# Help new bull calves sick and skinny



## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

ok i got these 2 holstein calves there bulls and should of been about 2 months old but after looking at them closer they look like about a month old IF that. and the guy said they were on grain and water and hay WHICH THERE NOT. i got milk replacer and feed them in a bottle cause they WONT drink out of a bucket at all and they have the runs BAD it shoots out so i got them some bounce back and have been feeding them that around 12-1 for the past 2 days and i feed them milk around 8-9 in the morning and 4-530 at night. well they just seem to keep getting worse the one started to get better and now hes back with the runs and looking like bones and and nasty looking 

im about to call a vet in the morning and see what they say but i was told to give them resorb and take them off milk for 3 feeding but i dont wanna wait that long and have it not work and them get worse 

any one know what i should do next? or would it be better to call a vet

and sorry for the spelling and wording


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Buy the resorb, read the packaging, do exactly what the packaging says...no expections. Not picking on you, but usually folks don't believe what we tell them. Calves die every day from overfeeding, not listening or being un-prepared...I just left a local sale barn today, there were many calves laying in the sawdust dead or dieing. Pitiful really, follow any advice given here to the letter or grab your shovel. Sorry about being blunt, but raising calves is an art that some folks learn and other folks don't...."Resorb" and the companies label instructions is the best quick advice that i can give.....keep in touch....TJ


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## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

What volume of milk replacer have you been feeding?
Are you providing a bucket of fresh water between feedings?


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

i have lived on a farm all my life up until i was 17 when we sold out im 20 now and getting back in to it on my own (my dad an uncle use to own it) but i never had any calves as sick as these are and i use to feed them all the time 

i follow the instruction to a T there on a 10oz milk replacer (one cup supplied in the bag) feeding one bottle in the morning and one at night a 2 qt bottle

and i gave them that bounce back at lunch 4 level scoops in to a 2 qt bottle mix with warm water 

there eating the milk and the bounce back but it dont seem to be helping with there poops

i already have enough money in these that i dont wanna loose them

and that have free range water and grain they just dont eat it


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## Madsaw (Feb 26, 2008)

Ok here is a long shot. Their hair coat is rough looking? Kind of shaggie in appearance? Thin boney appearance. Brown water scours? Any discharge from the nose?
If so I would lean toward a low grade pneumonia. I can already tell some othres that will read this think I am nuts always saying pnuemonia, but you do not know how common it is in cattle. You ever have a calf that seems to be healthy but never really gain like the rest. Could be possible when they were young to have had it.
Get a good pneumonia drug from your vet and also Sustain3 tablets. If it is somethign other then pnumonia the S3 will help with the scours too. Especially if its cocidious.
The farmer you got the calves from how was the conditions there?
bob


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

there coat looks good. none of the other stuff the one has a chapped noes thats about it.

the guy i got them from had them in a pen with about 10-15 more calves rusty color water he mixed his own grain there were bigger cows and horses in the pen next to them cant remember the name of the horses but they were big ones


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

here is a pic of them 










the white one is getting better the black one still looks like crap as you can see


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## Madsaw (Feb 26, 2008)

Chapped nose could show that the calf had a fever recently. With what you say the conditon are I would lean toward cocidious. Was the pen area well vented? 
Bob


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

i just got them sunday they were out side no buildings to go in he said he put them in if it got bad out but they were out side the whole time the building there in now is clean fresh straw before they were put there but i let them out during the day so if they wanted they can eat grass or get more air. they were in the back of my truck when we moved them i road back there holding them


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## randiliana (Feb 22, 2008)

Well, the best thing you can do is have a vet LOOK at them. I would suggest some antibiotics. A broad spectrum would be best as you aren't sure what the problem is. Coccidiosis is also a good possibility. Get some electrolytes into them, that will certainly help them out. Sustain III boluses are a good start.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Just keep liquid in them. And do it in small amounts. If an animal get any kind of scours it's best to not be giving them the normal two quart bottle every twelve hours but instead give 1 quart bottles every six hours. I've had a lot sick scoury calves in the past. I've had real good success with just making sure they keep drinking and keep plenty of water in front of them at all times. Unless they're running a fever, I might personally shy away from medicating with any form of antibiotics as this can kill the "good" bacteria in their stomachs that's needed for digestion and rumen development. Just keep giving them lots of fluid and electrolytes. Good luck!


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## menollyrj (Mar 15, 2006)

We keep LA-200 or Excede on hand and all calves that come on the premises get a shot of one or the other before we put them in the stable. If we had a calf with scours, it would get an antibiotic shot, sulmet in it's bottle, and an imodium crushed and put in it's bottle as well. 

I wouldn't worry too much about them being scrawny. Holstein calves usually look poorly when they are small. Ours look malnourished even when they are eating well. Big bones or something. 

