# Skinny Calf - Please Help!



## GaBoy79 (Sep 15, 2014)

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and also to raising a calf. I purchased a bull calf from our local stockyard about a month ago. I have no idea how old he is. We gave him probios and milk replacer for like the first week or so then started giving him a calf starter and sweet feed mix. Right now we are feeding him 6 cups a day of a calf starter and sweet feed. He is in a pasture as well and we have seen him eating grass. We take him out of the pasture to feed him the feed mix.

He seems to be getting around good but he is very, very skinny or at least I think so. He has like no muscle on his hips. I just want any pointers on getting some weight on him. Thanks in advance for the help!


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## CowPoke (Jul 31, 2014)

The first question one of the experts here will ask you is what breed is he... And probably want photos, side and rear view. Since you are not implying that hes ill. Dairy? Jersey? Longhorn? They are predominantly skinnier looking. Weight? 
I dont give sweet feeds either to my calves till they are much older and only for a treat.... Like feeding an infant syrup, theyll soon have loose bowels. 
Did you buy a 50lb bag of re-placer? /If so, Id use the entire bag as directed. 

I'm no expert at either but I raise beef calves and after bottle weaning, I give 2% of their body weight in lbs of feed (manna first, then a grower). But start them on manna at a week old, few nibbles and increase daily. This is my regimen. All my calves all start out "skinny".


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## M5farm (Jan 14, 2014)

Can you post a pic. Sounds like he still needs needs to be on replacer.


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## GaBoy79 (Sep 15, 2014)

I'm pretty sure he's a Jersey. I have no idea what he weighs. We feed him around 40 lbs of milk replacer. I will post some pics tomorrow.

Just curious, what's manna?


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

Calf manna is good stuff. It is highly palatable so they actually eat it, has high nutrient value. We used to give some to a 30-year-old horse to help him hold his condition. Feed it to anything that needs a boost, but start slow and work up the amount. Sold at feed store, smells like licorice but I haven't run across a critter yet who didn't like it. 

Another vote for probably taking the calf off the milk replacer too soon. It takes a lot of nutrition to grow well, and most pasture isn't high octane enough, especially this time of year.


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## CowPoke (Jul 31, 2014)

Well Im out on the Jersey, zero knowledge. They look skinny to me even bloated lol In all seriousness, I stare at beef calves and cattle 8 hrs a day so Ill be no help.. I bet your calf is just fine though and cant wait to see photos


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

He should be on something better than 16% feed. 18% at a minimum. 
Normal milk replacer takes a pound a day for a gallon of millk. You should burn through at. least one 50 pound bag before he is weaned.
Let him at the grain free choice and keep fresh water available all the time.
Put him out to graze if the grass is young and tender, if it's old and seeded out it won't do much for him as far as growing. In the overall scheme of things, grazing is far down on the list of thingd I worry about till they're 5-6 months old. Dairy calves don't really get meaty hips until they are about ready to go. A jersey calf will look boney for a while.


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## GaBoy79 (Sep 15, 2014)

Here's some pics of the calf. Thanks for all the info so far! I just want him to be healthy.

I went out today and purchased a bag of the Calf Manna and mixed a little in with his calf starter feed.























***Also, can anyone tell me if that metal tag in his ear is supposed to be removed at some point?***


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## ufo_chris (Apr 30, 2010)

Im no expert ,esp. on jerseys ,but when that pic came up I gasped and said OMG! 
I dont quite understand what u were and are feeding....u said u only fed milk replacer for the first week but u said u fed him 40 lbs......40 lbs would last a lot longer than 1 week.
If u did't know how old he was u should have fed him at least one bag (usually 50 lbs). while giving free choice calf starter. I usually use 1 1/2 bags. 
I don't know if its too late to put him back on MR? Experts need to answer that.
But defiantly give him better calf starter!


