sick calf now two of the calves died

[dun]

As far as I know, I've never used naxel. Be sure you let us know how it worked, ok?

And, don't forget the probios!

Alice

The two older calves were up and kicking today, they seem really good. Yestrday the were just laying around and didnot want to get up or eat, seems the naxcel is working GREAT!

Thanks...I'm gonna check in to that Naxel!

Alice

You might want to look at Excenel too, it's already constituted and doesn;t require refrigeration after opening.

dun

 

[D_skro]

As far as I know, I've never used naxel. Be sure you let us know how it worked, ok?

And, don't forget the probios!

Alice

The two older calves were up and kicking today, they seem really good. Yestrday the were just laying around and didnot want to get up or eat, seems the naxcel is working GREAT!

Thanks...I'm gonna check in to that Naxel!

Alice

You might want to look at Excenel too, it's already constituted and doesn;t require refrigeration after opening.

dun

Naxcel is powered form and you have to reconstitute it and it will only last 7 days, then you can freze it for a one time use after that.

 

[D_skro]

walked in my barn this morning and the other calf i bought was laying there shaking, and couldn't move at all. She was fine last night, and gained 10-15 lbs in 9 days, and showed no signs of being sick. I gave her a shot of naxcel 4 days ago as a precaution but the vet told me not to so i didnot give her any more. around noon she started to work up some thick flem, and was having a hard time breathing. I dont understand the drastic change over night.

 

[GMN]

The calf died saturday morning, the vet gave us nuflor but it was too late. we were giving her electrolites and milk replacer, frday morning she still seemed fine,she got up in the morning and was kicking around, but after she ate she seemed like somthing was wrong with her and she just went a layed in the corner. she was with three other calves and the two three month old calves seem sick one with white stuff comming out her nose so i gave all of them a shot of nuflor tonight. What is probios, and I have never taken a calves temp. before what is a normal temp?

Rule of thumb with sick calves, 1st sign of scours I give deliver, a powder mix it with water, have to feed it before it gels, do this for 2 feedings straight, then 1/2 deliver. 1/2 milk, also nuflor works the best, or excenel. First sign of sickness with other calves, SEPARATE, and ISOLATE, or it will spread and fast. I also like those 5 way calf scour boluses, work really good, but in saying that, I have had a bug, lately, where they get scours, they get better, then get sick again, and die within 24 hours, these things happen, just have to keep at it, and don't let one death or 2, stop you from raising calves.

Hope this helps

GMN

 

[Wewild]

What ever happened to giving them a little flour mixed up with their milk? Maybe throw in an egg.

 

[Roadapple]

Best thing I've found to treat scours is "Ollie's Love Potion No. 9." Never failed.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

D-skro, if you're going to keep getting calves, you'll want to keep a few things around. The meds I always keep around here are:

1) NuFlor - If a calf has scours, watch the color. If its a dark green color, I immediately give a shot of NuFlor sub-Q (if you can help it, don't buy drugs that aren't registered for sub-Q use). If I've missed the calf, and he's looking really ill, I'll do an IM injection for faster absorption, but I don't like to do it. Follow up the injection as per labelling.

2) Liquimycin LA - If the calf doesn't respond to the first shot of NuFlor within 24 hours, I skip to Liquimycin LA. Or if there is a relapse after the second shot of NuFlor. There appears to be some strains out there that are gaining resistance to NuFlor, but LA will still knock out.

3) Scours boluses - For really bad milk scours (white in color) or any other color scours, I always stuff a couple of these down the calf's throat. For run of the mill milk scours, I don't get too worried about it.

4) Lots of electrolytes - Use as indicated above.

5) Colostrum - If you're buying calves from the auction market, and you know that they're 3 days old or less, stuff a bag of colostrum down their throats when you get them home. I've never bought into the whole "after 24 hours, colostrum is worthless". In nature, the cow generates colostrum for 3 days. Mother Nature isn't stupid, and if its good enough for her, its good enough for me.

Thats about all we keep around here for normal calving drugs. One other thing: Don't ever give a shot of anti-biotics "just in case". Thats how some drugs become less effective over time. If you've got a suspicious case, give it a shot, but never just shoot it up because its herdmates are ill.

Rod

 

[Alice]

I bought the calf at the auction. forgot to say when i checked her saturday morning she was still alive and drank about a cup of milk, her legs were covered up with hay and after she drank i uncovered her and all her legs were locked up,i got all of them to loosen up, but her back leg were i gaver her the injection, do you think her legs locked up from the nuflor? do you have to get the Probios form teh vet?

I was skimming some of this again and noticed that you said

her legs were covered up with hay and after she drank i uncovered her

Are you keeping these calves inside a barn on a cement floor?

If you are, don't ever, ever, ever do that again. You can put enough hay or bedding or anything else down to keep the damp cold of the cement from leeching thru. I corresponded with someone recently from Canada that keeps his on a cement floor in a barn and he said he puts down some sort of rubber mat, I think, with air pockets and then covers that mat with bedding...and I guess that works. Otherwise, don't ever put a calf on a cement floor...even in the summer.

Here in Texas, even in the summer, we never put a calf on a cement floor.

Now, if that is not the case, if your calves weren't on cement, then just consider that overlong missive of mine as a hint. ;-)

I'm so sorry you lost the calves. Consider it a learning experience...raising sale barn bottle babies is a tough.

Alice

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

If you are, don't ever, ever, ever do that again. You can put enough hay or bedding or anything else down to keep the damp cold of the cement from leeching thru.

Hmmmm, I'm in Canada and at -40 our concrete floors are just fine. Its certainly cooler than dirt or wood, but you pile enough straw on it, and you'll be just fine. I'm not sure where in Canada the other gent is at, but perhaps in a high humidity area what you say holds true. Here in good old low humidity Saskatchewan we don't have any trouble.

