# Calf treatment question



## Errin OH (Nov 23, 2004)

Here's the deal. I raise several calves each year. Seems sometime in the past 6 months or less my supplier of jersey bull calves has picked up a fairly bad bug. Out of the last 7, I have lost 4, using the colostrums provided, within 2 weeks of birth. With the remaining having the same symptoms and getting worse. So I set down did a plan of attack and set about solving this. 

It has boiled down to; (all new arrivals)

Colostrx - Gain a few days on the passing of bug from herd to calf. (first signs of symptoms 5 days out vs 1 or 2 on colostrums)
Usual milk replacer mixed with 350 mg of Corid (for 5 days)
Drop Corid back to a maintenance level of 175 mg after the 5 days.
Treat with 90 mg Terramycin daily as needed for infections.

The problem is the bug is very resistance to treatment. In 2 of the original 3 survivors the bloody stool, depression, lack of eating returned within 3 weeks and requires a re-treatment of 350 mg Corid. Followed by an additional antibiotic treatment. Once they get to solid food it seems to clear up (1 to go), but I am still watching. The supplier is quite interested in the results as well. Seems not only are the bull calves affected but his heifers as well. 

Now the part I don't get. I have been told another fellâa that gets calves from this guy is telling people he has no problems. If they scour he just feeds them a raw egg (shell and all) with the milk replacer and it clears right up. Claims he only lost 1 out of 10.

Now it could be he is getting the pick of the litter and I get the sick ones (I doubt that the last 3 have come to me as they hit the ground, wet). Haven't talked to him personally, not sure he'd care to talk to me, being the competition and all. But given the suppliers problems with heifers and the painfully slow death (starvation) these guys were going thru, I doubt an egg is gonna fix them. Anyone hear of feeding a raw egg for scours, and/or as a Cocilidoses (sp) treatment?


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

yes i have and it does work for some people and for somethings but i have never used shell ...i had the same problem with scours as you are having but they were all in one pen so i stopped useing that pen and it stopped...later i trouble with another pen and scours only in that pen so i started moving pens after each batch....it greatly help i still have some now and then........i use ......delivery...to stop it now ..it turns to like a thick glob in they bellies and slows down everything...but i would move pens a spray bleach on the old one let the sun bake it awhile before putting pen back if you are in a barn would bleach it down let it sit awhile vacant...works for me hope it works for you


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## renabeth (Aug 7, 2002)

Erin, 
Sometimes it seems that it gets into a herd. We had a real problem with it at our old farm and lost a lot of calves. I talked to a vet and there is a vaccination that the farmer can give to the mothers before you get them that can help with this problem. Unfortunatly I can't remember what it was. If anyone knows, help me out with this. I guess what I am trying to say is that it possibly isn't your fault this is happening and could be a problem with your supplier. Good luck, sorry I couldn't be more help.


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

I was thinking along the lines of cleaning out those pens, too. Bleach to kill any lingering bacteria. Could be with so many sick calves, you've built up quite a level of germs in the environment ... it appears the other guy had only 1 sick calf, and perhaps he was able to isolate it. 

On the farm where I work, we had twin calves come down with the scours ... both died ... then 2 big healthy calves subsequently were put in the same pen ... you guessed it ... they got sick and died too. I wonder how long it will be, and how many calves we will lose, before my boss gets that bullpen cleaned out ...


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

well i have a angus herd and a milk cow herd i put calfs on the milk cows but keep the milk cows calfs in pens ...16 foot by 16 foot ..... i had 8 jerseys last year that i did that with this year i have 11 jersey cows and 5 jersey calfs and one milking shorthorn calf to grow up to nurse cows...then i might be just a little bit busy....lol...lol...one other thing i have found out you need to put iodine on the calfs navels.....at first when put in pen and also i put on every time it rains and the navel gets soft again that seems to help me.....i hope i helped


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## Jena (Aug 13, 2003)

It is important that you determine what kind of scours you are dealing with. Usually if they are scouring at less than two weeks of age, the problem is viral scours.

There is an oral vaccine that you can give to the calves, but it must be given within hours of birth. The cows can also be vaccinated, but that has to be done 6 weeks prior to calving.

The bug is resistant because it is a virus and antibiotics don't work on virus'. The antibiotics do help though because there's usually secondary bacterial infections going on.