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## ksfarmer (Apr 28, 2007)

That calf is dang near starved to death!. 6 cups feed is nothing. The grass in the pic looks like nothing. Has he been wormed? Did he look that bad when you got him?
And , the least of his worries is the metal tag, unless the site is infected. It should never need removed.
If my neighbor had a calf staked out that looked that bad, I would call the authorities. Please get some expert advice on raising a calf.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Yes, he is way too thin. I'd recommend getting a fecal done. He may need to be treated for parasites and/or coccidia. I'd treat him if needed, and then give him free choice GOOD quality hay, like a grass alfalfa mix. There's nowhere near enough good quality grass in any of those pictures to be worth anything to him at this point. I'd also increase his grain.


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## GaBoy79 (Sep 15, 2014)

Ok. I am aware that the calf is skinny, hence the title of my thread. Also, I did say that I am new to raising calves. I have raised a lot of different animals/livestock in my life but calves are not one of them. I am on this site to get advice on how to better care for this animal.

Thanks for the comments but I really already feel bad as it is. If I'd have known what to do or not do believe me that's what would have happened because I strive to provide the best care possible.

Please someone that really knows what you're talking about, help me out with this. Thanks!


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## GaBoy79 (Sep 15, 2014)

Thanks MDKatie. What kind of wormer should I give him? What if he won't eat hay? He's eating grass just curious.


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## Chief Cook (Apr 24, 2011)

Good luck with your calf, hope he grows out well for you.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

I agree with having a fecal test done; that way you'll know what and how to treat whatever parasite(s) this calf has. 

Does the calf have a shelter? How about making a pen for him so he doesn't have to be tied to a post?

If you're new to cows, why not get a book and read up on their care. Check out Heather Smith Thomas's books on raising cattle. Or search for something on raising calves. You will learn a whole lot! There's also an extensive thread at the top of the Cattle board about raising bottle babies with a great deal of information that will be helpful to you!

Hope you can get this calf back on track!


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

Yikes, he's a skeleton with a hide draped over it. He needs some flesh on him NOW, he doesn't have anything to keep warm with as the weather cools off. Does he have shelter?

He needs some good quality hay. Even if the pasture is better forage than what is shown in the photos, by this time of year the nutrition in it has peaked and is going downhill. I would also suggest an alfalfa blend, whoever said that first was right IMHO. More grain, too, increase a little every day. Once he's fleshed out to a normal condition, then taper off the grain. It won't cost you a fortune forever to feed him, just to get him up to where he needs to be! They sell alfalfa cubes and pellets at most feed stores, it's more expensive than by the bale but you could get started on it right away versus waiting until you find, purchase and haul in some hay. And, check for parasites and worm if needed so you aren't spending your money to feed the parasites. 

You need to educate yourself, you are probably lucky this little guy is still alive. One cold rainy night could do him in, he's that poorly conditioned. Here is a link to body condition scoring (BCS) for dairy cattle, study it, please. Not so much the text, it's about lactating and breeding cows. But look at those pictures, learn the parts of the bovine body and how to interpret condition. 

https://www.uaex.edu/publications/PDF/FSA-4008.pdf

ETA - glad you recognized a problem and are seeking help. Don't think that everyone is dumping on you, but rather concerned for the calf and trying to impress upon you the seriousness of the condition. I hope you will post updates as you turn this calf around, so you can reap some "attaboys", too.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

That critter needs gradually put on full feed, good hay, and loose minerals to put some meat back on his bones. 

It doesn't take long for them to loose body condition but takes a long time to put it back on. 

I'd personally give him a mediocre feed ration and top dress it with MR. The fat content of most replacers is near 20% and will help to put the weight back. 

Gradually build him up to a feed amount he's cleaning up in about 20 minutes and then put him on full feed. If he's just getting 6 cups a day now it's barely keeping him alive and will never make him fat. 

Once you make sure his rumen (stomach) is working properly and his appetite is good, then I'd recommend de-worming with whatever fecal tests shows he has. 

