Weak newborn calf

[Anonymous]

I bought a black baldie bull calf at the sale barn this afternoon (Wed). Supposedly he was born yesterday and the mother's milk didn't come in. He's very tiny, and weighs 40 lbs. He went real cheap as he was quite unsteady on his feet.

I happened to have several gallons of colostrum from a 6 year old cow in the freezer, and plenty of milk from a Holstein/Jersey heifer that just calved last Thursday. I looked him over beforehand and didn't see any signs of illness, so he seemed like a good risk. Of course he'll be kept separated from the other calf for a couple of weeks.

I got him home about 4 pm, since then he's taken 5 pints of colostrum in 3 feedings (it's midnight now) and is starting to perk up -- he even did a little kicking dance around his stall when he was fed a little while ago. Since he's so small and weak, I intend to feed him every 6 hours for the first few days.

Is there anything else that I can do for him to help him out?

I will be calling the vet in the morning, but I expect it to be several days before he makes it out.

Ann



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[Anonymous]

Keep him dry and out of drafts, feed him but don't over feed him. That's about all he probably needs. The vet will know if there is anything that is normally deficient in your area.

dunmovin farms

> I bought a black baldie bull calf
> at the sale barn this afternoon
> (Wed). Supposedly he was born
> yesterday and the mother's milk
> didn't come in. He's very tiny,
> and weighs 40 lbs. He went real
> cheap as he was quite unsteady on
> his feet.

> I happened to have several gallons
> of colostrum from a 6 year old cow
> in the freezer, and plenty of milk
> from a Holstein/Jersey heifer that
> just calved last Thursday. I
> looked him over beforehand and
> didn't see any signs of illness,
> so he seemed like a good risk. Of
> course he'll be kept separated
> from the other calf for a couple
> of weeks.

> I got him home about 4 pm, since
> then he's taken 5 pints of
> colostrum in 3 feedings (it's
> midnight now) and is starting to
> perk up -- he even did a little
> kicking dance around his stall
> when he was fed a little while
> ago. Since he's so small and weak,
> I intend to feed him every 6 hours
> for the first few days.

> Is there anything else that I can
> do for him to help him out?

> I will be calling the vet in the
> morning, but I expect it to be
> several days before he makes it
> out.

> Ann

 

[Anonymous]

The little fellow is doing just great, small but quite sturdy, and acting like any other 3 day old calf.

The other calves I've raised from this young were dairy calves, do I start this little guy off the same way? offering him Calf Starter as of tomorrow? How long should a beef calf be kept on a bottle? I normally wean the dairy calves at 8 weeks.

Ann

> Keep him dry and out of drafts,
> feed him but don't over feed him.
> That's about all he probably
> needs. The vet will know if there
> is anything that is normally
> deficient in your area.

> dunmovin farms

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[Anonymous]

Raise him the same as any other calf, the key is the minimum of two pounds of good calf starter per day. Bottle beef calves we usually keep graining well past weaning. If you have good pasture, they will eventually quit eating much of the grain and go for the grass. When they start to loose interest in it we just stop providing it, if we don't the squirrels will clean it out.

dunmovin farms

> The little fellow is doing just
> great, small but quite sturdy, and
> acting like any other 3 day old
> calf.

> The other calves I've raised from
> this young were dairy calves, do I
> start this little guy off the same
> way? offering him Calf Starter as
> of tomorrow? How long should a
> beef calf be kept on a bottle? I
> normally wean the dairy calves at
> 8 weeks.

> Ann