick right up