SICK CALVES

[Anonymous]

OK--short history we always buy 10 to 20 feeder calves each year to use to calf rope. Both my sons high school rodeo. This year my son qualified for high school National Finals in New Mexico. We would be gone 9 days and a neighbor would tend and feed to the calves. All the calves were healthy and fat and well when we left. There was 39 days worth of feed in barn, let me say my neighbor likes to overfeed animals in other words "fat is beautiful". The 7 day we were gone he called and said one of the calves had died. Stuff happens if you have fooled with cattle long enough you know sometimes you loose one no matter what. We got home the 10th day and the calves looked "pitful" and there was only 3 days worth of feed left in barn. The calves were also on grass, with plenty fresh water along with being feed once a day. Since that time in July we have feed and doctored them with no luck. OUR VET IS ALSO PLUZZLED. So today after losing another one we sent them all to local sale barn. MY QUESTION IS: is it possible to burn up the gut in a 5 to 6 month old calf by feeding them more feed than they have been getting in a short period of time and destroying the good bacteria within their system. None have had or had loose bowls. thanks for any comments or ideas.

 

[Anonymous]

If you pump grain to calves that aren't used to large quantities you can induce acidosis and destroy the microbes required to digest roughage.

dun

> OK--short history we always buy 10
> to 20 feeder calves each year to
> use to calf rope. Both my sons
> high school rodeo. This year my
> son qualified for high school
> National Finals in New Mexico. We
> would be gone 9 days and a
> neighbor would tend and feed to
> the calves. All the calves were
> healthy and fat and well when we
> left. There was 39 days worth of
> feed in barn, let me say my
> neighbor likes to overfeed animals
> in other words "fat is
> beautiful". The 7 day we were
> gone he called and said one of the
> calves had died. Stuff happens if
> you have fooled with cattle long
> enough you know sometimes you
> loose one no matter what. We got
> home the 10th day and the calves
> looked "pitful" and
> there was only 3 days worth of
> feed left in barn. The calves were
> also on grass, with plenty fresh
> water along with being feed once a
> day. Since that time in July we
> have feed and doctored them with
> no luck. OUR VET IS ALSO PLUZZLED.
> So today after losing another one
> we sent them all to local sale
> barn. MY QUESTION IS: is it
> possible to burn up the gut in a 5
> to 6 month old calf by feeding
> them more feed than they have been
> getting in a short period of time
> and destroying the good bacteria
> within their system. None have had
> or had loose bowls. thanks for any
> comments or ideas.

 

[Anonymous]

> If you pump grain to calves that
> aren't used to large quantities
> you can induce acidosis and
> destroy the microbes required to
> digest roughage.

> dun Agreed. You could also have induced a liver abscess--and that is permanent. You can burn the interior of the rumen so bad with grain overload that part of the rumen sloughs--too much and they die, else they just carry on and slowly fade...In the future, why not just leave off the grain for a couple of weeks while you're away and just use hay? V