Replacement milk for calf

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Immodium AD anti-diarrhea pills for people... slows the squirts and helps with hydration... 1 per 100 lbs calf wt.... easier to give than using something like kaopectate .... anything with psyllium will firm up the manure tremendously. Helps the keep the drugs, and the milk, in the gut tract longer so it can get absorbed...
Add 1 or 2 beaten raw eggs to milk replacer too... they help with the absorption in the gut tract...
 
Scours not pure water this morning, had some consistency but still not a solid . Calf felt a lot better this morning. Came running to me when he saw the bottle. Gave 2 more of the anti diarrhea boluses ; been over a week now on the bottle. Hopefully we can save him . 🤠
 
Changing the diet, from "real momma's milk" to replacer will mess with the gut bacteria... not finding him right off didn't help him through no fault of yours.... weakened condition from losing mom also...
One thing, watch for coccidia... that causes scours in calves at 10 days to a month in most cases I have dealt with... comes from the environment... could be what the vet gave you the shot for... I use a 3 cc syringe of corid directly down the throat for 3-5 days... old vet said not to mess with adding the "dilution solution" to his bottle... this would hit it faster and do more good... and I have done that ever since... plus the beaten raw eggs in the milk replacer... doesn't taste "funny" and seems to help settle the gut and adds a little nutrition.
 
He seems really hungry in the morning and will take 2 bottles but evening feeding he might take a half bottle. Got some scarlet oil spray and got rid of the flys hanging around his poop chute . Was afraid to use anything stronger. Stool was still liquid .
 
How big are the bottles? 2 qt normal sized calf bottle??? 2 in the morning are too much all at once on his stomach.... what is happening the milk is filling the true stomach and then going into the other chambers that aren't developed yet (think 4 stomachs...1st true stomach is for milk as a baby and will "shrink down" as rumen develops) and just running out the other end... Calves do not drink a gallon at a time on momma.... Cut back to 1 bottle at a feeding... feed 3 times a day if you feel he needs it... but you are literally flooding his system... I bet if you cut back he will firm up fairly fast.
Some dairies will feed 3 qts a feeding but I have had best luck with a regular old 2 qt bottle at a time...
And 2 qts will encourage him to want to try some feed sooner... which will help his rumen to start to develop.
 
Thanks ! I was just giving him one bottle 2 qts and he was wanting more . I cut him back this am . I'll cut him back this evening and tomorrow am . He's a bigger calf even though he's young so I was giving him more .
 
You could go up to maybe 3 qts if he is that big of a calf... after you cut him back for a couple days... and his manure tightens up, you could increase it a little... but I would go to 3x a day feeding if he seems to need more instead of increasing the amount... and get him started eating some grain...stuff a small amount in his mouth after the bottle and let him chew on it and play with it and in a few days he will want to start to eat. That will give him more bulk in the gut tract also, so not as much liquid running out the other end so fast... and help to develop his rumen. I think he is pushing 3 weeks old??? Dairies will start the calves on some grain at a few days old... but definitely at 10 days to 2 weeks... It will also satisfy the wanting more...
 
For sure Jan!
I had a lil bull calf one time that was only a couple weeks in, and he was ALL ABOUT THE GRAIN! He would finish his bottle and just immediately go to his feed bowl. It was pretty amazing. I started with calfmanna and some 16 or 18% calf starter. I started him with about ½ a cup a day. Before I knew it,, he was eating a full cup twice a day!! Ate alfalfa hay like champ too.

Ain't had one like that since!
 
MurraysMutts said:
For sure Jan!
I had a lil bull calf one time that was only a couple weeks in, and he was ALL ABOUT THE GRAIN! He would finish his bottle and just immediately go to his feed bowl. It was pretty amazing. I started with calfmanna and some 16 or 18% calf starter. I started him with about ½ a cup a day. Before I knew it,, he was eating a full cup twice a day!! Ate alfalfa hay like champ too.

Ain't had one like that since!
Click to expand...
Calves get a lot their gut biome from the saliva they ingest as their mothers (or others) lick them. They'll be slow if they don't have a source of gut biome from a mature animal.
 
1 bottle this morning and 1 tonight. Both times he was butting me in the seat of the pants as I was walking away . Didn't see him poop so I'm not sure what his gut is doing. Not seeing his ribs as much and his hip bones don't look as bony . He's still got a long way to go to catch up but I'm encouraged about his new vigor . I'm going to see a solid stool before I increase his milk . He was nibbling on grass this afternoon so I'll try him on some sweet feed the next day or so .
 
I've always increased their milk to all they would take . Guess I did it too quick based on his circumstances. He's not close so 3 feedings isn't possible with my schedule. I'll get him some sweet feed in the morning. Have to get a tire for my farm truck.
 
coachg said:
I've always increased their milk to all they would take . Guess I did it too quick based on his circumstances. He's not close so 3 feedings isn't possible with my schedule. I'll get him some sweet feed in the morning. Have to get a tire for my farm trtruck.
Click to expand...
Calf starter!
Top dress w sweet feed MAYBE. But Calf starter is much better my friend. They sell small bags of Calf manna too. But can be hit or miss on locating it. The calf manna is designed to be used as a top dressing too. Not fed as a sole feed.

Anyway.
Hope it works!
 

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