I have a steer calf that I weaned about a week ago that suddenly has the scatters. The calf was born around November 24 2001. All went well until this point. I have fed milk replacer until a week ago when I cut it out. I also give about a half gallon scoop of starter grower twice a day with water and this years hay. I have been told not to worry that he probably ate some hay that didn't agree with him, but that doesn't seem right. As of now he is eating grain and does not seem to be affected. What should I do?

-- Joel W Combs (jwcinpk@yahoo.com), February 22, 2002

Answers

Don't EVER take scours lightly in a cal that young. It doesn't take ANY time for them to get weak and too far gone. If it were me, I'd get him right on scour medication. I used to raise day old dairy calves and seems like when they hit that 3-4 month old mark, well, that was a critical time, either for their immune system to kick in, or for them to give into the first opportunistic bug that came along.

Git the some scour medication! Better safe than sorry!

-- Susan no longer in Texas (wind_n_her_hair@yahoo.com), February 22, 2002.

Keep the fluids at hand at all times, these small calves are in need of water to prevent dehydration.Try some pedialite if you can afford it.

-- Wendy (Dads340@aol.com), February 23, 2002.

Don't fool around with scours...get a product called Bounce Back. I have never lost a calf with my new system. If he still wants to suck give him a couple bottles a day of clean fresh water in between the Bounce Back as to not dehydrate. My grandpa says in the olden days they used to slide an egg or two down their throat. If you have chickens then use fresh. The protein helps keep them up. Do not give him anymore milk until he clears up and what kind of grain? Straight corn will give him the diarrhea I feed ours sweet calf creep.Good Luck!

-- Carla (herbs@computer-concepts.com), February 23, 2002.