I bought a Jersey heifer last Wednesday, the 17th. (from a private small dairy, not a sale barn or commercial dairy) She was 7 days old. Yesterday, at 11 days old she had scours at her morning feeding. It wasn't bad yet (still looked like manure and wasn't too runny.) I reduced her milk in hopes that would help. I also cleaned her and her bed well. Before I even finished adding new straw to her bed she scoured again. This time it was completely runny and white/yellow with no manure. I cleaned her and her bed again. Since it was Sunday and I couldn't get her any medicine, I just waited a little bit in hopes she would improve thinking it might be nutritional or stress from being moved. A couple hours later when I went to check on her she was still scouring. I gave her more milk to make up for giving her less that morning and what she had lost from scouring.... (2 pints at a time instead of 3.) I immediately started looking online for a home "cure" just to get her through until this morning (when stores would be open.) Apple cider vinegar appeared to be my best bet so I gave her 20 ml of that with her milk that evening (again 2 pints.) I cleaned her and her bed again and when I checked on her 2 hours later she hadn't scoured again. She did after I gave her some more vinegar in water this time but it was thicker. This morning when I got up she had scoured the worst yet, and I gave her a bolus pill and some homemade electrolytes (1tsp salt, 2 the honey in 2 quarts warm water.) I have some resorb to give her next. She is still responsive, acting basically normal with good appetite (aside from not liking the vinegar) and hasn't lost weight, she is also urinating like normal, and drinking. What are your thoughts....?? She is my first bottle calf and dairy calf..... All the others have been beef calves on their mothers that I grew up with.... I'm just very worried, I know scours is the number 1 killer of bottle calves....
Scouring
- Thread starter Alyse713
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regolith
Well-known member
Your home-made electrolyte should also include about 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, if you have to use that again.
As long as she's keen to drink and behaving normal all is well - just keep offering her a bottle of electrolyte in between her milk feeds till she stops scouring.
What sort of milk are you giving her and in what quantities? Do you know the weight of the calf? Scours are pretty common but can be either nutritional or pathogen, being a first calf it's more likely to be nutritional than if you'd had a few to practise on beforehand.
Lots of information on calf rearing to be found on the internet, that may help you.
As long as she's keen to drink and behaving normal all is well - just keep offering her a bottle of electrolyte in between her milk feeds till she stops scouring.
What sort of milk are you giving her and in what quantities? Do you know the weight of the calf? Scours are pretty common but can be either nutritional or pathogen, being a first calf it's more likely to be nutritional than if you'd had a few to practise on beforehand.
Lots of information on calf rearing to be found on the internet, that may help you.
Scours wont kill, dehydration does. Do not let the calf become dehydrated. Buy a bagger and some Bounce Back and go by the directions on the bag. If you see the calf losing interest in nursing the bottle, stop and bag with the bounce back. Do not let the calf get too weak before you start bagging. If its not going after the bottle like a bottle calf should, bag with bounce back.
Cowgirl, I think the more common term is tubing not bagging. Took me a minute to figure out what you eere talking about. Also with small jersey calves withdrawing milk can be dangerous.
To the OP, sounds like milk scours. Get a hold of a vet. That will go a long way with raising bottle calves.
To the OP, sounds like milk scours. Get a hold of a vet. That will go a long way with raising bottle calves.
I'm not sure why vinegar would be used in a homemade scours remedy, but I would consider discontinuing it. Scouring calves tend to get acidotic and since vinegar is an acid I would be concerned about it exacerbating that situation. Crypto is endemic in the US dairy herd so when calves that age start to scour it is one of the first things I would think of.
As long as it will nurse, keep getting liquid in it, two milk feedings a day and two electrolyte feedings a day, alternate between the two. Resorb is not a real great electrolyte, but it works if you have it. I prefer almost any other product over it, Entrolyte is probably one of the best. A lot of times these calves will scour for days as they slowly heal their intestines so keep after it.
As long as it will nurse, keep getting liquid in it, two milk feedings a day and two electrolyte feedings a day, alternate between the two. Resorb is not a real great electrolyte, but it works if you have it. I prefer almost any other product over it, Entrolyte is probably one of the best. A lot of times these calves will scour for days as they slowly heal their intestines so keep after it.
skyhightree1
Well-known member
Alyse713 said:
aprille218
Well-known member
You can give Kaolin Pectin (basically animal Pepto) to the calf to help prevent diarrhea also. I've just mixed it in with the milk before. Also what kind of milk replacer are you feeding the calf or whole milk?
