# Bottle Calves sick after one week



## stanley (Aug 22, 2011)

I have been getting day old calves from the dairy feeding them Dumor medicated MR I get from 5-7 at a time
They seem to do fine for about a week then a couple of them get listless and die the others are very active and growing well 
This has happened several times over the last few months 
Am I doing something wrong but is this to be expected it puzzles me that it is right around the one week mark every time


----------



## M5farm (Jan 14, 2014)

IIRC dumor is soy based milk replacer. Find a good milk based replacer it will greatly increase your success


----------



## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

Have they been getting colostrum before being pulled from dam?


----------



## stanley (Aug 22, 2011)

I am using Dumor ultra plus which has no Soy
and told they are getting three days of mothers milk


----------



## billinwv (Sep 27, 2013)

There is a new oral inoculant available that a local jersey dairy owner told me about. It cut his loses by 90 percent. Will try to find the name for you.


----------



## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

Hmmm... This link has some good info... I totally forgot (out of habit I guess) about the temp of the milk being a factor ... http://www.organicvalley.coop/pdf/pools/calf_care_herd_health.pdf


----------



## stanley (Aug 22, 2011)

Thanks 

idigbeets I am going to get a thermometer did not know the temps were that important 

billinwv if you can find the name of the inoculate I would appreciate it


----------



## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Stanley do some reading up on this nasal product, although I think you are wasting money. If the calves you are buying are taken care of at birth, and you are transporting them in a healthy manner, then the problem lies elsewhere. The temperature of the milk will have little to do with your death rate. The recommended temp is written on the bag so that the powder and water mix uniformly. The small about of milk that exits the bottles nipple is warmed instantly by the calves natural body temp long before it reaches the stomach. Of course warm the milk to a reasonable temp, but being exact is not as important as it may seem. Think about the animals drinking water it's far from warm. Anyway good luck with the calves and never overfeed.....Topside

Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has announced the availability of Onset 5 IN, the first intranasally administered, five-way modified-live virus vaccine for healthy cattle 3 to 8 days and older.
Onset 5 IN is designed to stimulate at the site of infection an immune response to Bovine Virus Diarrhea Type 1 and Type 2, Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), Parainfluenza3 (PI3) and Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus &#8211; the costliest diseases impacting beef and dairy herds.


----------



## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

^^ Vaccinations are a good idea as well... There's a lot of factors that can cause calves to croak... 

Have you always been getting calves from the same farmer? Ever done a necropsy to see whats going on ? If you are seeing 50% mortality on a regular basis it might be a worthwhile investment (at least once..)


----------



## AngusLover (Jan 12, 2014)

How are they being housed? 
Are you bottle or bucket feeding and how many times a day at what quantity?


----------



## Rosepath (Feb 18, 2011)

How are they getting 3 days of mother's milk when you're buying one-day old calves?


----------



## stanley (Aug 22, 2011)

Day old calves was a mis speak should have written week old calves
I am feeding 1/2 gallon MR twice a day with a bottle
they are housed in a 8x8 wooden shed with a 8x16 run attached usually 3-5 per shed fresh straw for bedding 
After they are two weeks old they are allowed to free range during the day and locked in the paddock every night


----------



## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

No matter what. I only feed a Holstein calf 3 pints twice daily. A Jersey calf 2 pints twice daily, not a drop more. Food for thought, oh and I haven't buried a calf in years....Topside


----------



## AngusLover (Jan 12, 2014)

The quantity your feeding could be the biggest issue. At a week old they still should be on 3 times a day, smaller portions. That's way to much for them at that age.
Do you know what scours are? If so are you seeing any signs of it?
Also with the housing you've provided are they getting drafts? Chilled calves kill.
Any coughing before they die? 
Eyes sunk in?


----------



## stanley (Aug 22, 2011)

The housing is draft free with lots of straw, it is warm in there and I keep the door shut on cold and or rainy days and every night
They are getting scours and I know that is the problem but trying to find the cause
I will try reducing the volume of milk and switch to 3 x a day


----------



## AngusLover (Jan 12, 2014)

I would bet that will take care of the problem.  Sounds like housing is fit for a king. 
Do you have a scour treatment(s) that you've been trying? Maybe we can offer some advice on that also to help? Helps to be prepared.