Rod

 

[Alice]

If you are, don't ever, ever, ever do that again. You can put enough hay or bedding or anything else down to keep the damp cold of the cement from leeching thru.

Hmmmm, I'm in Canada and at -40 our concrete floors are just fine. Its certainly cooler than dirt or wood, but you pile enough straw on it, and you'll be just fine. I'm not sure where in Canada the other gent is at, but perhaps in a high humidity area what you say holds true. Here in good old low humidity Saskatchewan we don't have any trouble.

Rod

Then I'm pleased for you, Rod. I'm glad to hear that works for you...surely would make cleaning and sanitizing where the calves stay much easier. Wish we could do that here, but we can't. And, I still strongly caution anyone thinking about raising calves on cement against it.

Alice

 

[AngusLimoX]

Here in Texas, even in the summer, we never put a calf on a cement floor.

Alice

Anybody from Texas disagree? You have no barns with cement floors? You have special "cement free" barns for calves?

Every animal might or might not go on cement around here, in a humid/cold area. Huge dairy farms, large beef ops, all cement. But it is bedded properly.

Good post on what to have on hand Diamond.

 

[Alice]

Hey, yeah...all you Texas folks...give AngusLimoX some feedback. I'm interested in hearing your answers to his questions, also.

Alice

 

[ctlbaron]

I lost a 4 day old last Friday to pneumonia. He was fine in the morning and dead by midnight that night. He was born out in the rain and got chilled from the get go. Gave baytril as prescribed by the vet. Just too sick to make it. When you raise a lot of bottle calves you're just gonna loose some once in a while. What bothers me is that it was the second one I lost that week. The other one I lost to dogs. I had an old farmer to tell me to sop sponges in bacon grease and spread the pieces along the fience line. I really didn't want to do that so I got a live trap from the game warden and caught the guilty party and it turned into a dead trap. Keep'em home or say good bye baby.

 

[preston39]

ctlbaron,


What do the sponges do?

 

[ollie']

Best thing I've found to treat scours is "Ollie's Love Potion No. 9." Never failed.

I trust you are following strictly the copyright procedures? ;-)

 

[dun]

I don;t recall if it's been addressed yet, but if one calf gets calf pneumonia any others that are within sneezing/coughing distance will almost always get it too. efore putting another calf near an area that you have had the sick one, particularly if it dies, sanitize the entire area. Bedding needs to go, walls and preferably the ceiling/roof needs to be washed/sprayed down with a mixture of bleach and water

dun

 

[AngusLimoX]

Are you keeping these calves inside a barn on a cement floor?

If you are, don't ever, ever, ever do that again. You can put enough hay or bedding or anything else down to keep the damp cold of the cement from leeching thru. I corresponded with someone recently from Canada that keeps his on a cement floor in a barn and he said he puts down some sort of rubber mat, I think, with air pockets and then covers that mat with bedding...and I guess that works. Otherwise, don't ever put a calf on a cement floor...even in the summer.

Here in Texas, even in the summer, we never put a calf on a cement floor.

Now, if that is not the case, if your calves weren't on cement, then just consider that overlong missive of mine as a hint. ;-)

Alice

This is truly a keeper, cattle advice from the planet Alice! :lol:

 

[Alice]

Are you keeping these calves inside a barn on a cement floor?

If you are, don't ever, ever, ever do that again. You can put enough hay or bedding or anything else down to keep the damp cold of the cement from leeching thru. I corresponded with someone recently from Canada that keeps his on a cement floor in a barn and he said he puts down some sort of rubber mat, I think, with air pockets and then covers that mat with bedding...and I guess that works. Otherwise, don't ever put a calf on a cement floor...even in the summer.

Here in Texas, even in the summer, we never put a calf on a cement floor.

Now, if that is not the case, if your calves weren't on cement, then just consider that overlong missive of mine as a hint. ;-)

Alice

This is truly a keeper, cattle advice from the planet Alice! :lol:

Were you referring to me, AngusLimoXpletive? I've been out circling Jupiter with my home girls and haven't been paying enough attention, I guess.

BTW, where I wrote:

You can put enough hay or bedding or anything else down to keep the damp cold of the cement from leeching thru.

...should read, You can't put enough hay, bedding, blah, blah, blah.

Alice

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Tip from Bill (I'm sure I'll be kicked in the touche vicariously by many...):

Buy weaned calves 5-7 mos old and eliminate 99% of your health problems. Even if you pay $10 or $200 for a "baby" un-weaned calf it will probably cost you about the same as a "weaned" calf in the long run (not counting your fuel cost to go back & forth to vet, F & R store, the value of your time, etc.). Always quarantine all new purchases and separately quarantine any animals that appear to be sick from rest of quarantined ones.

A calf that cost $25. that is sick is no bargain...

...Just my biased opinions...lol.

 

[AngusLimoX]

If you are, don't ever, ever, ever do that again. You can put enough hay or bedding or anything else down to keep the damp cold of the cement from leeching thru.

Hmmmm, I'm in Canada and at -40 our concrete floors are just fine. Its certainly cooler than dirt or wood, but you pile enough straw on it, and you'll be just fine. I'm not sure where in Canada the other gent is at, but perhaps in a high humidity area what you say holds true. Here in good old low humidity Saskatchewan we don't have any trouble.

Rod

Then I'm pleased for you, Rod. I'm glad to hear that works for you...surely would make cleaning and sanitizing where the calves stay much easier. Wish we could do that here, but we can't. And, I still strongly caution anyone thinking about raising calves on cement against it.

Alice

Your strong caution should carry the weight it deserves. More garbage.