New nippples?

[Lammie]

I have a Black Baldie calf that I an feeding on the bottle along with 2 others. I noticed that he seems to get milk replacer in his windpipe that makes him cough after feedings. The nipples I am using arent that old, but the openings on them were getting large and I think he was getting the milk too fast. I bought new nipples and now he doesn't want to use them. I suspect it is too much work for him.

How often should I be replacing the nipples? I know that when I had kids, the nipples would get sticky when they got old, but calf nipples are so hard it is difficult to tell. I will keep trying until he gets hungry enough to take the milk with the new nipple. I am afaid he'll aspirate milk into his lungs and get sick.

 

[Alice]

Lammie,

Go ahead and cut the nipple holes a little bit larger in the new nipples. The baby is either not interested in working so hard, OR, he's beginning to get congested, which is why he may be coughing. And, like you think, it may be because the milk is coming too fast...but I don't think so. The hole in the nipple, if the nipple isn't that old, is probably not so big that it's causing coughing.

Either way, give him a shot of Nuflor and banamine...and make sure he gets a hit of probios when he gets that shot.

Just my 2cents.

Alice

 

[msscamp]

How often should I be replacing the nipples? I will keep trying until he gets hungry enough to take the milk with the new nipple. I am afaid he'll aspirate milk into his lungs and get sick.

I don't replace mine until a calf bites a hole in them. :lol: :lol: :lol: As far as him choking, sometimes one can slow the milk flow down by holding the end of the bottle lower. It won't slow it down much, but might be enough to prevent him from choking. You might also try boiling the new nipple for a few minutes - it seems to make it a little softer and more pliable. Just my thoughts.

 

[Lammie]

I don't notice that he has a snotty nose and he hasn't got a temp. That was what led me to believe that he was getting milk into his windpipe. He acts normal otherwise. I have had him on anti biotics before. He's a twin and they are both on the smaller side and they have both been sickly.