Skinny cow, calf with rough coat

[Huddle]

Have a cow with her first calf. She is not a big cow to begin with but she is soooo skinny and her calf (5 mo) is real small and has a woolly looking coat. We have wormed them both with pour on IvomecPlus about month ago, but no change. They both eat just like the other cows and calves. They act ok but look so poor.
Any suggestions??? We want to sell them both but would like to get them looking better first.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Don't have the answer. However, if the cow is skinny and/or was skinny during the last trimester of pregnancy, probably affected health, nutrition of the calf. Females need to be in good condition especially last month of pregnancy and while nursing to facilitate breed back and overal health of both.

Hair problem "may" be result of poor nutrition???

 

[Huddle]

She wasnt skinny before she calved, just small boned cow. They have had the same hay, minerals, feed and grass as the others have......the rest look real good. We even penned them up and fed them for a week then decided they would probably do better on grass. The woolly coat on the calf makes it look like a sheep.

 

[Farminlund]

Had one like that last yr - had to wait til I weaned the calf to get any gain on the cow, & that was minimal. Sold it when after a couple of months post weaning that she wouldn't make much more progress. Not sure what her problem was, but sure enough she had to grow wheels and fast! Any cow that can't keep up body condition is a cull.

 

[stocky]

sounds like a young heifer that wasnt ready to give enough milk for the calf so the calf looks bad and so does she. after the calf is taken off of her she will start looking better after you worm her. then when she gets looking good you can sell her. if she is a heifer, she will bring 90-1.00 per pound for a feeder heifer.

 

[Chuckie]

When I read your post first, it made me think of the article I read about Tennessee being low in magnesium and high in potassium. It said potassium made magnesium unavailable to the cattle in their digestive system. Signs of this were rough coat, poor body condition, and poor growth.

 

[Angus Guy]

Sounds like the cow might have hardware. Could try putting a magnet in her.

 

[Dee]

I think calves get a roughed up coat due to stress. I have had a couple look like that. One calves mom died when it was almost 4 mo. old, and I just let him go on his own and he looked a little scruffy for awhile, and One that I missed when I fence line weaned, so it just got pulled off the cow abruptly. If possible, maybe supplement the calf, or pull it off the cow so it's not sucking her down so much, and try to put some weight back on her.

 

[jerry27150]

heifer probably lost two front teeth to get new ones & not had good feed through winter. calf & her both should start gaining on grass. you may have to wean calf to get heifer to gain so you can sell her. some winter born calves will have a wooly coat yet

 

[Medic24]

What ever the reason...I would def. try to suppliment her, with a combo of high protein and high fat feed with minerals, and the calf as well. Certainly should not hurt if you wormed again.

Good Luck! :cboy:

 

[TLCfromARK]

I've got to go with Stocky on this one. It could be the losing teeth thing, I have seen that, but whatever it is she won't gain much weight with a 5 month old calf on her. Sell the calf, wait for the little cow to fatten up and then hopefully sell her as being bred.
;-)