Steers Diarrea(sp)

[bizybeehill]

Ok, I finally bought my first steers. I am starting little and bought three angus steers from a good auction locally. Unfourtunatly I do not know what farm they came from or what they were eating before I got them. Heres the problem, I have had them home for for four days now and they dont seem to be drinking well and two of them have diareea(sp). One looks great. I am a little worried that my feilds may have more clover then they were used to. The farmer that is helpoing me to get started told me to give them a shot of LA200 which we did this afternoon when it cooled off. Any ideas or other suggestions.

Thanks

 

[Beefy]

what kind of condition are they in? do you think they were weaned or sold off the cow? do you think they were on grass or grain? (probably some grain atleast if they are fat and slick). sudden feed changes can cause diarrhea. lush grass, minerals, and dewormer can too. clover could do it, and could also cause them to bloat...

 

[Susie David]

Just how loose are the stools from the steers....squirting water or do they form a patty when they hit the ground....feed change will give most cows a looser stool...the clover is rich chow for a cow and they need conditioning befor they can handle a steady diet of the stuff.
We always feed a low quality grass to the new ones for a few days and introduce the alfalfa gradually....haven't bloated one yet. DMc

 

[Anonymous]

Ok, I finally bought my first steers. I am starting little and bought three angus steers from a good auction locally. Unfourtunatly I do not know what farm they came from or what they were eating before I got them. Heres the problem, I have had them home for for four days now and they dont seem to be drinking well and two of them have diareea(sp). One looks great. I am a little worried that my feilds may have more clover then they were used to. The farmer that is helpoing me to get started told me to give them a shot of LA200 which we did this afternoon when it cooled off. Any ideas or other suggestions.

Thanks

Well partner,

You need to tell us the age, the weight, weaned, not weaned, weaned on the truck, feed you give them, and so on.

With what you told me these could be 150 pound animals or 500 pound animals. They might not know how to eat and drink, or they might know how.

Coat condition? Rough, smooth, wiry or silky?

Ribs showing? Lots or just a bit?

Sharp feeling under hand when running over the hips?

Neck feel bony when you run your hand over it?

Eyes clear and bright?

Eyes sunken - literally a space around the eyeball?

Provide info and we MAY be able to provide answers.

Pics with explanation are even better.

Regards

Bez'

 

[bizybeehill]

Well partner,

You need to tell us the age, the weight, weaned, not weaned, weaned on the truck, feed you give them, and so on.

With what you told me these could be 150 pound animals or 500 pound animals. They might not know how to eat and drink, or they might know how.

Coat condition? Rough, smooth, wiry or silky?

Ribs showing? Lots or just a bit?

Sharp feeling under hand when running over the hips?

Neck feel bony when you run your hand over it?

Eyes clear and bright?

Eyes sunken - literally a space around the eyeball?

Provide info and we MAY be able to provide answers.

Pics with explanation are even better.

Regards

Bez'[/quote]

Ok here it goes.

They avg 475lbs,

They were weaned prior to comming to the sale barn. The didnt bawl much when we got them home, Not sure when they were weaned.

Thier coat is kind of wiry and thick

Just a bit of rib showing

Neck does not feel bony, when I gave them the shot, fetl well muscled, skin was nice and tight, not loose...

Eyes look good, bright and not sunken.

We started them on some average grass hay and about 1-2lb of sweet feed to get em used to comming to the pen to eat.

Whats comming out of them is real watery

My ( beginner ) impression is that they are in good condition overall, they have a bright healty look to them, except the diarrea.

When I checked them this morning before I went to work they had cleaned up all of thier hay, feed and looked like they had drank a little better. Maybe I'm worried about nothing but I just dont want to wait till they are down before we try to help em.

 

[cul8r]

I wouldn't give them sudan hay unless it is very common in the area you are in or the area that you think these steers have come from. Alot of cattle will bloat bad on sudan hay.

I would cut out the feed all together and just give them hay until the scours have cleared up, then slowly introduce them back to the feed that you are feeding.

 

[JHH]

Ok, I finally bought my first steers. I am starting little and bought three angus steers from a good auction locally. Unfourtunatly I do not know what farm they came from or what they were eating before I got them. Heres the problem, I have had them home for for four days now and they dont seem to be drinking well and two of them have diareea(sp). One looks great. I am a little worried that my feilds may have more clover then they were used to. The farmer that is helpoing me to get started told me to give them a shot of LA200 which we did this afternoon when it cooled off. Any ideas or other suggestions.

Thanks

Could just be not used to your water (POND OR TAP).Our heifer that my daughter showed at the fair would not drink until she really got thirsty (2 days) because of chlorinated water is what we were told.Other steers done the same thing at the show.JHH

 

[Anonymous]

Ok here it goes.

They avg 475lbs,

They were weaned prior to comming to the sale barn. The didnt bawl much when we got them home, Not sure when they were weaned.

Thier coat is kind of wiry and thick

Just a bit of rib showing

Neck does not feel bony, when I gave them the shot, fetl well muscled, skin was nice and tight, not loose...

Eyes look good, bright and not sunken.

We started them on some average grass hay and about 1-2lb of sweet feed to get em used to comming to the pen to eat.

Whats comming out of them is real watery

My ( beginner ) impression is that they are in good condition overall, they have a bright healty look to them, except the diarrea.

When I checked them this morning before I went to work they had cleaned up all of thier hay, feed and looked like they had drank a little better. Maybe I'm worried about nothing but I just dont want to wait till they are down before we try to help em.

[/quote]

Looks like they are picking up a bit - suspect they have never been on sweet feed - remove that from the diet. Straight hay for a couple of days. Keep an eye on the condition - I bet they come around.

If not get back - there are some options - but no sense going there until we see what happens first.

Keep them penned for now and keep that pen clean!

Regards

Bez

 

[Wilson_Cattle_Company]

Just put the dang thing in a sick pen stick a round bale of praire hay or some type of hay that is not high protein to him and throw in a salt block. Leave him like this for a couple days and see what he does? Might zap him with some A180 or Micatil (SP?) or just some pen.

 

[bizybeehill]

I took the feed away Ill let ya know how he does. Thanks for all of the responses.