# Jersey Bottle Calves/Yellow poop



## grammajudy (Nov 11, 2010)

My grandsons have a couple little Jersey bottle calves. They were born middle March and started for about a week on the mother's colstrum. We have had them since like last week of March. 

Last week the weather was so pretty, they turned them out to pasture during the day, but they haven't been on pasture since last Friday, mainly because of rain and there is no shelter for them.

They are fed two bottles a day of milk replacer, and they have molasses ground corn. Plenty of water.

Sunday one of them had a bout of runny poop, but it was a good color. This morning our son noticed there were about five piles of runny yellow poop. I have heard several years ago when we bottle fed calves to feed them a half bottle of kaopectate, but never did this. 

What should be done?


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Read the 5 pages of "Sale Barn/Bottle Calves.
Then take the anti-scours tablet that you have on hand for this common emergency and give it to each calf. Cut back on the milk replacer.


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## grammajudy (Nov 11, 2010)

Thank you. I didn't read that sticky because we didn't get them at a sale barn, but I see I should have.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Give them some good fine grass hay, pitch the corn and get them some oats(rolled would be great) or go get some low protien store bought calf feed, less than 18% . Small calves don`t need a lot of corn, period. > Thanks Marc


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## Valmai (Sep 29, 2004)

But how runny is runny? The change in diet, going out on grass, the bad weather can affect their poos. Yellow loose poo does not automatically mean scours.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Valmai said:


> But how runny is runny? The change in diet, going out on grass, the bad weather can affect their poos. Yellow loose poo does not automatically mean scours.


Yes, it might not be scours. If I am not sure, scours tablets are cheaper than spending the afternoon shoveling a hole to drag the calf into, so I error on the side of treating it like it is scours as quick as I can.

Sometimes, you can still save a scouring calf after you've waited to diagnose the viscosity of the poo.

What did you do and how did it turn out?


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## grammajudy (Nov 11, 2010)

A neighbor guy came and gave the calf a shot. Cleared it up right away. It is really hard to know what to do. They are going to look into those pills.

He said if grandson is going to show the calf at the fair, he shouldn't let him out on pasture until after the fair. So they are keeping them in the barn, and now fighting flies and mosquitoes from so much rain and humidity. Seems everything is damp. Grandson gave his calf a bath Sunday and sprayed him good.

Thanks for your help.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

What was the injection that he gave them? No pasture at all? No exercise, no sunshine? 

If this is 4-H, then I think the 4-H extension agent might be able to offer guidance on how best to care for these calves. Maybe it's just me, but something just doesn't sit right with this.


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## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

G. Seddon said:


> What was the injection that he gave them? No pasture at all? No exercise, no sunshine?
> 
> If this is 4-H, then I think the 4-H extension agent might be able to offer guidance on how best to care for these calves. Maybe it's just me, but something just doesn't sit right with this.


Agree. I don't understand the reasoning for this and it isn't healthy for the calf.


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## grammajudy (Nov 11, 2010)

I don't know what the injection was.

I agree that this doesn't sound healthy to keep them in. Yes, it is a 4-H project. The guy who told him this has taken several calves to the fair.
I think I am going to tell my son to talk to the extension agent as to what is best.


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## coolrunnin (Aug 28, 2010)

When we milked our calves where kept in pens they where fed a ration of hay and 14% dairy.
We moved them when we started new batch's


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

I guess it would depend on what they are feeding in the pen......high protien hay..high protien feed.. in large amounts.....cleaning pen every day....would really have a lot of money invested


I also wonder what was the shot


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

4H projects have gone crazy. i've seen guys do a 1000 mile round trip to buy a show stock feeder pig. With calves, keep them inside, so the flies don't bother, never away from feed. Parents spend thousands so Junior can win a Grand Champion Ribbon.
Recently, a guy bought a STEER 1000 miles away, for $25,000, so his son could win at the local county fair. 
Learning how to raise a calf and raising a calf for the 4H fair are, saddly, two different things.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

haypoint said:


> Learning how to raise a calf and raising a calf for the 4H fair are, saddly, two different things.


I fear you are right.

It's important to know what medications are given to an animal, injections or sprays, whatever (and this is usually a part of the animal's official records, 4-H or otherwise). 

grammajudy, if it doesn't seem right to you, then follow your instincts, ask questions and get answers. Your grandson will thank you for it. He should learn the right way to care for an animal; most 4-H groups will have regular meetings, and sometimes a vet comes to advise the children how to properly care for their animals -- the neighbor may or may not know what he's doing, but I hope the 4-H leader does. The best lesson will be to do what's right by the animal!


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## grammajudy (Nov 11, 2010)

This is a first time 4-H project. They don't expect any Grand Champion ribbons with them. It is also to teach them responsibility. Their father is with them through all the feedings, and the 11 year old keeps the barn spotless for them. He knows the guy who gave the shot, and trusts him. I will mention that they need to know the name of that shot for the 4-H records. 
The oldest boy has shown calves for the guy who gave the shot. He too, just does it for his kids, who are growing up now. 
The oldest boy was behind the scenes in the barns last year and saw some of the Grand Champions and how they get that way. Most of them are from big farms. Just amazing what tricks they know to do.


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## grammajudy (Nov 11, 2010)

G. Seddon... yes they are in the barn, but they can get outside the barn into a 16 x 8 cattle panel pen on the east. The sun comes in on the south from another door. They lay in the sun and they can hop around. They really do have enough room and are plenty healthy now. When we were having so much rain, they didn't get out and I don't blame them. They are fine. Just, we have never had cattle that were not turned out to pasture.
And they for sure will be after the fair.

I asked my son if they are keeping track of medicine, sprays, weaning, etc. He said they picked up a book at the extension office and the grandson is writing all that down.


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