scouring

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Castleman Creek

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I purchased 2 holstien calves along with a jersey/angus calve. All three are scouring right now. Do I keep giving milk replacer with electrolytes in between feedings? Im giving spectoguard at the moment twice a day(12cc) in there bottle. :???:

Thank You
Billy
 
I don't know about that spectoguard...

I have given tetracyline boluses to them.
This spring I had one calf with scours, he was well enough to get up and nurse, but I was giving him a few quarts of electrolytes on top of it to make sure he was OK.

If you have cows, there is a vaccine (Scourgard) that you give to the cow 8 weeks before calving, and it really helps.. I know it's not applicable here, but just sayin'
 
I will tell you my personal experience I cant say its right or wrong. The first thing I have learned about scouring bottle calves was mixing the replacer correctly too much and that happens. The 2nd thing is do not use soy based replacer. You also have to figure whether its you or unclean dirty area making the calves sick. I spray my calf area down with bleach daily until they are pretty strong generally a month or so. If they scour I DO NOT keep giving replacer but only give electrolytes and treatment. Once I got that under control then I will go ahead and break them back into replacer slowly.
 
If I am remembering right I think Spectoguard is meant for pigs with E. Coli scours so if their not caused by e. Coli it's probably not doing much. Boluses and Baytril (most antibiotics) can be given some say only give if temp. others say always give.

I might reduce milk replacer a little but for the most part scours are the gut trying to flush out the infection so keeping them hydrated with 2-4 quarts of electrolytes keeps them from become severely dehydrated and dying.
 
please do not take what I say as Veterinarian advise. Im only going to tell you what I have done and it worked for me.

when starting a calf on replacer I always fed 1/2 of the recommended amount for about 3 days gently increasing the replacer until they tolerate it. don't cut back on the water just the replacer. I have used pepto bismol to help with scours in pigs, goats and calves , I screw a pump dispenser on the bottle of pepto. pigs I will give about 2 squirts , goats 3 to 4 and calves 6-10 based on severity. I will do this between 3 feedings a day , I have used electrolytes and they help if the fluid intake is reduced imo.
 
Thanks a bunch folks, this is all great info. :D

What is it with soy based milk replacer? :???:

Thank You
Billy
 
Castleman Creek":1lyqfhpp said:
Thanks a bunch folks, this is all great info. :D

What is it with soy based milk replacer? :???:

Thank You
Billy
Click to expand...

My vet as well as several that raise calves said something to the effect of calves do not have an enzyme in there digestive system to process it. They can process milk based because they have the enzyme. I use milk based from Southern States and will do so long as they sell it. I am telling you from my personal experience I am not an expert by far but have raised some calves if you have a southern states where you can buy the milk replacer I can take a pic of the bag and post it for you.
 
Right now im feeding Purina #200. It is soy based milk replacer. They are almost over there scour I think.
Should I switch to something else? :???:

Thank You
Billy :tiphat:
 
Castleman Creek":3bsfqq37 said:
Right now im feeding Purina #200. It is soy based milk replacer. They are almost over there scour I think.
Should I switch to something else? :???:

Thank You
Billy :tiphat:
Click to expand...

CC,
I honestly don't know about switching if they are getting used to it but I do know if you plan on continuing if it were me I would switch to milk based replacer. My fear would be just as a dog gets used to its brand of food and you buy a different brand it upsets their stomach sometimes and they have to adjust to it. The calves have already had scour issues so not sure id be quick to switch so quickly. However, again this is just me and what I would do I would have discontinued using replacer while they were scouring for 3-4 days or until I felt I had corrected the problem and change over to milk based and ease them onto that. I figure 3-4 days of electrolytes they would be pretty hydrated and give it a whirl. I am not an expert by far.
 
I would switch.

I see a lot of calves come thru the barn with the doggie look. Huge belly and stick legs. What I call a doggie is an orphan calf. As in "git along lil doggie." Calf has not had enough nutrition. Has developed the grass belly. I have no idea how those calves were cared for but they never bring optimum prices for the effort that went in to getting them there.

You may want to switch on a gradual basis for the reasons pointed out. But I would switch absolutely. You are going thru a lot of effort. Get the most profit out of it.
 
I will be switching. I raised two other calves on the same kind of milk replacer and they do have a pop belly. Is there anything I can do for them, to make there pop belly go away, and for them to look better?
 
Castleman Creek":7indmroh said:
I will be switching. I raised two other calves on the same kind of milk replacer and they do have a pop belly. Is there anything I can do for them, to make there pop belly go away, and for them to look better?
Click to expand...

too much hay or worms typically. I had a jersey with a big ol pot belly wormed it real good I went away
 
sorry is the site not want to pull up?
Not sure why but it works on mine unless im doing something wrong.
 

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