Sick bottle calf

[ksmit454]

Posting for a friend: bottle calf is not doing good. One day last week he seemed bloated so gave bloat treatment. He's super off today, lethargic, and spit up all the gunk on the ground. He is drinking a bottle at night and grass during the day, not sure about grain. Ideas? I'm going to tell her to take his temp. She gave electrolytes a few days ago because he's been off.

 

[aprille218]

Bottle calves really need to be fed milk at least twice daily.

 

[MurraysMutts]

My first thought was a calf that size needs 2 feedings of milk per day. Possibly 3. But 2 usually suffices.

Can't say as I've ever seen a baby throw up. Wonder what all chemicals have been sprayed on that lawn too.

 

[mwj]

Looks to me like a very hungry calf trying to eat to much grass. A calf that size does not have the rumen function to make it on grass. The calf needs nutrient dense feed ether milk or grain. That calf is starving with an over full stomach of the wrong feed.

 

[TCRanch]

Looks to me like a very hungry calf trying to eat to much grass. A calf that size does not have the rumen function to make it on grass. The calf needs nutrient dense feed ether milk or grain. That calf is starving with an over full stomach of the wrong feed.

This!

 

[blackladies]

Just repeating so hopefully the point gets across. Cut off access to that lawn. Feed it 8-12 pints a day of milk replacer and buy some calf starter grain. 2-3 of the bottles in picture a day of calf milk replacer. $100 or so a 50lb where I'm at.

 

[ksmit454]

Ok great thank you all! I relayed the information to the owner

 

[mwj]

Please explain the nutrition part when you talk with them. It is not there fault if they do not realize what is going on. I am sure they want the best for there calves. Thanks for checking back.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Please see my thread https://www.cattletoday.com/threads/5-week-old-bottle-calf-is-bloated.134702/#post-1895701

I had one like this and it was because she was hungry because I only fed her 2 quarts twice a day of milk replacer because I wanted her to be hungry enough to eat the calf starter. What she did was eat a bunch of straw bedding when her rumen was undeveloped. You can see how I succesfully treated it.

Also, I learned from this never use straw to bed a calf. Straw is for when dairy calves are born in stalls or pens because the straw does not stick all over their umbilical cord like saw dust does.

I think this calf has been eating grass when the rumen is not functional yet. They bloat and get sick. Pre weaned calf bloat is not like mature cattle bloat (their rumen) It is from intestinal obstruction of something they cannot digest. Are you sure that is vomit? It looks like scours (diarrhea) My calf had that.

 

[ksmit454]

Please explain the nutrition part when you talk with them. It is not there fault if they do not realize what is going on. I am sure they want the best for there calves. Thanks for checking back.

Yes absolutely! Thank you for being so kind. I did take the time to explain these babies need good nutrients from milk.