Skinny cow

[Angus86]

I have a cow soon to be 3 who had her first calf this March. She was on an overgrazed pasture and probably wasn't getting enough supplemental feeding but I was feeding some hay daily. She ended up calving and I moved her to good pasture and grass since I finally had the fencing done. She stayed sort of skinny and today she is real thin to the point in getting worried she may have johnes. I'd like to think it's possible the calf is just pulling her down. The steer is healthy and growing fast.

I had one other heifer calve a month after this one and she is maintaining her weight fine on the summer grass.

Does this girl likely have johnes or is it possible the calf is just too much on her? She is active stays with the herd and is always grazing. I guess I should follow her and see if she has diarrhea.

I don't have a pen or anything to separate her at the moment or I would try to supplement just her. Out of 13 head she's the only one struggling the other 11 are dry though. Any input appreciated.

 

[slick4591]

Sounds to me like she just needs more groceries. You could wean the calf early if she gets to pulled down.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Possibly a heavy load of internal parasites? Possibly a combination of going into calving on a deficit and not recovering due to the initial grazing situation. could be a combination of all of these or not any of these.

Pulling blood & a stool sample wouldn't hurt, test for Johnes & parasites.

 

[M.Magis]

A small stool sample taken to your vet should give a good answer very quickly.

 

[farmerjan]

Check for worms, and if you can get her in for a stool sample and or blood sample; putting a magnet down her is cheap insurance. Getting shortchanged and calving and the calf pulling her down and spring green grass is alot of water and nutrients will pass through them fast if they are on the deficit side. Won't know for sure unless you get a little lab work done, but my first thought is worms as a starting place.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

If you don't have facilities to work one..You can always feed her separate from the others by bucket... Just get up near her and drop it in front of her.. She'll go to it if she used to eating any feed at all..few days later mix some safeguard pellets in it..

 

[Angus86]

Thanks everyone I did a Cydectin pouron and am giving her grain in a bucket. If she doesn't show any improvement I'll call a vet.