Wisteria Farms
Well-known member
OK... something new that has me stumped.
First calf heifer has a bullcalf during the night. Our first sight of him is in the early morning when we look out and see it starting to rain HARD. New momma and calf is in the shed but due to the rain all the girls start coming up from the pasture to get in the shed....there's this little guy getting shoved around. So we go out and run everyone except calf and mom out of the shed and make a corner stall for mom and calf. We notice the calf has a contracted tendon of his right front leg and is unable to "connect" with mom's teat due to hobbling on this leg. He gets close and she moves. We watch this for several hours and he gives up. WILL NOT suck a bottle so I tube some high quality colostrum in him and give him a calf-boost shot (mix of vitamins, dex, oxytet).
Over next two days... he still can't get on mom (but I DO manage to get his suck reflex going with a bottle) so we move the pair into the bigger barn (with the chute)... we milk mom and he takes it from the bottle... after the 1 quart or so we got from mom he's looking for more and we get him under her in the chute and he has a good meal. GREAT! So we throw them in a stall together and see him nursing her so we think all is good... however we ALSO see him drinking a lot from the waterer in the corner (his chin is always wet)... Now, a week later he SEEMS to be getting weaker... walking like he's all stoved up. Now, the contracted tendon is looking pretty good but he's walking slow and stiff. I'm telling the husband "somethings not right" so he says lets weigh him... He had a BW of 83 lbs on May 3 and was 89 lbs yesterday may 8...so husband says "he's gaining weight... he's fine".
No... he's NOT fine because of the way he's moving about and the amount of water he's drinking...I'm thinking one of two things... mom isn't producing and she's basicly nothing more than a pacifyer OR he's not pooping like he should. I've taken a warm rag and rubbed his butt with only a very small amount of poo coming out....
What do you all think?
Have any of you had a heifer that simply didn't produce hardly any milk? When he sucks his tail does NOT whip back and forth... am I crazy to think that's not right?
I'm wondering if he's surviving on water and that's why he's walking the way he is... that he's getting weak from lack of nutrition. I'm thinking of tubing him again (I tried the bottle but at this point he's used to the taste of mom and will NOT take it... I tried).
First calf heifer has a bullcalf during the night. Our first sight of him is in the early morning when we look out and see it starting to rain HARD. New momma and calf is in the shed but due to the rain all the girls start coming up from the pasture to get in the shed....there's this little guy getting shoved around. So we go out and run everyone except calf and mom out of the shed and make a corner stall for mom and calf. We notice the calf has a contracted tendon of his right front leg and is unable to "connect" with mom's teat due to hobbling on this leg. He gets close and she moves. We watch this for several hours and he gives up. WILL NOT suck a bottle so I tube some high quality colostrum in him and give him a calf-boost shot (mix of vitamins, dex, oxytet).
Over next two days... he still can't get on mom (but I DO manage to get his suck reflex going with a bottle) so we move the pair into the bigger barn (with the chute)... we milk mom and he takes it from the bottle... after the 1 quart or so we got from mom he's looking for more and we get him under her in the chute and he has a good meal. GREAT! So we throw them in a stall together and see him nursing her so we think all is good... however we ALSO see him drinking a lot from the waterer in the corner (his chin is always wet)... Now, a week later he SEEMS to be getting weaker... walking like he's all stoved up. Now, the contracted tendon is looking pretty good but he's walking slow and stiff. I'm telling the husband "somethings not right" so he says lets weigh him... He had a BW of 83 lbs on May 3 and was 89 lbs yesterday may 8...so husband says "he's gaining weight... he's fine".
No... he's NOT fine because of the way he's moving about and the amount of water he's drinking...I'm thinking one of two things... mom isn't producing and she's basicly nothing more than a pacifyer OR he's not pooping like he should. I've taken a warm rag and rubbed his butt with only a very small amount of poo coming out....
What do you all think?
Have any of you had a heifer that simply didn't produce hardly any milk? When he sucks his tail does NOT whip back and forth... am I crazy to think that's not right?
I'm wondering if he's surviving on water and that's why he's walking the way he is... that he's getting weak from lack of nutrition. I'm thinking of tubing him again (I tried the bottle but at this point he's used to the taste of mom and will NOT take it... I tried).