See if you can get your supplier to vaccinate the calves at birth. It's easy enough...just squirt it in their throat. He may want to consider vaccinating the cows too to prevent further problems.

Jena


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## JeffNY (Dec 13, 2004)

Try pepto bismol, or kayopectate (sp).. We used it for one, and it cleared it up in about a day, the one we treated will be 2 yrs old April 17th.



Jeff


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## Patty0315 (Feb 1, 2004)

The scours that Erin is speaking of will not be cleared up with an egg or simply in 1 day with pepto..The problem is viral the the secondary stuff sets in. A whole milk medicated replacer helps , I add to it vitamins and oxytetracycline. At first signs of scours add a third meal of electrolytes {the jelling kind} Smaller feeding more often are better than large ones.

If you can keep the calf hydrated you stand a better chance of recovery. Also by adding the antibiotics you have a head start on secondary infections.

Pens should be cleaned of all old hay , if they can not be bleached add a good layer of lime let dry then add bedding.


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## Errin OH (Nov 23, 2004)

Patty0315 said:


> .............milk medicated replacer helps , I add to it vitamins and oxytetracycline. At first signs of scours add a third meal of electrolytes {the jelling kind} .........................
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Paula (Jun 3, 2002)

After a few years of raising calves and dealing with scours frequently we discovered that if you give the calf probiotics when you bring it home, and again if (more like when) they show the slightest sign of scouring, you can eliminate the problem most times. Of course by the time we discovered this we were so disgusted with dealing with sick calves that we didn't care anymore - we haven't raised a bottle baby since.


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## Patty0315 (Feb 1, 2004)

Save a calf may be jellying. I also like there scour milk treatment. I think I recall someone adding pectin to the electrolyes to "jelly" it. I am not totally sure on that sorry. Check Jeffers online to see what they have.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

I use ...Deliver by valdar.....it jells and really slows down the scours......i have heard of a product called ...sky-high enrgery..that also jells...but you need to be careful with the ...deliver ....i some time thinks it stops the scours but it also holds in the virius in the bellies so i only mix it 3/4 strength


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## evermoor (Nov 20, 2004)

We have had a similiar viral infection and lost two calves this fall. We use Merricks electrolytes twice a day till hydrated and feeling better, also use banamine, nuflor as usually pnuemonia is what takes them out. Did not care for some of the gelling products because the calves are too weak to nurse and it plugged up the stomach tube feeder. Had some luck feeding yugort and eggs and honey to restart the stomach and add bugs. I also swear by a product called Impro, and made in Waukon IA. Sorry it is in the barn or I'd get the whole label info. It is probiotics, and other stuff; add a tablespoon to the milk and never lost a calf ( I ran out and didn't want to pay the high price, lesson learned) PS they do have a trail size product they handed out at trade shows. Yeah I'm cheap, but I think they caught on after a couple of freebies. Keys are to keep them hydrated, dry, and get the rumen working.


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## Patty0315 (Feb 1, 2004)

Evermore , could you post a contact for the Impro? I would like to try it. The yogurt works cause it has active cultures, honey has the sugar, egg yolks protein. My fear with eggs is alway salmanilla{SP} even know I have never gotten sick from one. I have never used honey but have used karo syrup and molasses. When a goat or lamb kid I give each one a dose of molasses,karo and redcell to give them a boost. Remember this is usually happening in the cold NNY weather!


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## Patty0315 (Feb 1, 2004)

OOPs , I forgot as far as it "jellying" in the tube, just mix and feed it faster or add a little extra water.


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## Patty0315 (Feb 1, 2004)

http://www.iqbeef.org/tophand/0203/Preventdiarrhea.htm



Check this out thought you all might find it interesting.


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## allen8106 (Jan 23, 2005)

Errin OH said:


> Here's the deal. I raise several calves each year. Seems sometime in the past 6 months or less my supplier of jersey bull calves has picked up a fairly bad bug. Out of the last 7, I have lost 4, using the colostrums provided, within 2 weeks of birth. With the remaining having the same symptoms and getting worse. So I set down did a plan of attack and set about solving this.
> 
> It has boiled down to; (all new arrivals)
> 
> ...


Errin,

I tried everything with my first calf and got mixed results. An OLD friend of mine told about the raw eggs. Since then I have used nothing but raw eggs in the milk to clear up scours. I guarantee it works.


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