# Steer calf sick from suckling brother.



## Menglish (May 7, 2009)

Ok, I should have read up and known better but the deed is done. My question is can I help the remaining calf. Had two Holstein steer calves because our Dexter's only had one bull calf this year...and we want to save all our heifer calves for breeding. SO we bought the Holstein steers to raise for beef. 

The two buggars started suckling each other and got sick. The one actually died after we realized what was going on and had seperated them. The remaining one seemed to be doing better over the last week but is still not doing as well as he should be. Kind of lethargic and not gaining weight. He's on limited clover pasture but has unlimited grass/clover hay at his disposal. He is eating both of them.

Calf is probably 3-4 months old now. 

After several years of letting cows rear their calves I'm getting another education raising these things.

Mike


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## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

I don't understand at all.....
my calf will suckle anything she can get her little cow lips on. BUT....she is well fed and gets her bottles nibbles hay etc...( she is only 3 weeks old today )
what exactly about suckling id it that you think led to illness?
what about it led to death?
I don't mean to come across rude or anything cattle are new to me and I want to learn as much as I can.


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## Menglish (May 7, 2009)

My understanding is that when they suckle on each other's penis that they fill their gut with urine and this causes bad things. I've now found a ton of stuff on the interenet about prevention and that it can lead to diseases etc. But no help on what the diseases are or how to treat them. 

The Dexter's better have more bull calves next year as this experiment has been a pain!


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## Wanda (Dec 19, 2002)

Menglish said:


> My understanding is that when they suckle on each other's penis that they fill their gut with urine and this causes bad things. I've now found a ton of stuff on the interenet about prevention and that it can lead to diseases etc. But no help on what the diseases are or how to treat them.
> 
> The Dexter's better have more bull calves next year as this experiment has been a pain!



I think you will find that this is false!


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## PaulNKS (Jan 11, 2009)

Menglish said:


> My understanding is that when they suckle on each other's penis that they fill their gut with urine and this causes bad things. I've now found a ton of stuff on the interenet about prevention and that it can lead to diseases etc. But no help on what the diseases are or how to treat them.
> 
> The Dexter's better have more bull calves next year as this experiment has been a pain!


That is not necessarily true. Calves suck on each other much more than you realize.

I would say you bought sick calves or the transition was what made them sick. Anytime you buy young calves not weaned, you are buying someone else's culls.... culls=something not wanted. 

Or... your calves came down with coccidiosis which is the most common cause of death in young calves being weaned or relocated...well.. that and scours.

No the suckling most likely didn't cause the problem.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

Could be any number of things going on with the remaining calf. 

Bottle fed, right? Diarrhea? Temperature? Have you discussed this calf with your vet to get some input on how to treat him?


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## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

There is definitely a steep learning curve to keeping bottle calves alive. Agree it was most like an illness that killed the other calf, not the suckling. What were the dead calf's symptoms? What's going on with the one still alive?


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