You've come to the right place for some good opinions and advice and don't worry about posting "stupid" question. There are NO stupid questions. (Only the ones that aren't asked.)

BTW, the metal tag should be left on him. In some states it's an ID tag while in some it's a vaccination tag.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

GaBoy79 said:


> Thanks MDKatie. What kind of wormer should I give him? What if he won't eat hay? He's eating grass just curious.


That's why I recommended the fecal. The fecal will tell you exactly what parasites he has, and then you can choose the dewormer that will work best. Without a fecal, you'd be just taking a guess...and right now this calf doesn't have the time for you to try out several things. Do the fecal (less than $20) and get it right the first time. :thumb:


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## GaBoy79 (Sep 15, 2014)

Ok MDKatie. So how do I do the fecal test? Is it something I need to call a vet for?

Thanks for the other bits of advice everyone.

He does have a shelter. We don't keep him tied to a post. He has about a 3 acre pasture with 2 shelters in it that he shares with about 12 goats and 2 Great Pyrenees. We just bring him out to feed him so the goats don't get his food.

I was wrong about the amount of milk replacer that I had given him initially. I checked today and it was more like 25 lbs. Not being sure of how old he was and based on the fact that we couldn't get him to take a nipple I thought maybe he had already been or was being weaned. I gave him electrolytes and gave him milk replacer as well as started giving him the starter and sweet feed.

I did try to educate myself and the articles/posts that I read online said that you wanted to try to wean them off the replacer and get them on grains and forage as soon as possible. I was doing what I thought I should.

When we feed him he will not eat a lot of feed at one time. He usually ears for about 15-20 minutes and most times he doesn't eat the whole amount of feed. I assumed that if he were starving that he'd eat it all especially since it had sweet feed mixed in.

I have also tried to give him some regular hay a couple of times but he doesn't eat it.

I'm going to definitely put these suggestions to action and try to get him healthy

***Can I give him milk replacer now? He would never took a nipple he would just drink it out of a bucket. Also, should I give him any vitamins or electrolytes?***

Thanks again!


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## ufo_chris (Apr 30, 2010)

Take some fairly fresh poo to a lg. Animal vet office.
Call around if u don't have one yet.
Just because he did not want a bottle does not mean he was weaned and he could have been force weaned or orphaned and got used to no nipple. 
I would give him MR in a bucket then....not more than u would in a bottle and less at first,and free choice calf manna if he still eats slowly and not all of it(if he starts eating like a pig do not give free choice,start slowly and mix with current feed at first)
I dont know where u read wean asap....they r. Usually bottle fed and need 6weeks to12weeks .
I agree ,get the heather smith tomas book,good book.


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## ufo_chris (Apr 30, 2010)

Oh,get him a good loose mineral....watch though ,goat and cattle get different ones mostly ,might b better to separate him for a while.


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## Awnry Abe (Mar 21, 2012)

That animal would have a tough winter up in these parts. 

The good news is that he is eating. Odds are you just need to deal with a parasite issue and then start putting some meat on his bones. He will be fine if you take simple corrective action.

ETA: Electrolytes only if he is squirting water. Minerals, yes. Just me, but I wouldn't do milk replacer. Good hay.


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## CowPoke (Jul 31, 2014)

I may be wrong but this lil tyke looks at least 2.5 to 3 mths old judging by the feed troughs ... ?? I'm rooting for him! Please let us know how you and the calf progress


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## ksfarmer (Apr 28, 2007)

GaBoy79 said:


> Ok. I am aware that the calf is skinny, hence the title of my thread. Also, I did say that I am new to raising calves. I have raised a lot of different animals/livestock in my life but calves are not one of them. I am on this site to get advice on how to better care for this animal.
> 
> Thanks for the comments but I really already feel bad as it is. If I'd have known what to do or not do believe me that's what would have happened because I strive to provide the best care possible.
> 
> Please someone that really knows what you're talking about, help me out with this. Thanks!


