# What do you do with a calf that won't eat?



## lonelyfarmgirl

We had a calf born a few days ago, coming into the blizzard.
We got her into an outdoor shelter, and she was dry and got up just fine, but she didn't suck. I ended up making her a bottle of powdered colostrum and gave that to her. She sucked it right down out of a calf bottle.

We watched her pretty close, and determined at some point that she had drank. One of mom's front teats appeared to be down a tad and the nipple was shiny, so we left it go.

The next morning, it appeared she had not drank and her ears were down. I tried to give her a bottle (milk replacer) and she wouldn't take it. She kept shaking her head like it's yucky. Typical, been down that road before.

I ended up putting a tube down her throat. She looked worlds better a few hours later and was up several times. Come evening, obviously had not drank, so I tubed her again. 

Next morning, same deal. At that point, took her away from mom and put her in a stall. In the evening, still won't take a bottle, and I notice her tongue is probably swollen. So I put a tube in her stomach again. 

Now we are at today. I tried the bucket thing this morning and this afternoon, and she will not drink. She is alert, gets up when I come in, ears up, etc..

I gave her a shot of dex and E/selenium this morning. Dex is to bring the swelling down.

So what do I do? 
She will not take a bottle. Will not.
Has no interest in the bucket whatsoever. Still acts like the milk is yucky, even though except for maybe once, the first day, its all she's had.

I can't keep tubing her. 
She isn't what I would call an eater. She acts like she could care less, even though she is alert and semi-active.

Everything else about her is normal as far as I can tell, and I know there is nothing wrong with the milk, or what I am doing. I've bottle fed dozens of calves.


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## allenslabs

If you put your fingers in her mouth does she suck on them?


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## myersfarm

I have had calves I had to tube for 2 weeks then they go crazy for the bottle


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## gone-a-milkin

10 days was the longest I had to tube feed.
I just resolved that if she was still alive, I was feeding her.
Then one morning she was wagging her tail and bumping into me trying to suck.

I have also had others that died w/in 3-4 days. They never did really 'try' to do much of anything, just sort of lolled about with a oblivious look in their faces.
I sort of figured those ones were braindamaged from birth? :shrug:

Either way: if they are alive, I tube them. Either until they die or get better.


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## Ronney

gone-a-milkin said:


> 10 days was the longest I had to tube feed.
> I just resolved that if she was still alive, I was feeding her.
> Then one morning she was wagging her tail and bumping into me trying to suck.
> 
> I have also had others that died w/in 3-4 days. They never did really 'try' to do much of anything, just sort of lolled about with a oblivious look in their faces.
> I sort of figured those ones were braindamaged from birth? :shrug:
> 
> Either way: if they are alive, I tube them. Either until they die or get better.


This would be my take on it too.

Two years in a row I've had a bull calf out of the same cow that refuses to feed. In both instances I brought the cow in and tried to latch the calf on. No go. Milked the cow out, put the milk into a single calfateria and forced the issue by jamming the teat into it's mouth and holding my hand over the nostrils so it couldn't breath. It then had to suck air in through it's mouth, it took in milk and away he went. Still wouldn't latch on to the cow but I tried that before giving him the calfateria. On the third day he found his brains and drank from his mother. All good.

Similar with the second except I had to tube feed him but before doing so I would try both the cow and calfateria every feed. I tube fed him for a week before he found his brains and worked out what an udder was. 

Always try all the alternatives - that way you know you've done your best and if they die, it hasn't been through the want of trying. 

Good luck,
Ronnie


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## lonelyfarmgirl

well, I guess I will just keep at with the tube. handling the mother isn't an option. she isn't that tame. A cryin shame of the highest degree, because mom is half holstein. she has so much milk, no calf could ever drink it all, and its drying right up while she stands out in the pasture and cries, and her calf gets milk replacer.

she doesn't suck, period. she shakes her head and jerks away. She wants nothing anywhere near her mouth.


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## Hespa

I have occasionally had holstein calves that didn't want to drink. I would tube if necessary to get the colostrum into them. Continuous tubing will cause a sore throat and the calf will be less eager to drink. They can miss a feeding and not hurt them. A sick calf is one thing but a stubborn calf is a calf of a different color. If the calf is sick, then it needs the milk, possibly electrolytes or anitbiotics if a fever is present. However, if the calf is just being stubborn, a missed feeding helps to change its attitude. Occassionally, I will skip a second feeding but that is rare. I can only image how bullheaded that type of calf will be when it is full grow when its attitude is so big as a few-days-old calf.


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## lonelyfarmgirl

I would never make a calf so young go longer than 12 hours without feed. They will go downhill in a hurry and die. BTDT


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## allenslabs

Any chance you could milk the momma, tube the baby with the milk and hope it takes to nursing? Especially if you leave it in with momma and she is licking on it and such. Worth a shot. And if she isn't trained to milk but is full, if you get her to milk, she would probably appreciate you. I know that's the best way to make friends with crazy goats. Train them to milk. They look at you as their relief. Has always worked with goats but cows are just a tad bit bigger! LOL!


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## lonelyfarmgirl

lonelyfarmgirl said:


> handling the mother isn't an option. she isn't that tame.


you don't teach a 6 year old free-range beef animal to milk. thats when you die

this afternoon I had a tiny bit of success. SHe was up and looking for me when I went to feed her. I smashed her against the wall, pried her mouth open and held it shut over the nipple. She sucked for about half a pint. That is huge progress.


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## allenslabs

LOL! Around here...taking on a challenge like that means you just got really bored and wanted to spice things up a bit. LOL! 
Hey any step in the right direction is a good step! LOL!


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## bruce2288

I would try a shot of B-12 for appetite stimulation.
You might want to consider acquiring a squeeze shute in the future, so you can restrain a cow to milk, treat or get a calf sucking their mother. With the cost of milk replacer and calves it would pay for itself.


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