Scouring calf

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mhill

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Have a holstein bottle baby on milk replacer. I changed to the cheaper milk replacer (Purina all milk to Purina soy based) and all of a sudden he has the runs like crazy. Other calves are fine. Been giving electrolytes in between feedings. He has a good appetite and eats starter. He is losing weight and drawn in. Is this just a coincidence or did changing the milk replacer do this. Any help appreciated. Figures. Try to save $10 on a bag of milk replacer could end up really costing me.
 
mhill":v4k8wszr said:
Have a holstein bottle baby on milk replacer. I changed to the cheaper milk replacer (Purina all milk to Purina soy based) and all of a sudden he has the runs like crazy. Other calves are fine. Been giving electrolytes in between feedings. He has a good appetite and eats starter. He is losing weight and drawn in. Is this just a coincidence or did changing the milk replacer do this. Any help appreciated. Figures. Try to save $10 on a bag of milk replacer could end up really costing me.

I have no doubts that soy junk is the root of the problem. Throw it away and buy the good stuff. A calf will darn near starve with a full belly from getting that stuff. If you feed them replacer till there 3-4 months it may have some value, but it's no replacvment for a good quilaty milk based replacer and a good quality grain.
 
If the calf is still drinking try mixing up 1 cup of cornstarch
with the milk. Be careful because starch is binding :roll:
I would check for temp. Maybe some naxcel if you have it.
I am not a vet but I have been there.
If you have acess to Lactated ringers that will keep it hydrated.
Just my two cents.
 
Ditch the soy crap now! And don't replace the milk replacer feedings with electrolytes. Yes, give electrolytes, but also give the milk replacer...the good stuff. Withholding milk replacer and giving only electrolytes will starve a calf to death...as will giving it soy milk replacer, btw.

Alice
 
Sounds like all good advice from these posts.The biggest losses I have ever taken were from trying to feed a wheat protein isolate milk replacer.I would worm him with safe-gard oral and make sure his feed has deccox in it.Switch back to the old milk. Let him suck warm water from a bottle between meals.The corn starch sounds interesting .
 
larryshoat":3gmr0ije said:
Sounds like all good advice from these posts.The biggest losses I have ever taken were from trying to feed a wheat protein isolate milk replacer.I would worm him with safe-gard oral and make sure his feed has deccox in it.Switch back to the old milk. Let him suck warm water from a bottle between meals.The corn starch sounds interesting .

The corn starch sounds interesting .

It does, doesn't it. Thank you for that, Rosebudbeef. :)

Alice
 
I use pectin (Sure Jell- the stuff you use to make jelly)for scours. 3 table spoons in 1 quart of warm water 1 hour before and 1 hour after feeding for two feedings. Make sure you are ready to use it soon after mixing the pectin and water or it will jell up in the bottle.
 
mhill":1kvx0207 said:
Have a holstein bottle baby on milk replacer. I changed to the cheaper milk replacer (Purina all milk to Purina soy based) and all of a sudden he has the runs like crazy. Other calves are fine. Been giving electrolytes in between feedings. He has a good appetite and eats starter. He is losing weight and drawn in. Is this just a coincidence or did changing the milk replacer do this. Any help appreciated. Figures. Try to save $10 on a bag of milk replacer could end up really costing me.

I do not believe this is a coincidence, and I would bet that the soy-based milk replacer is to blame. Yes, it could.
 
Mhill....also....when your calf scours try cutting back on the amount of milk replacer you put in the bottle but make sure he still gets the same amount of water. In other words feed him a diluted formula for a couple of days while keeping him hydrated with the same amount of water.
 
I had the worst case of scours I have ever seen last year. I used mycotel. 1 cc per lb. It went from being minutes from death to a healthy calf. But this calf was never the size he should have been for his age.
 
Get rid of the soy junk milk. Give 10cc spectan scour halt for pigs and 1 and 1/2 sustain III tablets. Should clear it up when you get'em back on good milk.
 

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