Sorry if I came on a little too critical. It is good that you know there is a problem and are seeking advice. There are several posters on here that are giving good advice and know what they are talking. I would advise you to pay close attention to MO Cows post as well as several others such as Francismilker. Good luck, that calf can make it if you get him on a good program. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way.


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## msscamp (Sep 8, 2014)

GaBoy79 said:


> We gave him probios and milk replacer for like the first week or so then started giving him a calf starter and sweet feed mix.


In addition to his bottles or as replacement for his bottles? 40 lbs of milk replacer isn't even a full bag, and I always go through at least 100 lbs of milk replacer with my bottle calves! Bottle calves have to be on milk replacer for a month - minimum - and 2 months is much better.


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## Wild_Bill (Aug 4, 2014)

CowPoke said:


> I may be wrong but this lil tyke looks at least 2.5 to 3 mths old judging by the feed troughs ... ?? I'm rooting for him! Please let us know how you and the calf progress



Looks about right. Legs and neck are about that. He could weigh over 100lbs easy right now. Doubt he weighs 60. I have a 1 week old that weighs as much, but the other isn't that big. 
I have seen other calves that skinny come back. Get him some attention from a vet, or put him down. Not being mean just honest. Every animal i get i feel obligated to do the best i can for. Sometimes that involves spending more on them then they are worth. Jerseys are a looser under most conditions. I got my last two just because my daughter has never raised a bottle calf. In 2 years you will net about 400lbs of meat, and spend about 1000.00 on him. Not including what it cost to buy.
Good luck! You could do a little pen to feed him in for about $100. 4 cattle panels and 8 t post with the extras will cost just a little over that.


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

Get the calf some GOOD hay, the grass in your picture probably isn't much better then straw at this time as far as nutrients go. a small calf doesn't have the capacity to digest lower quality forages that a cow does.

What are you feeding him now, by weight and protein percentage? It's hard to translate what people are feeding some times. Sweet feed in one place can be a dairy mix and in another it's 10% protein molasses coated grain and stuff in a bag.


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## Patchouli (Aug 3, 2011)

It's not surprising he isn't eating much at a feeding he is in such poor shape. He needs his own spot where he can have free unhindered access to high quality hay, good shelter, a high quality mineral and a steady feed supply. Giving some sweet feed once or twice a day isn't going to get him back in condition at this point. He should have some free choice all day. I would also give him some more probios. 

I would also add this to his feed: http://www.mannapro.com/products/calf-manna/cattle/


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## Farmer Jayne (Oct 21, 2013)

How is your calf doing? I don't think he looks bad enough to put down. If he's eating and otherwise healthy it's worth a try. I've been around a few cattlemen who don't think that Jerseys are worth the trouble, but they have their place, and beef cows really don't walk on water. Don't be disin' my Jerseys!
Seriously, though, take a fresh piece of poop to your local large animal vet and figure out what parasites are dragging this guy down. Being skinny and weak makes them more susceptible to parasites that wouldn't bother a healthy cow. You may have to use something like Ivermectin for stomach or lung worms, and then something like Safe-Guard for tape worm. These are hard on the calf so finding out which ones you need to use is better than guessing. Find out if your area is deficient in Selenium. If it is, get him a loose mineral that has some in it. Most feed stores can help you pick the right one (Tractor Supply can sometimes not be as good for the info, though they generally will try if they have time). A loose mineral in general is a must even if you don't need Selenium. Free choice good hay is important. When they are older and healthier you can get by with older grass and a lower quality of hay, but this guy needs the best you can get. Calf Manna is a good supplement to add. Read the older and sticky posts on here about feeding calves. Good luck!
Let us know how he does.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Any update on this calf?


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

Wonder if the calf made it?


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

I wouldn't even worry about hay at this point. He's probably too young to use it efficiently.
Get some real good starter grain and maybe try a bottle a day of some milk based milk replacer.
Have him checked for parasites.


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