----------



## Critter Keeper (Nov 1, 2007)

topside1 said:


> No matter what. I only feed a Holstein calf 3 pints twice daily. A Jersey calf 2 pints twice daily, not a drop more. Food for thought, oh and I haven't buried a calf in years....Topside


topside1, what do you feed your calves? I have thought of getting some, but I have no experience with it.


----------



## iafarmer1424 (Dec 29, 2014)

If your calves are scouring you need to switch to an electrolyte mix for their feedings for a day.


----------



## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Critter, 9 out of 10 are fed goats milk. The one out of 10 milk replacer 20/20 all milk powder. Regardless of which is used I never vary from the amount I mentioned in the above post #17. I will add that sometimes I'll slowing increase the feeding amount once the calf is 30 days old, and only if extra milk is available. Sorry it took so long to answer your question....Topside


----------



## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

topside1 said:


> Critter, 9 out of 10 are fed goats milk. The one out of 10 milk replacer 20/20 all milk powder. Regardless of which is used I never vary from the amount I mentioned in the above post #17. I will add that sometimes I'll slowing increase the feeding amount once the calf is 30 days old, and only if extra milk is available. Sorry it took so long to answer your question....Topside


I might add to this since my friend topside won't brag on himself that I've raised many calves in the last few years and have always taken his rearing advice to heart. He is in my opinion THE authority on this board for raising bottle calves and has always offered sound advice. If he says start feeding them marshmallow cream, I'm gonna buy stock in Kraft foods!


----------



## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

I just try to keep it super simple, I'll stop blushing now.....Thanks a bunch.


----------



## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

Just a thought - are you washing and sanitizing the buckets,bottles, & nipples between uses? Since you've had a few batches in a row of calves that have sickened, and you mention scours, have you been able to sanitize the stall walls between sets of calves? Scours gets squirty, and young calves will lick about anything. Bleach water solution, sprayed on/scrubbed on, wait at least a couple of days before bringing in a new batch? Good luck! I hope things turn around for you.


----------



## Hespa (Sep 28, 2011)

I am the sole calf feeder for our dairy (Holsteins) farm for the past 25 years. I would like to share what I have learned over those years and our mortality rate is zero from sick calves. These are my recommendations: 
1) Our calves get a mixture of whole milk and milk replacer for about a week. I have a bucket of the mother's milk for each calf. They get three feedings of all mother's milk. The two feedings of 1 pint milk replacer and 3 pints of whole milk. Then 2 pints whole milk and 2 pints milk replacer until the bucket is almost empty. Then two or three feedings of 1 pint whole milk and 3 pints of milk replacer. Than all milk replacer. We used to switch "cold turkey" and the calves would almost always scour. That is something that doesn't happen now.
2) Temperature of water is very critical. I have gone to calf meetings by vets and they have found that improperly mixed milk replacer will make the calves sick.
3) Calves don't need to be in "air tight" barns. Dry beddings, free from drafts, but fresh air exchange make for healthier calves. Calf blankets are another good investment. Calves don't use of their body fat to keep warm. Our daughter did a science fair project and proved that calves without blankets lose body weight while getting started and with a blanket held their birth weight while getting started.


----------



## stanley (Aug 22, 2011)

Once again I want to thank everyone for the advice, most stuff I am already doing and will incorporate the other things. I do not currently have any young calves but need to be ready when the spring birthing starts.


