Urgent

[deerhunter]

I had a calf today and the mother doesnt have any milk and the calf wont stnd so my question is does a calf have to get milk from its mother before you can give it milk replacer?

 

[rockridgecattle]

If the momma has no milk you need colostrum from another source with in 24 hours prefer 2-6 and then again 6-12 . YOu need to go to the vets or farm supply
Head Start is to supplement momma's colostrum when the momma is low
Calfs Choice total is a complete supplement with i thing 80 IGgs.
These two are the ones we use and always have on hand incase
check with your vet or feed store.

 

[Keren]

No, a calf doesnt need to have milk from its mum before it has replacer. BUT, it ideally needs to get colostrum (first milk) either from mum, from another cow or a substitute from the vet. Ideally you need to get that into the calf, either bottle or tubing. Time frame - well the best case scenario is within 6 hours of birth, next best thing is between 6 and 12 hrs after birth. Between 12 and 24 hrs is not so great but you should do it anyway. If you cant get colostrum from another source earlier than 12 to 24 hrs, I would give the calf a small feed of replacer or whole milk, that will tie him over until you get the colostrum, but when you do get it give the colostrum for a few feedings then go back to the replacer.

Good luck with your new calf!

 

[Keren]

I forgot to add: if you cant get the colostrum and its over 12 hrs since the calf was born. Give him normal milk replacer and as soon as you are able, go to the vet and you can get some stuff that you inject into the calf called IgG for calves that havent had colostrum. He will be fine.

 

[deerhunter]

if you dont have any milk replacer will it be okay until morning and then you can get some stuff then or is absolutly essential it gets it within 12 hours

 

[hillsdown]

As Keren has said the calf needs food now. If you do not have colostrum then feed it whole milk, heat up 3 pints and bottle feed it if it will not drink then tube it ;then asap get colostrum from your vet or farm supply store. If you do not know these terms then go to your nearest cattle raiser or dairy and get help.

Also you should give the calve vitamins AD, B12 and selenium it may be the reason it cannot stand. I really think you should go to a neighbor that has livestock for help or call a vet.

Good luck..

 

[Keren]

if you dont have any milk replacer will it be okay until morning and then you can get some stuff then or is absolutly essential it gets it within 12 hours

Nope. That calf is hungry NOW. If he's already not standing he is weak. If you wait till morning you will most likely not have to get anything cos your calf will be dead. If you have cows milk in your fridge, give it some of that. If not, get some! Or get another cow up and milk something out of her. Or find a dairy nearby and get some milk.

 

[deerhunter]

if i give it whole milk tonight will i be able to wait until morning to give it colostrum

 

[deerhunter]

because my dad thinks he will be okay until tomorrow

 

[regolith]

He'll survive till morning, but if I were you I'd ring around a) any cattle farming neighbours esp. dairy farmers and/or b) call your vets and see if they can arange an after-hours drop-off of milk replacer/colostrum substitute.

I've got 4 litres of colostrum sitting in my freezer right now you could have if my freezer were in Wisconsin. Most dairy farmers do. I know I'll be able to replace it before it's needed.

edit because you guys are posting too fast...
deerhunter, you're the one looking at the calf.
Once you've fed it milk and waited till tomorrow, it's more or less pointless giving it colostrum - go with the injection like recommended, sounds good to me.

Colostrum is an asap deal.

 

[hillsdown]

Give it whole milk NOW and then get to your vet or store ASAP first thing tomorrow morning and I mean first thing as soon as it opens and give it a whole feeding 4 pints of colostrum and then again two more 4pint feedings of colostrum .

Read the package carefully because you can buy half feedings as well as whole feedings you need a whole feeding.

because my dad thinks he will be okay until tomorrow

WRONG !!!!!!!!!
It is a new born baby for gosh sakes .

Regolith you can give colostrum up to 48 hours and still have absorption..

If you are in Wisconsin there are 50 million dairies around get some colostrum from one tonight.

Good luck with your calf.

 

[dun]

Regolith you can give colostrum up to 48 hours and still have absorption..

24 hours

 

[hillsdown]

Nope, I just had this discussion with my vet this morning ,as well as DE and is it safe for calves ,and he said at 36-48 hours the calf will still have between 5 and 10 percent absorption of Immuniglobins, not ideal but it is still there, also that is why you need to feed a calf colostrum for 48 hours and not 24 hrs as has been previously reported.

He is also a dairy specialist so I will go with him and his colleagues and their research.

 

[deerhunter]

We gave him some regular milk and that helped he was able to stand. then tomorrow we will see if mother has any milk and let him nurse if not we r buying colostrum and milk replacer.
Thanks everyone

 

[rockridgecattle]

go for the good replacer not the cheap soy stuff (even that is not cheap any more)
Once a calf starts to dring reg milk, the rate that a calf can absorb colostrum is greatly diminshed. You will have a great risk in FPT- failure of passive transfer. You are going to need more litres of colostrum to get the right amount of absorbtion. Once a calf first ingests food, the intestines start to "close up" for absorbing the IgG. Got this information from the beef nutrition semenar for farm wives that was held last year.

If you are going to calve cows, it is always a good idea to keep on hand a bag of complete colostrum, like calf's choice total. Even if your father does not agree, buy one bag from your wallet. When you need it you have it and then he will be ready to buy the next one...might take a couple of times for him to see the light (have that t-shirt).

Good luck

 

[regolith]

he said at 36-48 hours the calf will still have between 5 and 10 percent absorption of Immuniglobins, not ideal but it is still there, also that is why you need to feed a calf colostrum for 48 hours and not 24 hrs as has been previously reported.

reckon you're right HD - I thought I was going to regret posting that, esp. as I realised a few minutes later it's not what I'd ever do in practise (that is, carry on feeding milk/milk replacer at less than 4 days old). There's a fair amount of conflicting information around concerning timing of absorption/effect of previous feeding.
I've seen too many calves that apparently didn't feed in the first twelve hours do just fine, to set too much store on the 'they'll die if they don't get it' meme... but even then it's hard to be certain that the calf had nothing at all while it was with its mother.

 

[Keren]

According to my dairy lecturer, current research indicates that at 0 hrs you have 100% absorption, this gently decreases to about 50% by 6 hrs, continuing to decrease until virtually 0% at 12 hrs, BUT between 12 and 48 hrs colostrum should still be fed for its other components (protein, laxatives etc.)

I know I'm a bit late but,

if i give it whole milk tonight will i be able to wait until morning to give it colostrum

Yes

because my dad thinks he will be okay until tomorrow

with a healthy calf I would agree, but being that he is not wanting to stand, he's already weak, he needs it NOW I wouldnt wait till morning.

 

[dun]

Based on percentages of the ability to absorb immunity inducing properties, I'll stick with 24 hours.
http://www.admani.com/alliancedairy/Tec ... ostrum.htm
Interesting part about period of absorption
http://www.merricks.com/tech_colostrum.htm

The parts of both concerning e.coli is also interesting

 

[deerhunter]

okay i gave him 4 pints of that colostrum and am wondering how much more and how often should i give it to him.