Newborn not nursing

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tom4018

Dumb Old Farmer
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Jan 2, 2004
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Calf born Thursday, didn't seem to be strong enough to nurse the heifer. It sucked about 3/4 bottle of colostrum on its own. Since then seems it is not sucking momma any, tries but seems to loose interest. Does not suck a bottle either, we have been feeding it. Put heifer in chute and got it to latch on for a few minutes the first time but second try it just seems to put the teat in its mouth and suck a few times and quite. I can get milk out of all 4 quarters. I think its tongue seems a little swollen. It just seems to lack the natural sucking strength, just not very aggressive. Any suggestions?
 
Only thing I can get today is Multi Min, which has the selenium in it. Will that possibly help?
 
Keep feeding it to help it get strength. I would leave them together between feedings. Nothing can get them to suck better than mom. The calf I had born in the water from a heifer. I supplemented him for a week. The heifer has milk but it took a week for her to milk enough to satisfy calf. He was an aggressive sucker tho. Good luck.
 
He seems stronger, gave him Multimin and Banamine. Anyone ever heard of adding coffee to their milk? That was a suggestion I got from someone.
 
tom4018":33i7xnfh said:
He seems stronger, gave him Multimin and Banamine. Anyone ever heard of adding coffee to their milk? That was a suggestion I got from someone.
I use b12 it will help with energy.

Save the coffee for sitting on the porch watching the sun set.
 
Just an update. Calf finally took off to nursing, gave it a bottle for a few days. Decided to leave it hungry and heifer looked nursed. Kept checking it and saw it nursing, this morning 2 rear quarters were really sucked down. Not sure what helped, may have just been time.
 

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