----------



## Critter Keeper (Nov 1, 2007)

topside1 said:


> Critter, 9 out of 10 are fed goats milk. The one out of 10 milk replacer 20/20 all milk powder. Regardless of which is used I never vary from the amount I mentioned in the above post #17. I will add that sometimes I'll slowing increase the feeding amount once the calf is 30 days old, and only if extra milk is available. Sorry it took so long to answer your question....Topside


Thanks topside1 and sorry it took me so long to reply also. Can you describe your weaning process (age, what they are fed once weaned, amount, do you decrease milk slowly while introducing feed, etc. ?



francismilker said:


> I might add to this since my friend topside won't brag on himself that I've raised many calves in the last few years and have always taken his rearing advice to heart. He is in my opinion THE authority on this board for raising bottle calves and has always offered sound advice. If he says start feeding them marshmallow cream, I'm gonna buy stock in Kraft foods!


Good to know francismilker. I always try to do my homework and get good advice before attempting something that I have no experience with.


----------



## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

Definitely too much milk replacer...


----------



## stanley (Aug 22, 2011)

I have raised a total of 10 bottle calves and currently have 12 right now. I made some changes and they have all done well. With the cold weather I increased the straw bedding but I think the main thing was decreasing the amount of Milk Replacer. I was feeding two quarts twice a day, now the first day I feed one quart twice a day and increase each day until I feed two quarts per feeding. It has stopped the scours which was my main problem. I have not lost a calf out of the 22 calf total.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my plea


----------



## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

You are very welcome, keep up the great work....Topside


----------



## DJ in WA (Jan 28, 2005)

Did some reading and here's some points to consider. I wrote this in a word document and this site doesn't like the format, so I hope this is readable.

Bottom line is you need to get a vet involved to figure this out.

I looked up the instructions for your Milk Replacer and it says 1.5 to 2 quarts twice daily. I doubt overfeeding is causing your deaths.

Pneumonia is uncommon in calves less than 30 days old.
Diarrhea caused mostly by bacteria or viruses. Viruses aren't as severe, generally.

Most likely you are getting illness from one of these bacteria - E. Coli or Salmonellla.

They can cause bad diarrhea, or they can cause illness and death without diarrhea, by getting into the bloodstream (septicemia).

Need to get cultures done to figure out which bug you have so you can use the right antibiotic. Giving shots better than oral antibiotics, as oral ones can mess up the normal gut bacteria.
Salmonella causes a fever, so good to take temperatures if you catch them early in illness.
Calves get infected by ingesting the feces. Sick calves shed the bugs into their feces, so anywhere they are crapping will be contaminated. Need to isolate sick calves, and thoroughly disinfect their pens. Might need to move their pens and start over. 

Stress of shipping also makes for infection, especially with Salmonella. Don't know how to prevent that when you have to haul them, but hopefully they aren't hauled far and are being treated gently.

Illness can also be prevented by proper feeding of colostrum within 2 hours after birth and soon thereafter. I have learned to not trust sellers and if I was you I'd be visiting their farm and verifying their procedures. Though it is possible you have a bug for which their colostrum does not have the right antibodies.

By the way, Salmonella can infect people, so need good hygiene and wash hands.

Some reading:
http://www.hoards.com/E_calf_heifer/CH06
 &#12288;
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/digestive_system/intestinal_diseases_in_ruminants/diarrhea_in_neonatal_ruminants.html


----------



## shoe (Nov 17, 2014)

We have been giving bova seria (? on spelling) to all our new calves will help boost immunity for e. coli and salmonella if not had enough colostrum or none at all we also feed first 2 feeding of baged colostrum but not sure if it really helps. We had one the scoured and went off feed sick this is what the vet prescribe gave a lot of it for 5 days. Now he has us just vaccinate with it while healthy and seems to be working. We also vac against bvd, brd, type shot. bovi-sheild is one type it is a modified live virus so no shelf life after mixing. This year vet talked me into kill virus so we could hold unused for revac to save on cost seems to be working fine. You really need to have some kind of dialog with a vet. I grow up in feedyards and starter yards and have always had a vet to turn to. Now that my boys are raising bucket calves have had to make myself go talk to vet and establish a dialog with him. They are more willing to help you out on meds and vac program that way. I know it is cheaper to try and do it yourself but death loss is eating up more then vet would and then you will know more next time. Probias is always your friend when they have scours or doctoring. Really helps keep gut in shape and working good.


----------