-Joy


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

well the black one didnt drink any of the bounce back stuff today to he is going on the re-sorb tonight around 8:30 for 3 days and if that dont help the vet will head out here

i talked to him on the phone and he said keep doing what your doing and if there not better by the weekend call me 

but i talked to alot of people about the re-sorb stuff and they said it helped there calves out with in the first day so why not try it nothing else is working out too well 

the white one is just gonna stay on his milk diet but i cut it back to 8oz milk with 2 qts water instead of the 10oz scoop hes drinking water out of the bucket but wont drink the milk so i have to give him a bottle still 

im having a local farmer come over and give them some meds tonight that they give there calves when they put them on the re-sorb and hope it works out


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## Madsaw (Feb 26, 2008)

Just seen the pics come up now. No wonder they are not eating hay. Them calves migth be at the oldest 2 weeks. Feel for horn nubs on top of there heads. 
Bob


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

All two week old calves look like that, skinny.....here's one I just bought yesterday, so don't worry about them being skinny. The calf in the photo has a great frame and will fill out nicely over time. Slim calves should be the least of your worries. Most calves show no signs of growth until about one month old....Use the resorb and read the label,,,,,the best I can remember it says "withhold milk for 4 feedings" two days, not 3 days.....Keep asking questions, that's how we learn....TJ


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

well the white one went from good to about dead tonight had to call the vet and he was dehrydated and had a water belly where he wasnt getting any of the stuff fed to him it was going stight through him he put an IV in him and alot of meds and shots and he still looks sick as hell if this one dies the seller is gonna get a call from my layer since he said they were off milk and about 2 month old and healthy and had all the shots 

i bet he fed them milk right before i got there cause they had a belly and looked good got them home and they looked like this 

ill get a pic of the other one that i know is about 2 months old he has a belly and eats every thing in site pretty much but i think hes a jersey and hes as big as these guys

o and the vet said to hold off on the re-sorb for a little bit at least on the white one since we just gave him a ton of shots and meds and he also said he gives them milk with his when he does that not alot about half a bottle in the middle of the day

and there horns you cant even really feel nubs yet


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

sorry to hear about the bad news, I'm out of advice, TJ over and out.


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

ya i know well the black one is doing better today but the white one is down and not moving after 3 bottles of IV and alot of shots so dont know what to do with him


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## menollyrj (Mar 15, 2006)

Will he take a bottle? If not, he may have to be tube-fed for a feeding or two.

-Joy


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

hes just really week i have to pick him up but first clean his rear cause he poops all over his tail and then gets it every where and there are alot of flies out there so i dont wanna have magets get in there and eat his insides. but once hes up he will drink the bottle and eat a little feed and drink water but hes still really weak i cut the milk back a little to 6oz instead of the 10 i was giving him and he is doing better he got up on his own tonight so hes getting better its just gonna take a little time i guess the vet said his poop came back with nothing no worms or that other thing they get

but the black one i cut his back also to 6oz of milk and the 2qts bottle of water. and he was running around the pasture today so its gotta be helping him his poop came back the same nothing so that a good thing just gonna take him a little time also to get over it. but he dont eat the grain he just drinks water on his own but he will come around to it i got calf starter for him so he should start to eat it 

but so far there both doing better the white one can turn and go down hill any time

the black one can also but he is doing better so i hope not 

i cant wait to get this vet bill but at least i feel better now about them


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## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

If the calves are only 2 weeks old, the rumen isn't really ready for grain yet, especially if they are sick. We used to offer a small amont of calf-manna, a sweet feed, and they would begin to play with it in their mouth at about 2-3weeks of age, but not really begin to eat it until 4-6 weeks.

Be sure you are feeding a high quality milk replacer, the cheap ones are only good for older calves that you could have weaned already. You want the protein on the milk replacer around 20%, not too much fiber (filler). Watch the black one closely, skimp too long on his milk replacer & he'll relapse. Good Luck.


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

i am watching both on them close i just cut them back 2 oz it shouldnt hurt that much there drinking water and eatting some grass/ hay/grain there trying to do what the other one is doing 

but after i cut them a little they both are doing better 

and the milk replacer is the medicated stuff and its the dumor kinda ment for calves from 2days to 6 weeks i think it said


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## Madsaw (Feb 26, 2008)

If they do get magots, us a spray for Screw worms. Kills them buggers right out and fast. I seen some pretty nasty things in the summer for magots but that spray really knocks them out.
Bob


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

there was some but i think there done or gone i didnt see any more last night or this morning i sprayed some fly spray on his rear legs and tip of his tail and no more flys and he is doing pretty good now he was out walking around so i think he is gonna make it still keeping my fingers crossed cause he can crash at any time still


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## Sabrina67 (Mar 24, 2008)

Good luck.  These cows can be frustrating. lol We are on our way to the vet today with new milk cow.  Mastitis. Gotta love em though.


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

ya when we were milking we had alot of them get that its sucks but you gotta get it all out


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## Sabrina67 (Mar 24, 2008)

She won't let her milk down it seems. I hope they can help her. She is the sweetest thing you ever saw.
We were kinda lied too also. The man we bought her from was telling us how he had two holstien calves on her that morning...NOT. She would barely give a quart a day she was so sick. grrr Hopefully this will help.  Glad to hear your guys are on the mend.


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

ya thats like nothing hope she comes around for you

guess every one needs to know who there dealing when when buying cattle 

when we had our farm we only sold them to people we knew or keep them all once in a while when we needed money we took them to auctions but we made she they were good when we took them


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