herford calf

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I have a herford calf one week old that seems really healthy and all but noticed today she has diahrea with a good amount of blood in it. Is this something to worry about or is it because she's still new? Also, the mothers' teat is scratched up real bad - looks like she got it ripped on a fence some how. The cow, I can handle but do I need to do something with the calf? THANKS !

-- Pat (pmikul@pcpros.net), August 26, 2000

Answers

Pat , she is starting to scour .I'm not sure what to do because she is with Mom , but this is what I do without Mom .

Go out and buy scours control II , its a milk replacer plus scours control .Feed this soley until scours are gone .If very dehydrated scour 2 2 x daily and electrolytes at noon .You may also need to treat with corrid . I tried lots of other things , but this worked the best .I haven't lost a calve since I started with it.

Hopefully someone with more experience will write in .Good luck.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), August 26, 2000.


Your calf is developing bloody scours, probably due to stress of some sort. Get to town quick! This is bad stuff! Give the calf two scour boluses right off the bat. Injection of vitamins A & D wouldn't hurt, either. Electrolyte solution may be necessary if calf begins to dehydrate. Call the vet for advice! An old-time treatment worked for me once. I used a quart of water with two eggs mixed well into it. Fed it through their bottle (mine were orphan calves).Took 'em off the milk replacer for a couple days and just gave them the egg/water. Don't know why this worked, but it did. I was desperate. I've lost calves over the years to this problem, but I've also saved many. It's worth it! Have you priced baby calves at the sale barns lately?

-- Lynn (dakotalady72@dtgnet.com), August 27, 2000.

I was able to get some sulfatrim pediatric suspension in her earlier today. I got this stuff from the vet before to treat the scours. I'll give her some again tonight and call the vet in the morning. It was alot easier to get in her than I thought it would be. I had the med in a syringe and as she sniffed it, I emptied it in her mouth. Thanks for all your help!

-- Pat (pmikul@pcpros.net), August 27, 2000.

Keep us posted, Pat!

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), August 27, 2000.

I got some more medicine in her this morning although she is getting wise to the whole thing. I called the vet and they said to try and get a stool sample and have it tested for cocsidiosis (sp.). I'll let you know what happens. She still is acting good and healthy.

-- Pat (pmikul@pcpros.net), August 28, 2000.


well, this is the third day of that pediatric suspension and the calfs stools are normal with no signs of blood in it - she's still acting fine I tried to find a sample but was unable to with them roaming on 3 acres - doesn't look like that needs to be done now.

thanks for all the help!!

-- Pat (pmikul@pcpros.net), August 29, 2000.


Pat, I posted quite some time ago on a post about what to do with all the extra eggs---we froze them & when we had any animals with the "skitters", we put the trawed eggs in a long necked bottle & poured them down their throat--it worked every time. As Lynn, posted I don't know what it is--but it works---any animal who has the Skitters at our place gets raw eggs down their throat. We have saved many an critter that way! Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), August 29, 2000.

Hi, I'm glad your calf is better. Here is something, that we do, and I never hurt of anybody else trying it. My husbands grandfather, who raised all kinds of critters throughout his life, told us to do this, when our first calf got the scours. We used it successfully, every time, on calves and goats. You take some hay, and stuff it into a large pot, I use my canner,fill it up with water, and put it on the stove to boil. let it boil for a few minutes, to make a good strong haytea. I usually mix it half and half with whatever they're getting, milkreplacer or mothers milk. I have used it by itself for one day worth of feedings in bad cases. It always worked for us.

-- karin morey (wind_crest@hotmail.com), August 30, 2000.

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